Page 88 - issue
P. 88
FRUMKEITFACESOF pictures are immodest. And it’s not just
children. Our publications are teaching all
of us, both men and women, that there
is something not right with printing pic-
tures of females. It has become the new
societal norm. This can lead some people
to think this practice is mainstream and
halachic. And when rabbanim are not
willing to go to print stating unequivo-
cally that this practice is not halachic, the
lines are blurred even more.
Fby Alexandra Fleksher initiative started by yeshivishe women to Unhealthy Messaging Regarding the Vis-
rom the Yated to the Mishpacha, put pictures of women of all ages back ibility of Women Being Inappropriate
our magazines have presented into frum media. Certainly, one has the Rabbi Ilan Feldman, Rav of Congregation
the Jewish world with a definition right to not bring pictures of women into Beth Jacob of Atlanta, made the following
of what it means to be a modest one’s home, if that is his or her practice, statement in support of the recent online
woman: She’s not in print. Even but it is nevertheless important that the petition in favor of printing women’s pic-
if she follows halacha perfectly, Orthodox community at large is aware of tures in chareidi media: “The refusal to
she is still not modest enough to the messaging – both psychological and publish women’s pictures is the ultimate
be featured in the pages of our religious – that this practice communi- irony. In the name of modesty, women
publications. This policy requires that cates to men, women, and children. are objectified – turned into objects, who
even pictures of our great rebbetzins and cannot be portrayed at all in public. It is
leaders, past and present, cannot accom- Confusion about Modesty Standards as if their physical existence is an invita-
pany the articles written about them. and Practices in Mainstream Orthodoxy tion to sin. This is the ultimate degrada-
Rather, pictures of their husbands, their My friend’s granddaughter was building tion of women.”
residences, and their speaking venues with Clics, and the child was overheard
take the place of the special faces and saying that she couldn’t take her picture Interestingly, women from all over
spiritual beauty of our righteous women. with her creation to be put in the maga- the Orthodox spectrum, left to right,
This policy requires that historical photo- zine because “it’s not tznius.” This was are sharing the same uniform message
graphs capturing unforgettable events in a girl under ten from a non-chasidishe about how the lack of images of wom-
Jewish history cannot be included in our background. Why should she think that en are a detriment to a healthy Orthodox
magazines if a woman is in the shot. This her picture is not tznius? society. The message to women is that
policy requires that non-Jewish female even our faces and our covered bodies
political leaders can never be featured. What is tznius? How is it defined? are too much to tolerate. The message
And this policy requires that girls above What is required of us? We should know to men is that even modest women are
a certain age cannot be seen, giving the what is halacha, minhag hamakom, and too much to tolerate. And the message to
message, especially to young girls, that it chumra, and our children and teenagers boys and girls is that women need to be
is not tznius (modest). most certainly should know as well. Are out of the picture because, for some rea-
we teaching our children that the Torah son, it is a problem for men to see them.
If one has trouble with these as- prohibits pictures of modestly-dressed Many wonder if the next logical step is
sumptions, two options can be consid- women and girls above seven? If it is a that women should not even been seen
ered: 1) do not buy the magazine, or minhag among certain sects, then how in person. Certainly, this is not the mes-
2) purchase the magazine but tell our- has it become the norm in Litvishe cir- sage we need to give women and young
selves and our children that this policy cles, where apparently this has never girls today.
was created out of sensitivity to those been the mesora?
whose practice it is not to see pictures Inability to Combat the Barrage of Im-
of females in print. When our publications tell us that fea- modest Images of Women in the Gen-
turing pictures of nine-year-old girls is eral Media
What has come to the surface in re- unacceptable, things get a bit confusing. Tznius education is a challenge in this
cent months, however, is the recognition Even if the magazines are following the day and age. In fact, a rebbetzin/parent-
of a communal fallout due to not print- most stringent approach as to not lose ing coach once told me to not even use
ing women in frum publications. Aware- the most right-wing subscribers, the mes- the “T” word when discussing modesty
ness is one of the primary goals of the sage is still delivered to the rest of us that with my girls. As girls and grown women
observe the world around us, whether it
be through a walk in the mall, a perusal
of a catalogue in the mail, or spending
80 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
children. Our publications are teaching all
of us, both men and women, that there
is something not right with printing pic-
tures of females. It has become the new
societal norm. This can lead some people
to think this practice is mainstream and
halachic. And when rabbanim are not
willing to go to print stating unequivo-
cally that this practice is not halachic, the
lines are blurred even more.
