As dusk falls in Mea Shearim, Jerusalem's most pious neighbourhood,
black-clad and hatted Jewish men hurry home along the narrow streets
lined by medieval-style houses where lights burn dimly in darkened
windows.
Less than half a mile away, young Israelis mix in bustling bars in
central Jerusalem, anathema to this religious ultraorthodox community
that has tried its hardest to hide itself away from the temptations of
secular life, and ensure a rigorous separation between men and women.
Ironically,
though, it is the ultraorthodox community's efforts to impose its
religious values on ordinary Israelis, particularly women, that many
fear is undermining Israel's democracy, and which now poses the greatest
threat to this community's survival.
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