A Public Space For All Seasons: The "Religious" Beach of Tel-Aviv.

      Аннотация: The “Religious” beach is one of the 13 beaches of Tel-Aviv seashore. In contrast to all other beaches it is walled on 3 sides and is segregated by gender; 3 days for women and the other-for men. The study is based on participant observation of Ultra-Orthodox women and their many children during the summer. The women arrive on the beach in long dresses; do not wear bathing suits and are dressed in cotton robes that cover their knees. Most cannot swim and concentrate close to the shore. The beach looks crowded and noisy. The only men around are life guards. In the spring and fall when there are no children, religious and non-religious women in bathing suits use the beach. It is open to all women regardless how they dress. One can doubt if gender segregation on a public beach is justified. However, without allocating separate days for women and men the Ultra-Orthodox community would not be able to enjoy the seashore. Most of Tel-Aviv residents accept this arrangement and do not regard it as a case of women’s exclusion. This is an ethnographic study which might interest sociologists and anthropologists, students of gender studies, policy makers and community workers.

Ключевые слова: Beach, Women, Ultra-orthodox community