Q&A: Mixed Swimming
Mixed Swimming
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I want to learn how to swim. I tried on several occasions and didn’t succeed.
I was recommended the TI method, which teaches in a unique way.
They teach in many places around the country without gender separation; only in Jerusalem are there sometimes separate groups, but that’s far for me and a major hassle.
Is it permitted to go to a mixed swimming pool in order to learn how to swim?
Answer
Problematic. It involves being in close proximity to women with parts of the body that should be covered left uncovered.
Discussion on Answer
Good question. There is a sense that in a situation where this is the setting you are going to, rather than one you happened to end up in along the way, there is less room to permit it. The comparison to a movie with immodest scenes is interesting. If it were a movie whose whole point was that, it would be hard to permit. There was such a question a few days ago. Here, though, that is not really the point of the course, and it requires further consideration.
What about “there is no other way”?