Another day, another outrage

My friends and fellow bad actors Orthomom and Krum are (quite correctly) bent out of shape over the latest Haredi ruling. Here's your sweet summary, courtesy of Ha'aretz:

A committee of rabbis formulating the education policy in the ultra-Orthodox community has prohibited women's continuing education programs and severely restricted other study courses, thus blocking the advancement and development of haredi women's careers. This is a devastating economic and professional blow to thousands of women teachers, who are the primary breadwinners in the ultra-Orthodox community. It is also a drastic regression in haredi women's ongoing process of moving ahead in their studies and career and in improving their economic situation. The repercussions on the teachers and the ultra-Orthodox education system are tantamount to an earthquake...

This disturbs me and here's why:

A share of my annual tzedakka money goes to an Israeli kollel (long story, but I'm glad to do it, for reasons I won't disclose.) If the wives of the members of this particular kolel are prohibited from seeking advanced degrees and more lucrative employment, it stands to reason that the kolel's administration will rely more heavily on its donors, of which I am one. If they ask me for more tzedakka I will give it to them (not because I am especially generous but because of the above-mentioned reasons I have not disclosed) and as a result, I'll have less for other causes. The new Haredi chumra, therefore, isn't just affecting kolel wives or kollel members. It affects every Jewish charity in the world, and all of their benificiaries. Because if this decree forces Israeli kolels to rely more heavily on their supporters, as of course it will, it means there will be less money available for Tomchei Shabbos, Mazon, Anshei Rachamim, the JGB, and a host of other worthy causes.

It all reminds me of the famous story about Yisroel Salanter, who washed for bread with the smallest possible amount of water because he didn't want to earn merit on the back of the poor maid who carried water in from the well.

Here's why it disturbs OM:

The Charedi leadership seems to want to have it both ways. They want to encourage every young married man in the community to spend the rest of his life learning full time in Kollel, thus taking a pass on financially supporting their usually very large families, and yet they are putting up roadblocks that will prevent the wives of these men, usually the sole breadwinners in their households, from adequately supporting their families. How in the world are these women supposed to keep their heads above water when their earning capabilities are so severely curtailed?

And here's why it disturbs Krum: Click (his sharp satire offers no one money quote)

On reflection, I'm bothered for one additional reason, but this post is already too long. More later, maybe.