[Avodah] mechitza [was: heter mechira produce]

[Zev Sero]

Joseph Kaplan wrote:
> RTK notes that

Actually, that was me.

>> "even today not every shul follows the 'custom' of  
>> having a separate women's section;
>> some shtieblach don't need one, because women rarely come."

> I wonder which is the chicken and which is the egg; that is, do  
> some shtieblach have no mechitzah because women rarely come, or do  
> women rarely come to those shteiblach because there is no  
> mechitzah?  Just wondering.

They have no mechitzah because women don't come.  Often there's no eruv,
or there is one that their members don't accept, or they cater to a
segment of society where women just don't have the custom of regularly
going to shul, and those who do go prefer a "big shul" where there's a
proper ladies' gallery and a rov who speaks, etc..  Even at those
shtiblach that do have a mechitzah, the number of women who show up
is tiny when compared to the number of men.

I've seen some such places that do put up a mechitzah during yomtov
musaf, when the women come for birkas kohanim.


-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas