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Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 23:54:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Co-Ed School

Estee in Bais Medrash Volume 2 Number 20 writes about coed schools:
<  <  I cannot posken as a posek halacha but there are obvious great
disadvantages and problems caused by co-ed schools. Hirhurei Aveyrah will
be common (lewd sinful thoughts)...can lead to impurity and shefichas zera
heaven forbid which the Talmud calls the destruction of the world and like
bringing the flood of Noach. Young men and women mixing leads to kalus
rosh. ...It is definitely not in the spirit of modesty and Tznius in my
opinion and I cannot think of any justifiable reason to allow such
possibility of kalus rosh and hirhur. There is a reason that our avos in
the past never mixed schools we should follow their example. >  >

I think this thread should continue. I can offer at least 4 VERY STRONG
arguments against the above reasoning:

(1) (Perhaps) it is only at parties where Jewish law worries about the
dangers of "mixed genders". Does halacha really prohibit coed math classes?

(2) Perhaps separation should only happen in certain religious classes
(like Gmarrah)

(3a) Americans will spend most of their adult lives in coed business
offices---it is therefore important that they are familiar with a coed
environment.

(3b) Many parents, psychologists and Rabbis argue that on the contrary: By
putting high school students in a one-gender environment we are INCREASING
IMPURE THOUGHTS and ENDANGERING THEM TO OVERREACT when they meet people
of
the opposite gender---in other words--one can argue that by exposing
students to a normal bi-gender environment we are increasing modesty!!

I think this issue should be carefully discussed over several issues (I
would like to clarify that a co-ed high school should in any event have a
strong complaint process for people who are being abused).

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; RHendel@Towson.Edu
Moderator Rashi is SImple
http://www.shamash.org/rashi/

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