Shaindle Ponak , 17, lives on a settlement called Metzad which is located just outside of Jerusalem, Israel. Her father, Yossi, and my Dad were friends in college. Metzad is located in an area called the West Bank, which Palestinians are currently trying to reclaim from the Israelis. About 50 families live in Metzad and they each have their own trailer. There is also a rec centre, a mikvah (the ritual bath), two synagogues and a basketball court. Food and other necessities are bought once a week in Jerusalem. The Ponaks are Orthodox Jews; they follow the rules of the Bible as best they can. Judaism is more than their religion--it's their way of life. The Orthodox have been accused by many feminists of oppressing women. The Orthodox say that women are considered holier than men because they can bear children. I spent Shabbat (the day of rest--from Friday sundown until Saturday at sundown) with Shaindle, her parents, and seven of her eleven siblings. Everyone at Metzad received me with extraordinary hospitality.
Mel: Describe a typical day in Metzad.
Shaindle:
Metzad awakens at 6:30. By 7:10, everyone is getting ready to start their day. Three buses packed with children leave Metzad for Har Tzion in Jerusalem. The younger children learn on the yishuv (settlement), but, once they go to school, the place quitens down. At three o'clock, the children come home and the place becomes alive once again. The kids around here enjoy the rec center where they can play sports, and take music classes, among other things. That's how they spend their afternoon.
M:Tell me about your family.
S: My parents met in Montreal. They had four children when they moved to Israel, 17 years ago. With the help of the Diaspora Yeshiva (a yeshiva is a school where the Bible is studied), they became religious. After a while, they moved to yishuv Metzad in the Judaean Hills. Today, I have 11 brothers and sisters. My oldest sister is married.
M: Are you close with your family?
S:Yes, I am close with them, some of them more, and some of them less, but I love them all.
Metzad
M: Describe your relationship with your brothers and sisters.
S:I tell my younger brothers and sisters stories and they love it. I help my sisters with their homework, and I am teaching my 11 year-old brother to write English.
M:What subjects do you study in school?
S:
Bible, English, Math, History, Geography, and Geometry.
M:What is your favourite subject?
S:Bible and Geometry.
M:What do you plan to do after you graduate from high school?
S:I plan to continue learning in order to get a degree.
M: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
S: I see myself in ten years with a few kids. I would work half the day and my husband would study in a yeshiva.
M:Are you looking forward to getting married?
S:Yes, I am looking forward to being married in a few years.
M:As a Jewish woman, what will your role be in the home?in the community?
S:Home: Helping my husband learn and taking care of my children.
M:Some people say that your lifestyle is repressive to women. What is your response to that?
S:I don't think so at all. I see that women are very special. For example, we are adding a whole new section for women in our Beit Knesset (synagogue).
M:At this moment, are you happy with your life?
S:Yes. I have many good friends close to me. I live in a community where everyone helps each other and cares for each other. We just started a new thing that the older girls, in pairs, help out families that are in need.
M: How would other people, including non-Jews, benefit from being religious?
S: They will see the reason for their birth and they will be happy and joyous.
M:Living in the West Bank is contraversial these days. What do you think of the peace process?
S: Peace will never work out with the Arabs. The more they talk [about peace], the worse they do.
M:Do you feel that you are in danger living there?
S: Not at all. I have lived here for 14 years and, so far, nothing has happened. I see more danger in Jerusalem and other big cities.
M:Would you be willing to settle somewhere else if Israel gives all of the West Bank to the Arabs?
S: Yes.
