Speaking to Kol Chai Radio on Tuesday (Sept. 13th), Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger Shlita addressed the controversy surrounding the ousting of officer cadets from the IDF officers training program after they would not apologize for walking out of a kol isha event.

Rabbi Metzger confirmed that he and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz, who listened attentively as they discussed the matter. He added the chief rabbis have received many requests from soldiers, parents of soldiers and citizens regarding the kol isha (women singing at IDF events) and religious soldiers.

The two chief rabbis explained this to the chief of staff, who Rabbi Metzger reiterated appeared to hear their words as they seek to intervene to avoid such occurrences in the future.

Kol Chai: Former IDF Chief Rabbi Avichai Ronsky addressed this during his tenure and there are IDF directives as how to act, so it appears this has already been addressed.

Rabbi Metzger: This is the first I hear of this. I was told Rabbi Ronsky at some point suggested using earplugs, which I do not see as a viable solution.

Kol Chai: That was not Rabbi Ronsky.

Rabbi Metzger: To the contrary. If someone else has already dealt with this all the better. Earplugs are not acceptable for this will lead to other restrictions. Tomorrow they will ban peyos behind the ears of tzitzis outside one’s pants. Do we having something to be ashamed of – adhering to Torah and mitzvos? This is a Jewish army after all.

The IDF commander did indicate he will be discussing this matter with IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Eitan. He did not signal how he plans to act.

From what you tell me regarding the tenure of Rabbi Ronsky, there are already directives in place so we need to just adhere to them.

Kol Chai: As a public figure I assume you too encounter the problem of kol isha at events from time-to-time.

Rabbi Metzger: You are correct although this is rare. Generally speaking, when we are dealing with the chief rabbis there is a modicum of consideration and women are not performing in our presence. Nevertheless this does occur, and when it does, I pull out a sefer and learn to distract myself. This is a personal solution for a particular problem when it occurs, rarely, but this is not intended as a solution for the soldiers serving in the IDF where a policy decision is in order.

Some of the soldiers involved apologized and were subsequently reinstated in the program, while others refused to ask forgiveness for their actions, which they view as simply adhering to Halacha. As a result, they are out of the program and they will not become officers.

Not willing to accept defeat, one of the soldiers who was ousted from the program has taken his case to the Supreme Court, on Monday (Sept. 12th), and the IDF has been ordered to respond within a week.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)