LONDON: A new trend of blurred glasses in streets of Israel is proving to be a strong weapon for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who want to refrain from staring at women.
The specially-designed out-of-focus glasses are now popular among so-called 'Charedi' men in the country, the Daily Mail reported.
The anti-ogle goggles on sale in religious neighbourhoods of Jerusalem such as Mea Shearim are priced for just a few pounds and feature a sticker on the lens which makes them poorly focused when looking anywhere except for the space in the immediate vicinity.
The glasses provide clear vision for a few metres, but anything anything further away becoms blurry. According to some reports, the glasses are just one item in a range of 'modesty' accessories on offer in these areas.
Orthodox men can also purchase blinkers or vision-impeding hoods - as famously worn by Sephardi Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzeira, an Orthodox Sefardi rabbi and kabbalist, known among his followers as the "Baba Elazar".
The committee for purity in the camp also supplies portable screens that can be erected in an airline seat to block passing women from views and prevent men from inadvertently watching in-flight movie with scantily-clad women.
Wearers may fear they look a bit of a spectacle, but according to a report in the Maariv newspaper, the products come with a message saying they should be proud rather than embarrassed when using the items in public. In an effort to maintain their strictly devout lifestyle, the ultra-Orthodox have separated the sexes on buses, sidewalks and other public spaces in their neighborhoods.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Orthodox-Jews-get-glasses-to-blur-out-women/articleshow/15468758.cms