Ultra Orthodox Jewish women are not really free to live unrestricted lives, unless they rebel.
Nor are Ultra Orthodox Jewish men, either. It's a very structured life for both sexes. And there is a long tradition in religious Judaism of women running businesses to support scholar husbands, so we are not just talking about nursery schools. Go into any store in a Hasidic neighborhood, and see how many women are behind the counters.
What matters to me is, that in these Hasidic households, women are educated, women are respected, and the raising of children is really thought of as very important work - for both sexes, not just the women. Jewish traditions, while not quite to modern liberated taste, are far most respectful of women than Muslim traditions. Her testimony counts as much as a man's. There's no polygamy. She's a human being responsible for her own actions, not a vessel for man's honor. She can inherit property. Her marriage contract gives her rights, and she can get a divorce as well as be divorced. |
