First Woman Added to Ultra-Orthodox Party Knesset List

Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, a 50-year-old Jerusalem resident and mother of three, has joined the "Ultra-Orthodox Public" party, becoming the first woman to be placed on a list for the Israeli Knesset from an ultra-Orthodox party. Yaffe, a researcher in political psychology and a senior faculty member at Tel Aviv University, has also been involved in research at Harvard University focusing on the ultra-Orthodox community and regional economics.

In 2020, Yaffe was appointed a special advisor on the ultra-Orthodox sector to the National Security Council, where she addressed poverty and economic challenges within the community. Following the October 7th attacks, she established an ultra-Orthodox task force to aid evacuees and bereaved families, which reportedly saw tens of thousands of volunteers providing assistance.

Yaffe has extensive experience in the ultra-Orthodox education system, having grown up in Jerusalem's Slonim Hasidic community and later teaching in seminaries. She also contributed to writing history curricula for ultra-Orthodox seminaries.

Her inclusion marks a significant departure from the practice of major ultra-Orthodox parties, such as Shas and United Torah Judaism, which have historically not included women on their Knesset lists, adhering to rabbinical rulings against women's direct political engagement. While previous attempts to integrate women into politics within smaller parties or local government have occurred, they have not resulted in Knesset representation.