Mea Shearim
Mea Shearim (name taken from a verse of the Torah and meaning "Hundredfold"), is where those who adhere to a very strict interpretation of the Torah lives. At the entrance of the neighborhood are modesty warnings[a]. Any women in violation of the dress code is usually pelted with stones (pebbles, one hopes), as the presence of scantily clad women in the field of view of the male inhabitants puts them in violation of religious rule.
I sat with my camera pointing out through the car window, and without looking through the viewfinder, I pressed the shutter button about when I thought something interesting was roughly in front of the camera. (When I did that, I didn't know that photography was frowned upon.)
2010-07-05 17:53
2010-07-05 17:53
The posters in the background are called pashkevil[b] (pl. pashkeviln) and contain statements on how to lead a virtuous life. While some of them are signed by rabbis, most are posted anonymously. They can be seen as components of a public discussion, where readers can cover them up or remove them if they disagree, or simply adhere to them if they agree. They are also a way of trash-talking others anonymously as partof internal power struggles in the community, although such use is against the Torah.
2010-07-05 17:56
2010-07-05 18:02