A city-sponsored event took place in a local community center located in the Gilo neighborhood of Yerushalayim. A number of pitanim (chazanim) were scheduled to take part according to the advertising, an event that was funded and sponsored by Jerusalem City Hall and local Gilo officials.
At the last moment organizers added a female chazan to recite slichos, explaining that if only males “perform”, it would be tantamount to excluding women and this was not tolerable.
When asked to respond, City Hall officials’ direct responsibility to the local community council, explaining the request came from organizers in Gilo, not from City Hall.
Shas party leader Aryeh Deri on Thursday morning spoke with Mordechai Lavi of Kol Chai Radio. He questioned “The absurd of the situation”, adding “We cannot know where this will end. Perhaps shuls will have to close for having an ezras noshim, or perhaps because they have a chazan and not a female. This self-hatred and disdain for religious observance if way out of hand and must be stopped. I do not have details of last night’s events but our tax money cannot be allocated for such events by the city and I will probe what occurred and address it appropriately, even if this means amending the law”.
Deri questioned how it has reached such a reality where people lack the minutest modicum of respect for being Jewish and Yiddishkheit.
It is added that a similar occurrence took place in Tel Aviv and organizers preferred to cancel it rather than have a woman recite slichos. This was the major event that was to have taken place at Rabin Square.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Whats the big deal? This is a public concert, albeit one that is focused on religious-themed music. For those men concerned about kol isha, they can simply choose to leave the auditorium during her performance or simply not attend. This is not an event sponsored by any specific shul, beis medrash, or Religious Ministry. I’m personally not a big fan of the government-funded agencies sponsoring these events, but if they do so, it legally cannot discriminate by gender.
Judaism is Black & White.
Certain things (actions) are allowed by Halocho.
Certain things (actions) are not allowed by Halocho.
If a government agency or entity sponsors a concert or an event for the community, they have the right to do what is lawful in their community but once they decide to venture out of their realm and wander into Judaism, then they are bound by the laws of Judaism, Halocho.
Nebach that’s where we’re holding and nebach there is someone who calls himself “gadolhatorah” and says “what’s the big deal ” nebach
To No.3
The “big deal” would be if this was presented as “religious observance”, davening, or anything else that implied this “event” was something done pursuant to Halacha. It is NOT. It is a “concert”, albeit with religious themed musical selections. I have no idea about the credentials of the big chazanim, baal tefilos or even secular singers who perform zemiros adopted from the davening. I’m not sure if its a big deal if its Lipa, Shlomi Shabat or Barbara Streisand singing Kol Nidre at some city-hall sponsored concert (and all 3 have appeared at one time or another). If “kol isha” is a concern to you as it is to most frum yidden, than don’t go to any concerts with women performing, whether its secular music or music derived from the davening.
of what relevance is it to yidden shomrei torah what christians , reform etc do when worshipping(worshiping to whom since they dont believe in diety?)