An ultra-orthodox rabbi in Jerusalem recently banned girls as young as 5 years old from riding bicycles, saying it constitutes a grave violation of their modesty. In his verdict, Rabbi Eliezer Moshe Fisher said last month that riding bikes required girls to lift their skirts to an extent that it became a hindrance for men to focus on their chastity.

“We are informing parents they are to prohibit girls aged 5 and over from this unacceptable behavior,” said the rabbi to his orthodox community in Nachlaot. “Recently, modesty has been breached by young and adolescent girls riding their bicycles, such behavior constitutes a grave violation of modesty.”

He also said that bicycle seats required girls to sit in such a way that it was deemed provocative by men.

Fisher’s ruling was distributed across synagogues in the locality.

In December last year, ultra-orthodox rabbis in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak urged women not to pursue higher studies at universities, claiming educational institutions of such stature teach subjects that are secular and propagate a worldview that is far too liberal – trends that could pose a real threat to females.

Those primarily affected by such rulings happen to be members of the ultra-orthodox Haredi branch of Judaism. Haredi Jews, who constitute the most conservative strand of Judaism, are exempt from state subsidies as well as military service. Men from the community wear white shirts, black suits and hats resembling the 1940s fedoras or large traditional Slavic fur hats.

They typically sport side locks and full-grown beards as well. Women from the community also dress modestly, often pairing long skirts with tops that have long sleeves and high necklines. As thick stockings continue to be part of their daily ensemble, once married, a woman must cover her hair with a wig, scarf or hat.

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