Israel is a multifaceted and fascinating place. From the Bauhaus architecture and laid-back beaches of Tel Aviv to the deeply historic walkways within the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, you’ll feel it at every turn if you visit.
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One of the things that become evident for a visitor are Israel’s traditions, often deeply rooted in religious beliefs. Make no mistake, Israel is an ultramodern state, but it is also a place where modernity runs up against some jarring contrasts, one of which is the lives lived by conservative groups like the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
Israeli photographer Ofir Berman has produced an exquisite body of work that looks at one aspect of ultra-Orthodox life. Her project, “Three Times a Week,” examines how, during the months of July and August, beaches open to ultra-Orthodox Jewish women and those women only.
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As Berman says about her project:
“Three times a week, during the hottest summer months of July and August, the separate (gender-segregated) beaches in Israel open their doors to the community of Jewish ultra-Orthodox women. Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays become colorful and enjoyable female gatherings, where men are prohibited and women and their children can bathe in accordance with their religious beliefs and strict rules of modesty. These beaches are partitioned on three sides by either sheets of white cloth or permanent fencing. Beaches where a group of rabbis come every year to determine they are indeed kosher and modest.
“The series presents an inside view of a closed society maintaining its leisure culture in a public area and also reveals the transformation that the beach goes through during the year — from a mixed, open beach to a beach fenced off by rules. This contrast raises issues of cultural relativism and questions about the idea of freedom.
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“The separation, and the clear boundaries between the sexes in ultra-Orthodox society, bring into question the woman’s place as a separate gender, and awareness of female needs in the field of leisure. Today, as there is more awareness of the issue, ultra-Orthodox women also feel the need to leave the house and enrich themselves emotionally and experientially, without male supervision or external interference. This recreation at sea, on the separated beach, is an example of moments when women empower themselves and appreciate their own space.”
You can see more of Berman’s work on her website, here.
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