Brickbat: The Other Side of the Street

Israel Charles Oliver | 8.3.2026 4:00 AM (Photo: Oblong1/Dreamstime Illustration: Fatima Ruiz) City officials in Bnei Brak, Israel, have set up gender-segregated sidewalks near event halls and wedding venues, with signs and barriers directing men and women to walk on opposite sides of the street. This followed a directive from the city's ultra-Orthodox rabbis, who want to promote modesty and let wedding guests arrive already separated by sex. City council member Yaki Vider strongly criticized the plan, saying the municipality should focus on real problems like fixing infrastructure, cleaning streets, improving transportation, and providing basic services, instead of acting as a "modesty patrol" that polices public behavior.