by Dr. Sarah Katan, gynecologist, teacher and author, translated by Hillel Fendel.
We
are witness today to a small but growing trend in the religious-Zionist public of
girls enlisting to serve in the army, and often in combat positions. Perhaps
they feel a deep desire to take part in the same mitzvah that their male
counterparts are engaged in when they leave the Torah study hall to wage the
war of defense of Israel mandated by G-d in His Torah.
When
a G-d-fearing young man puts on an IDF uniform for a mission of sanctity, it is
like the garments of a Cohen (priest) in the Holy Temple. Is it the same for a
young woman?
It
would seem not. When a woman puts on male garments, this is a violation of the
Torah's commandment not to cross-dress (Deut. 22,5). But does this apply to an IDF
uniform?
The
IDF khaki has a magic about it that arouses general national pride and
nostalgia. From back in the days of the Haganah and Palmach, when women fought
shoulder to shoulder with their brothers in arms, they had perfect faith that
they were fulfilling a historic mission. The romantic image of a smiling,
female warrior with the sun on her face, with a pony tail, light shirt, and a
Sten gun flung over her shoulder, is implanted deeply in our national memory.
So, too, are exemplary role models such as Chana Senesh (a young Zionist
pioneer captured by the Nazis while on an Allied mission) and the many unknown
females who guarded their isolated villages under Arab fire, with courage and
great dedication. The nostalgic image of a proud woman fighter standing
together with the male soldiers became a national symbol.
By
Order: No Women in Combat
However,
at some point during the War of Independence, after several instances in which
the Arabs specifically targeted female fighters, the IDF-in-formation adopted a
standing order that women may not be sent into combat. This order was preserved
for decades – up to the "victory of progress" in our generation.
When
we peel away the layer of glory of military service, a complex reality is
unveiled, one that must be studied calmly and professionally. Let me introduce
you to Dana, a young female combat soldier whom I met in my clinic, after she
had undergone four orthopedic operations for ligament tears in her knees and
ankles. With tired eyes she told me how she had dreamt of being a combat
soldier, and then how the dream collapsed around her: "I couldn't get
myself up out of bed in the mornings, but I kept on pushing myself – until my
body left me with no choice but to stop."
As
a women's doctor who has accompanied many young girls, my professional opinion
is this: Combat duty is not good for women. A woman's body is made, first and
foremost, for pregnancy and birth, and is certainly not built for loads and
strains, as is a man's body. Her pelvis is wider, the angle of the knees is
sharper, and the proportion between her muscle mass and fat mass is different.
A woman's muscle mass, on the average, is some 30% lower than that of a man of
enlistment age. These and other factors render the woman's mobility vulnerable
to damage when under high pressure and continued load-bearing efforts. Women
tend to suffer more knee ligament tears, stress fractures in the tibia (shin
bones), and pains in the hip joint caused by accelerated cartilage
degeneration.
And
if all that is not enough, bone mass is relatively low in women aged 18-21, which
can contribute to compression fractures in the spinal vertebrae. Her hormonal
system is much more vulnerable to physical and mental fatigue, and sometimes
also mood swings due to stress and extreme efforts. The situation not only reduces
quality of life, but also risks long-term health risks; future bone mass
density is harmed, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
The
Ladder Aside the Wall
In
addition, women's muscles and tendons do not react as men's do to intensive
physical training. Heavy loads and the like contribute to a high propensity to
chronic tendon infections, shoulder tears, and ongoing lower back pain. IDF
studies have shown that women require medical evacuation at twice the rate of
men during infantry training courses. This must give us pause. In recent years,
more cases of injuries in the pelvic area have been documented for female
soldiers, starting with bruises to the pelvic bones because of falls, and
ending with injuries to the pelvic floor that are liable to lead impaired quality
of life. Carrying heavy equipment, long runs, and repeated falls are all liable
to cause future damage to these women.
Even
young women who ostensibly meet the same physical requirements as men, in
actuality don't fill them. The army actually bends its own rules in order to
show results that will fit the progressives' needs. Remember the small ladder that
was placed against the wall so that the girls could climb over it just like the
boys? Incredibly, the officers in charge of that training exercise actually
thought it was a good idea to make believe that the females had passed the
test. By what right does the IDF promote moves that endanger the quality of
combat?
Our
female high school graduates must know and internalize: National Service – in
hospitals, schools, communities, and the like – is not a lesser form of helping
our country than is military service. National Service, called Sherut Leumi,
provides a framework in which young women can contribute and assume
responsibility to a high degree, without dangers of physiological harm.
And
all this is without reference to the spiritual and Halakhic problems females
face when serving the armed forces, from which they are largely saved in the
various National Service frameworks.
In
my opinion, the girls must be enabled and encouraged to make an intelligent
choice, based on medical and other information. They must not be fooled into
thinking that serving in the army will provide them with absolute equality.
True equality, rather, is when each girl is given the opportunity to know and
to choose.
Not
to mention: Do we really want to be "equal?" Men and women are
different in their very essence – and this is a good thing.
My
heart skips a beat when I see you, soldier of Israel, adorned with a long beard
and sidecurls, dressed in an IDF uniform, with a countenance of grace. It
brings to mind the Yom Kippur prayer, "Truly how wondrous was the look of
the High Priest when he emerged from the Holy of Holies after having atone for
Israel." I'm now busy looking for a talented dress designer to fashion
garments for the wife of the High Priest, for the girls of the National
Service.