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Showing posts from July, 2012
I am a Freedom Rider      When you hear the term "Freedom Riders" you probably think back to the great activists of the Civil Rights Movement. However, I'm here to tell you about a different type of Freedom Riders but with the similar mission of paving the way for equality.      The Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) Freedom Riders travel on bus lines through religious communities that are known to practice gender segregation. These riders serve "as models of non-segregation [and] inform other travelers that it is illegal to force segregate based on gender" (IRAC). Gender segregation in daily life is a religious rule of modesty in the Ultra-Orthodox community. However, adherence should be of choice and not forced upon through socially constructed norms.      This past Thursday, I had the opportunity to meet the Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, Noa Sattath. Even more, I had the opportunity to personally be a Freedom Rider. First