A long-running controversy over a ban on women singing at communal Jewish events in South Africa because of religious sensitivities has resulted in legal action.

Two orthodox Jews, along with the South African Centre for Religious Equality and Diversity (Sacred), have lodged a complaint of unfair discrimination against the South African Jewish Board of Deputies' Cape Council.

Women used to sing at commemorations of Holocaust Memorial Day and Israel Independence Day until an incident in 2005 when Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein reportedly left a Yom Hashoah event early after a teenage schoolgirl sang.

According to strict interpretations of Jewish law, a man may not listen to a woman sing in public.

Sacred chairman Rabbi Julia Margolis said the organisation took the view that "in communal events that are not religious in nature, a ban on women singing constitutes unfair discrimination.

To muzzle all women for the sake of about four men is primitive

"The denial of voice is a most fundamental attack on the very worth and dignity of women in our community."

One of the complainants, Gilad Stern, said "sexist behaviour" was unacceptable "in South Africa, a democracy which has been scarred by discrimination in the past". He said that "to muzzle all women, for the sake of about four men who claim they can't manage women's singing voices, is discriminatory, and primitive".

The Cape Council said that the Board had the "difficult task of balancing competing interests" but had no choice other than to defend the legal action.

Chief Rabbi Goldstein was travelling and unable to comment.