THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 23, 1919 11 'Daughters of Jerusalem': City's Pious, Unknown Orthodox Group By LYNN SHARON From Israel Digest Black scarves tightly sheath their shaven heads; apple-faced children cling to their mothers' long, shape- less dresses; self-effacing, open faces — the faces of the Bnos Yerushalayim (Daughters of Jerusalem), Jerusalem's most pious and least-known Orthodox group of women. Visitors to Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighbor- hood, where the Bnos (as ey are popularly called in rusalem) live, often stare at these women, and are consumed with curiosity about women who appear to be so removed from the 20th Century and its feminine revolution. Who are these women, and what makes them tick? In a rare interview, Frau Poppenheim, an active sep- tuagenarian and founder of the Bnos Yerushalayim school system, agreed to share some insights about their little-known, shel- tered world. "When I came to Jerusalem from my na- tive Germany, I was asked by the Bais Din of the Aida Haredis (ultra- Orthodox rabbinical court) to organize a school for their daugh- ters. They had heard of my work in education in Ger- many and felt that I could establish a school that would adhere to their guidelines and be under their supervision. I agreed to undertake this task for them, and so, a little over 30 years ago, the Bnos Yerushalayim Schools were founded." Frau Poppenheim, a stern, forbidding looking woman, was straightfor- ward in her description of the school system's objec- tives. "Our schools are oriented toward preparing students to become dutiful wives of the young men who attend our yeshivas. We do not aim for academic excellence nor are we concerned with intel- lectual achievement. "On the other hand, prior to the establishment of our schools, many of our parents did not send their daughters to school at all. The reason C AIP for this was that most schools in Israel use Hebrew as the language of instruc- tion. Since we consider He- brew to be lashon kadosh, (the holy tongue), we be- lieve that Hebrew should only be used for prayer or for the study of the holy texts, and Yiddish used for daily communication and secular studies." Frau Poppenhime spoke with pride of the schools' rather limited curriculum, which in- cludes study of Yiddish, arithmetic, Jewish his- tory, and geography of Israel. Religious studies naturally occupy a major part of the curriculum, with emphasis on Psalms since according to Frau Popp enhiem, "Tehillim (Psalms) are very com- forting for women in times of difficulties." Frau Poppenheim stressed that the Bnos are not permitted to read news- papers or listen to the radio, therefore it is not surprising to learn that they publish their own textbooks, and even the Bible is edited so that the girls not be exposed to "unextirpated Bibles not suited for them." Most of the Bnos marry by their 18th birthday and, of course, all marriages are arranged by their parents. Frau Poppenheim made it clear that there is no social contact between the sexes prior to marriage. "When the shidduch (match) has been arranged, the young couple then may meet and chat for about 20 minutes. After this meeting both must give their con- sent. But I must admit that it is rare for either of the young people to reject their parents' choice. They realize that their parents are looking out for their best interests. "Of course, on occasion a girl will come to see me and ask how she could possibly choose her partner for life after only 20 minutes. But I assure her that she can depend on her parents' judg- ment. "However, we are not un- feeling, and I do suggest to the young woman that she should ask herself if she has a certain "sympathy" for the man. And I also tell her to ask herself if she would enjoy his company at the Shabbos tish (the Sabbath meal)." "Most mothers permit their daughter to peek out the window, or even stand on the balcony on a Sabbath morning when the young man is on his way to synagogue. She will then point out the young man to her daughter, since in some instances the future bride may have forgotten what her future groom looks like," she- said. Marriage for the Bnos is not predicated on the romantic Western concept of "living happily ever after being smothered in raptur- ous passion." On the con- trary, marriage is a serious step beset with grave re- sponsibilities. In the major- ity of cases it is the wife who must shoulder the total fi- nancial burden while hus- bands pursue their studies. When one adds the re- sponsibility of rearing a large family (15 children is not unusual), one can fully appreciate the enormity of the responsi- bility. Frau Poppenheim conceded that survival is sometimes the result of "miraculous interven- tion." Moreover, the types of jobs that the Bnos can find are very limited. None of the women are permitted to work outside of the neighborhood, which further limits their oppor- tunities to earn a livelihood. Frau Poppenheim was quick to admit that life is very difficult for the Bnos, and sometimes even harsh. "But our women do not complain," she said. "They consider it their great privilege to suffer and sac- rifice in the name of Torah. "You must understand that our women encourage their husbands to continue their studies. They believe that without Torah, Eretz Yisrael will not survive. And our women have taken this additional yoke upon themselves for the sake of the Jewish people." FLORIDA VACATION PLAN AHEAD SNAPPY CAR RENTAL 19 00 per week 1980 Chrysler Products For Reservations Call IN DETROIT (313) 424-8685 IN MIAMI FT. LAUD W. PALM (305) 484-0100 NO MILEAGE DAILY WEEKLY — MONTHLY RENTAL PLANS FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS -0\tcs ."\ OosN. ye2 \9 as W.skesk, re ed you \je„\ N.\- ou \-\e The People of the Book ■ e o0( :6;e:.0egota:\969eosek ,0 (Pi z. S \rar:k ? c3 ALL 35 5811 OSOS eie 6\2L\s\e, cA'Nos\. accOakeak6;:koa,c7cac:egaes0;e:ks yok\ie e\le \kr\o\Nr\. Nel,k ‘.01 pV e c\c'Nced ag `oaNi OM Ottawas 00 k\-\e coc\'\0061,ed No0voess ,w to kca\le\ se Parents and youngsters crowd around a chil- dren's book stall during Hebrew Book Week in Tel Aviv. • . . WV ‘tidi $ T RAVEL A GEN CY •A in the HARVARD ROW MALL SOUTHFIELD Equipped with the SABRE Travel System — the most advanced idea in travel since the JET.