Become a Member
News

Not on our pavements - Charedi group opposes bike plan

March 26, 2015 13:21
26032015 iStock 000020602247 Full

By

Simon Rocker,

Simon Rocker

1 min read

A group which tries to protect the morals of strictly Orthodox Jews has identified a new spiritual threat - bicycle lanes.

The Va'ad Lema'an Toihar Hamachaneh - "committee for the purity of the camp" - has not spelt out why a cycle route running through Hackney, the north London borough with the capital's largest Charedi population, would be "a danger to the spirituality and character of our neighbourhood".

But one Jewish source in the area said rabbis who were keen to uphold standards of modesty were worried about female cyclists "who might not be so thorougly dressed in summer".

According to one Orthodox councillor, however, the potential danger was more physical than spiritual.

To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.