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Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll

ByShoshanna Keats Jaskoll, Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll

Opinion

The erasure of women has a deadly impact

The erasure of images of Jewish women, the ban on discussing their health and increased segregation are distortions of Judaism, says Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll

December 30, 2019 11:40
Ultra-orthodox man filmed vandalizing an image of a woman
2 min read

In Israel, a man rides a bike down a busy street. Instead of passing the slow moving bus before him, he trails closely behind it. As the bus stops at a red light, the biker reaches out, tearing at the advertisement posted at the back of the bus. In full view of pedestrians, bikers and drivers, he rips at the poster until it falls to the street. Satisfied, he rides off.

In another Israeli city, two men walking with children and strollers stop beside a parked bus. As the children look on, the men exert great effort to pull down the advertisement plastered to the side of the bus. Intent on their work and ignoring the children behind them, they don’t stop until the poster is destroyed, the advertisement no longer recognizable.

We know of both of these incidents because they were filmed in broad daylight. Both of the defiled advertisements had women’s smiling faces. The vandals were ultra-orthodox men.

It has become the norm in cities across Israel for advertisements and posters of women to be defaced — literally. Whether spray-painted over or torn down, ads with women — even girls — are vandalized on a regular basis.