A new law would expand single-gender classes – to graduate students. I know, I know. Among all the new laws being passed with the expressed aim of dismantling our democracy, this law seems tame. It gives institutes of higher learning leeway to cater to their student body. What could be wrong with that?

“It will enable female Haredim to attain higher education,’ says one MP, while another, predictably in the opposite corner, says it will do so at the expense of other female students.

So first, let’s set the record straight: It will do so at the expense of students of both genders. Having spent years talking to graduate students in the sciences, I can say with confidence that the more a group is mixed, the more it is likely to be creative, innovative and inventive; ahead of the curve on the charts. When those classes are in the social sciences, for example, they will be more likely to be narrowly-focused, more dogmatic and less likely to engage the students in active dialogue. And that, to one like me who believes that freedom of thought and free discussion are some of the most basic foundations of free democracy, is dangerous.

In addition, having a graduate degree myself, I can tell you there are plenty of Haredi women in academia, braving the challenges of the world outside their bubbles every day. They are doctors and lawyers, professors and teachers. If you ask me, they don’t need patronizing laws to give them a hand. They need free childcare and scholarships, assistance with navigating the secular culture, clubs where they can compare notes, and leeway in turning in assignments. They need mentorship........

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