Jerusalem, Israel - Charedim Outraged Over Mixed School Show

Jerusalem, Israel - Female students at an ultra-Orthodox school in Jerusalem left the school's theater after men and women appeared on stage in a ceremony to award prizes for best looking schools in Jerusalem. Representatives from 32 schools from across the education spectrum, ultra-orthodox, religious, secular, and Arabs participated in the ceremony.

In order not to offend any of the attendants, the actors, who performed in scenes representing Jerusalem, were instructed how to behave on stage. "The Education Administration in Jerusalem, which organized the ceremony and invited everyone, warned the acting company that Charedim will also attend the ceremony. They asked us to be modest, have the women wear long sleeves and refrain from singing. They also asked us not say the word God explicitly when we read passages," said the actors' group leader Osher Ohana.

Despite the fact the acting group adhered to all the preconditions, female students left the theater. After the incident "there was certain unrest among members of the ultra-Orthodox council, who apparently thought that the performance wasn't up to their standards, and we decided to stop the show in order to continue the ceremony in a more pleasant atmosphere," chairman of the parents association in Jerusalem, Eti Binyamin said. "The actors complied with all the requests and wore modest cloths. We're not sure what really bothered the Charedim," she said.