Published: 17 June 2019
Last updated: 4 March 2024
EACH WEEK, A PROCESSION of ultra-Orthodox men, some in their finest fur hats and gold robes, march past Bastet, a vegan and LGBT-friendly cafe whose blue tables spill across a central Jerusalem sidewalk.
Bastet is a secular oasis for residents seeking Saturday refreshment in a city that largely comes to a standstill for the Jewish Sabbath.
The procession is a show of displeasure at the cafe’s desecration of the day of rest. “Shabbos!” they chant, using the Yiddish word for the Sabbath.
But on a recent Saturday, the wait staff struck back, lifting their shirts to reveal their bras in an attempt to push back the religiously conservative demonstrators.
The confrontation reflected a central tension in modern Israel over the very nature of the state, founded by secular Zionists but with an ultrareligious population that is growing in size and influence.
WATCH VIDEO: The battle of bra-baring waitresses and ultra-Orthodox protesters explains Israel’s central tension. Here’s how (The Lily)
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Photo: Alex Dvorkin, 21, a staffer at Bastet, said she exposed her bra to repel religious protesters and make a point about freedom. (Loveday Morris/The Washington Post)
