On Wednesday a photo was published on social media and made waves throughout the Chassidic community in Israel. The photo depicted a group of police officers, both male, and female, standing in front of the Aron Kodesh in the Belzer Bais Hmedrash in Kiryat Belz in Jerusalem. High-ranking members of Belz published a statement just a few hours later regarding the protocols of bringing people from outside to conduct a tour of the Beis Medrash.
Under the headline “Instruction and Clarification” the message said: “We hereby declare once again, that no person, whether an individual or a public figure, has the authority to bring a tour of guests and or tourists of any kind into the building of the Bais Medrash, into any of its wings etc… without arranging for expressed permission ahead of time by the person in charge of such things, Rabbi Yehezkel Friedman.”
Since the publication of the photo, many people in the community have raised their eyebrows at seeing female police officers, with their heads uncovered walking into and touring the Bis Medrash. It is for this reason that the statement was made by the leadership of the Belzer community.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
If the building was burning down would they allow a female fire fighter in?
What a chilull Hashem and bezion of kvod bies hamdrash! Shame on them!!
“On Wednesday a photo was published on social media and made waves throughout the Chassidic community in Israel“
Chassidim in Israel have social media?
That’s enough to raise eyebrows
If you want good relations with the zionist state, you have to accept that their officials include men and women.
The idiot that invited them in obviously lacks common sense.
why do women “have” to cover their heads? maybe they are NOT married?
Which of the Haredi members of Knesset arranged for the tour or was a private individual, maybe the Belzer in the picture who is easily identifiable. The ladies are only required to have their hair covered if they are married. They are required to dress in a tzniusdik way whether married or not.
So who is the chadishe looking person in the front row?
“… many people in the community have raised their eyebrows at seeing female police officers, with their heads uncovered walking into and touring the Bis Medrash.”
The irony here is that the Torah tells us ופרע את ראש האשה, and you should essentially uncover the woman’s hair, when discussing something that happens — of all places! — in the beis hamikdash itself!