The Jerusalem Habayit Hayehudi party finalized the party list for the upcoming elections and the candidate filling the third slot on the list is a Haredi woman from Mea Shearim!
Racheli Ibenboim is 28 years old and is the director of the Meir Panim charitable organization.
Ibenboim is behind the project of giving a "credit card" to the needy via which they can purchase food (and only food - no alcohol or cigarettes) in different stores around town. The card is distributed via social workers... Ibenboim is also active in the advancement of Haredi women in the job market.
Unfortunately, Ibenboim only had one thing to say, according to the quote in Srugim. And that is that she has been serving the public for so many years that she is excited to be able to serve the public via the city council of Jerusalem.
I would have liked to hear how she decided, as a Haredi woman from Mea Shearim, decided to run for city council, and why she is doing so as part of Habayit Hayehudi which has become portrayed as antagonistic to the Haredi community at best.
My thought is that it is just not possible to do so on a Haredi ticket, as the haredi parties continue to refuse to allow women on.. so the women are looking for alternatives. Women want to serve the public, they want to advance and succeed just like anyone else, and no longer will they accept that they are not allowed to just because they are female. That's what is happening in Tzfat, Petach Tikva, Tiberias and other places, and now Jerusalem. it only answers my question in part, though. I still wonder how it happened with Habayit Hayehudi which is being considered as hostile to haredim..
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