In the novel “Ladies and Gents,” David and I read about Jews and the Loo and discovered some very interesting facts. I read about Jews in pop culture in relation to the toilet, and also the history of toilets during the dark times of the Holocaust. The toilet could be viewed by Jews in two different ways: a grim place with poor conditions, or a sacred place of resistance against Nazi’s dehumanization; a place for social relief and communication with other fellow Jews. However, some male Jews, even in modern day time, feel embarrassed to use the bathroom because they don’t want to be outed as a minority, (having a clear distinction of being a Jew due to circumcision). We also delved into learning about “Niddah” which is when any menstruating woman cannot have any contact with her husband. This period is marked by psychological and physical separation. I learned about this slightly in Israel, and being exposed again to this practice of the Jewish religion, makes it more clear about the limitations women had when dealing with a normal, human occurrence.

This topic also makes me frustrated about another issue, of the capitalist market that sells sanitation products for women. If every women has it, then why are we being charged, sometimes even more than $10 for these products. It’s just like water, for example. It is a basic human need, and getting a cup of water at a restaurant or concession is for the most part, free. So why is that women have to be charged high prices for a basic necessity?