The ceremony hosted on the campus of Tel Aviv University for Memorial Day did include a female vocalist despite earlier reports this would not be so, out of respect for the chareidi bereaved participants.
Sivan Shaked, who attends the university’s School of Music, was tapped to perform at the event. The university decided to include Sivan at the end, taking part in the singing of Hatikvah, the national anthem. Organizers explain that this was not done deliberately to offend anyone, but simply to respectfully remember the fallen.
It is pointed out the event was sponsored by the Ministry of Education headed by Bayit Yehudi, and the ministry preferred not comment on the last-minute decision to include a female vocalist.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Typical to expect in Tel Aviv
It’s chutzpah like this that (chas v Shalom) makes me worry that we won’t have a 69th Independence Day
Idiocy!!!!
How about respect for the 52 percent of the population of EY that are women?? They are trying to find a balance between inclusiveness for the large percentage of the population that is not chareidi (including the many MO in the IDF who can somehow not make themselves crazy hearing a woman sing the national anthem)and those who find this a threat to their hashkafah. Its not an easy balance to strike in EY and this doesn’t seem to be as a big a deal as some would try to make it. This was a civil ceremony and NOT a religious observance where they invited some reform rav or served treifus for refreshments.
#4 – No, you cannot violate Halacha out of “respect” for those who do, no matter how many of them there are.
#4 that is what the Reform say.