Kiryas Joel (Wikimedia)
New York is now home to the nation’s first gender-segregated playground thanks to the Satmar community of Kiryas Joel.
Today, the ultra-Orthadox town opened its very own childhood oasis, complete with four widely-spaced and completely necessary sections: one for fathers with their sons, a second for mothers with their daughters, a third for just boys and a fourth for just girls.
A sign welcoming visitors to the Orange County play area asks that visitors “maintain gender separation in all public areas” and each of the aforementioned sections has big blue signs indicating where to play, according to images posted of the soon-to-be-controversial park.
In addition, the Committee of Modesty of Kiryas Joel, which has previously been scrutinized for operating like a Hasidic KGB, will be supervising the park to ensure that no inappropriate activities take place between the rugrats.
But how, you might be asking, did they open a park with such specific rules? According to BHOLWorld.com, the park received “special financing” from the city’s mayor, Rabbi Abraham Wieder, after the town turned down a $195,000 grant.
"The village has the right to be able to build, and we don't have oversight over it," Councilman Harley Doles explained to the RecordOnline.
It is unclear if everyone is allowed to partake in the playground, with some reports saying that non Jews or non ultra-Orthodox Jews will not be allowed into the park, but one thing is for sure: the camera crews are already on their way.