Why don't Israeli women fast?

Question

More than one Israeli has told me that women in Israel don't fast. More specifically, that a large percentage of otherwise observant (healthy, non-pregnant, non-nursing) Jewish women in Israel do not fast on the Jewish public fasts (with the exception of 9 Av and Yom Kipur, when they do fast). Note that this was said about women only: observant men do fast.

1. To the extent to which it's true, why is it true? Why don't the women fast?
2. What excuse do they have? I mean, halacha seems to require fasting. What limud z'chus is there?

Answer 1

Note 10 in Rav Eliezer Melamed's article on the "lighter fasts" states as follows:

וכיום ההוראה הרווחת לנשים אשכנזיות שלא לצום. ועיין בפסקי תשובות תקנ, א, שהביא דעות מופלגות להיתר, שכל הנשים הראויות לילד פטורות מהצום, כדי שיהיה להן כוח לילד. ויש אמרו שתפדה את הצום בצדקה. ע"כ. ואין נוהגים להורות כמותם, אבל במקום ספק אפשר לצרף את דבריהם להיתר.‏

Nowadays the widespread teaching for Ashkenazi women is not to fast. See Piskei Teshuvos 550 (1) who brings various opinions to be lenient in that women who could bear children are free from fasting in order for them to have the strength to have children. There are those who say she should redeem the fast with charity.

The custom is not to teach these opinions but where there is a doubt the opinions can be weighed in the decision to be lenient.

The Piskei Teshuvos himself says the reason is because our bodies have become weaker over time but that one cannot be lenient; one must ask a Rav.

It seems that the women who do not fast have taken on these lenient opinions.

Answer 2

There is an exemption not only for a meineket (a nursing mother), but also for a yoledet (a woman who had given birth). They were never included in the minor fasts to begin with.

There are plenty of women who go through many years of their lives either pregnant or nursing. Furthermore, many rabbis are of the opinion that for 2 (e.g. Rabbi Mordechai Willig) or even 3 years after having a baby, a woman need not observe the minor fasts as she's still recovering -- even if not nursing. Thus, many women could easily go through ages 20--40 having a baby every three years, and thus not observing any of the minor fasts.

I'll add a sociological conjecture: women who didn't have lots of children would look at the "frummest" woman they knew -- likely one who was having a baby every two years -- and say "if she's not fasting, I don't need to either."