From the second lecture on the Rabbi Abraham Samuel Sofer (Ketav Sofer) for Torah in Motionby Orthodox rabbi and history professor Marc B. Shapiro: “In those days (19th Century), you didn’t have mechitzas in Hungary. You had women up in the balcony or in a completely separate room [LF: like you do at the Israeli moshiachist Chabad on Robertson Blvd near Pickford, 90035]. A mechitza was not regarded as kosher because you could see the women unless the mechitza went up to the ceiling.”
“They regarded it as immodest to be able to see the women during davening (prayer).”
“When the Satmar rebbe had his famous argument with Reb Moshe Feinstein… The rebbe argued that the mechitza needs to be so that you can’t see the women. Reb Moshe says no, just 60 inches. It’s not about seeing. It’s about mingling.”
“The liberal shuls had an organ in the balcony played by a non-Jew on Shabbos.”
“In Hungary, all the rabbis, even the liberal rabbis, opposed mechitzas [for being immodest]. That doesn’t violate the Shulchan Aruch. The [Jewish] population in Hungary was conservative and they did not want to go in the direction of Reform [Judaism].”