Fby Alexandra Fleksher initiative started by yeshivishe women to Unhealthy Messaging Regarding the Vis-
rom the Yated to the Mishpacha, put pictures of women of all ages back ibility of Women Being Inappropriate
our magazines have presented into frum media. Certainly, one has the Rabbi Ilan Feldman, Rav of Congregation
the Jewish world with a definition right to not bring pictures of women into Beth Jacob of Atlanta, made the following
of what it means to be a modest one’s home, if that is his or her practice, statement in support of the recent online
woman: She’s not in print. Even but it is nevertheless important that the petition in favor of printing women’s pic-
if she follows halacha perfectly, Orthodox community at large is aware of tures in chareidi media: “The refusal to
she is still not modest enough to the messaging – both psychological and publish women’s pictures is the ultimate
be featured in the pages of our religious – that this practice communi- irony. In the name of modesty, women
publications. This policy requires that cates to men, women, and children. are objectified – turned into objects, who
even pictures of our great rebbetzins and cannot be portrayed at all in public. It is
leaders, past and present, cannot accom- Confusion about Modesty Standards as if their physical existence is an invita-
pany the articles written about them. and Practices in Mainstream Orthodoxy tion to sin. This is the ultimate degrada-
Rather, pictures of their husbands, their My friend’s granddaughter was building tion of women.”
residences, and their speaking venues with Clics, and the child was overheard
take the place of the special faces and saying that she couldn’t take her picture Interestingly, women from all over
spiritual beauty of our righteous women. with her creation to be put in the maga- the Orthodox spectrum, left to right,
This policy requires that historical photo- zine because “it’s not tznius.” This was are sharing the same uniform message
graphs capturing unforgettable events in a girl under ten from a non-chasidishe about how the lack of images of wom-
Jewish history cannot be included in our background. Why should she think that en are a detriment to a healthy Orthodox
magazines if a woman is in the shot. This her picture is not tznius? society. The message to women is that
policy requires that non-Jewish female even our faces and our covered bodies
political leaders can never be featured. What is tznius? How is it defined? are too much to tolerate. The message
And this policy requires that girls above What is required of us? We should know to men is that even modest women are
a certain age cannot be seen, giving the what is halacha, minhag hamakom, and too much to tolerate. And the message to
message, especially to young girls, that it chumra, and our children and teenagers boys and girls is that women need to be
is not tznius (modest). most certainly should know as well. Are out of the picture because, for some rea-
we teaching our children that the Torah son, it is a problem for men to see them.
If one has trouble with these as- prohibits pictures of modestly-dressed Many wonder if the next logical step is
sumptions, two options can be consid- women and girls above seven? If it is a that women should not even been seen
ered: 1) do not buy the magazine, or minhag among certain sects, then how in person. Certainly, this is not the mes-
2) purchase the magazine but tell our- has it become the norm in Litvishe cir- sage we need to give women and young
selves and our children that this policy cles, where apparently this has never girls today.
was created out of sensitivity to those been the mesora?
whose practice it is not to see pictures Inability to Combat the Barrage of Im-
of females in print. When our publications tell us that fea- modest Images of Women in the Gen-
turing pictures of nine-year-old girls is eral Media
What has come to the surface in re- unacceptable, things get a bit confusing. Tznius education is a challenge in this
cent months, however, is the recognition Even if the magazines are following the day and age. In fact, a rebbetzin/parent-
of a communal fallout due to not print- most stringent approach as to not lose ing coach once told me to not even use
ing women in frum publications. Aware- the most right-wing subscribers, the mes- the “T” word when discussing modesty
ness is one of the primary goals of the sage is still delivered to the rest of us that with my girls. As girls and grown women
observe the world around us, whether it
be through a walk in the mall, a perusal
of a catalogue in the mail, or spending
80 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
