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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: David Riceman <driceman@att.net><BR>>>I suspect this is
a sociological phenomenon rather than a halachic one. <BR>One analogue in
America is the elevation of mehitza in shul from a <BR>custom not even mentioned
in Shulhan Aruch to the fourteenth ikkar, <BR>which distinguishes observant Jews
from non-observant Jews. <<</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>Mechitza is only a "minhag"? In Europe they didn't have mechitzos in
shul? Men and women sat together? Or they sat separately but with no
physical separation?</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============</B></FONT></DIV></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's new at <A title="http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170" href="http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170" target="_blank">AOL.com</A> and <A title="http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169" href="http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169" target="_blank">Make AOL Your Homepage</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>