On this week’s Haaretz Podcast, guest host Joshua Leifer talks to Pnina Pfeuffer, a liberal, feminist ultra-Orthodox social activist. The Jerusalem-based Pfeuffer, CEO of the New Haredim, recently petitioned against a Knesset bill that would permit gender-segregated study tracks for master's and doctoral degrees in Israeli academic institutions.

Pfeuffer represents a growing minority inside the Israeli ultra-Orthodox public that is interested in “full citizenship, with full obligations and rights” in the Jewish State. This is a public that wants the Israeli government to enforce the military draft on Haredim and teach math and English in Haredi schools, instead of continuing the de facto Haredi autonomy in which many Israeli rules and norms are absent.  

According to Pfeuffer, the Haredi community reflects Israel as a whole, and younger Haredim - like their secular and religious Zionist counterparts - are radicalizing, and are more right wing than their parents. Some, as Leifer notes, are part of a “far-right Haredi street movement that is in the Ben-Gvir camp or even more right wing.”

Addressing the American Jewish community, Pfeuffer asks that those giving money to Israeli causes “educate themselves” about who they are supporting, “because a lot of liberal funding and good intentions” end up promoting gender segregation and far-right politics. 

Read more: 

Can Israel's New One-line Law Shield Haredim From IDF Service?

Israel Advances Bill Legalizing Gender Segregation in Universities

Gender Segregation in Academia Is the Government's Divide and Conquer Strategy

The Israeli Town Where Itamar Ben-Gvir Ranks Second Only to the Messiah

On this week&rsquo;s Haaretz Podcast, guest host Joshua Leifer talks to&nbsp;Pnina Pfeuffer, a liberal, feminist ultra-Orthodox social activist. The Jerusalem-based Pfeuffer, CEO of the New Haredim, recently petitioned against a Knesset bill that would permit gender-segregated study tracks for master's and doctoral degrees in Israeli academic institutions.
Pfeuffer represents a growing minority inside the Israeli ultra-Orthodox public that is interested in &ldquo;full citizenship, with full obligations and rights&rdquo; in the Jewish State. This is a public that wants the Israeli government to enforce the military draft on Haredim and teach math and English in Haredi schools, instead of continuing the de facto Haredi autonomy in which many Israeli rules and norms are absent.&nbsp;&nbsp;
According to Pfeuffer, the Haredi community reflects Israel as a whole, and younger Haredim - like their secular and religious Zionist counterparts - are radicalizing, and are more right wing than their parents. Some, as Leifer notes, are part of a &ldquo;far-right Haredi street movement that is in the Ben-Gvir camp or even more right wing.&rdquo;
Addressing the American Jewish community, Pfeuffer asks that those giving money to Israeli causes &ldquo;educate themselves&rdquo; about who they are supporting, &ldquo;because a lot of liberal funding and good intentions&rdquo; end up promoting gender segregation and far-right politics.&nbsp;
Read more: 
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-explains/2026-07-16/ty-article-magazine/.premium/can-israels-new-one-line-law-shield-haredim-from-idf-service/0000019f-6a62-de8e-afff-fbfaf62f0000">Can Israel's New One-line Law Shield Haredim From IDF Service?</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-07-09/ty-article-opinion/.premium/gender-segregation-in-academia-is-the-governments-divide-and-conquer-strategy/0000019f-3c3b-dc5e-a3df-3fbfaf790000">Israel Advances Bill Legalizing Gender Segregation in Universities</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2026-07-09/ty-article-opinion/.premium/gender-segregation-in-academia-is-the-governments-divide-and-conquer-strategy/0000019f-3c3b-dc5e-a3df-3fbfaf790000">Gender Segregation in Academia Is the Government's Divide and Conquer Strategy</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-07-28/ty-article-magazine/.premium/in-kfar-chabad-only-the-messiah-is-more-popular-than-ben-gvir/0000019f-9340-df92-a7ff-b7c26b210000">The Israeli Town Where Itamar Ben-Gvir Ranks Second Only to the Messiah</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.