The true headline to this story should read “Major Chilul Hashem at the Kosel while chareidi Jewry remains silent”.
The visiting Reform Movement delegation, which include 100 “rabbis” was part of the festive “shachris prayer service” at “Ezrat Yisrael” on Thursday morning 16 Adar-I. This is the name they have given to the egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel and on Thursday morning they took part in a thanksgiving service following a number of significant political gains in Israel. Members of the Conservative Movement and leaders of the Women of the Wall (WoW) organization were also present for the mixed gender service.
Many members of the frum tzibur in Eretz Yisrael believe the writing was on the wall and now, chareidi officials exhibit shock and anger, as if this was not the predictable outcome of their actions.
There is anger directed at chareidi Members of Knesset, who many feel are responsible for remaining passive and permitting this to come about and while gedolei yisrael will dictate the actions of elected officials, there is an increasingly audible call for the frum parties to break away from the coalition and bring down the government in response to magnitude of the Chilul Hashem associated with recent rulings in favor of non-Orthodox practices.
It is also pointed out that while the MKs explain they are backed by gedolei yisrael, each referring to the rabbonim shlita who instruct the various parties and factions, many among the frum tzibur feel the picture painted for the gedolim by the MKs is a tainted one, one that is slanted to direct a response in favor of supporting their position and not necessarily an objective one that depicts reality.
Chareidi elected officials explained that the reasoning behind permitting the allocation of the egalitarian prayer area that the Supreme Court would have handed down a more difficult gezeira, a mixed area at the Kosel itself. However, many feel this is not acceptable for in that case the court would be responsible for the Chilul Hashem while in this case the religious parties are all a part of the Chilul Hashem that took place Thursday morning and will continue R”L at the Ezrat Yisrael site.
The bottom line is that at present, it is most unlikely the chareidi parties will cause a coalition crisis.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
20 Responses
How history unfortunately repeats.
This weeks parsha happened 3,428 years ago when the grandparents of these reshoyim arurim forced us into the golden calf of which as rashi explains, we are still suffering from, because our parents remained quite while these scum where going about with the three cardinal sins. Unfortunately we don’t have a Moshe that can help us this time, so ein lonu al mi lehishoain ailo al avinu shebashamayin. Shall we soon hear the shofar shel Moshiach, and witness the speedy demise, of these along with the other reshoyim who caused so much pain and suffering for klal yisroel throughout our long and painful history.
More like “ezrat posh’im”
re: “while the MKs explain they are backed by gedolei yisrael, each referring to the rabbonim shlita who instruct the various parties and factions, many among the frum tzibur feel the picture painted for the gedolim by the MKs is a tainted one…” “many feel… the Tzibur feels… many feel etc”
The “many” should better “feel” (and KNOW!) that daas Torah have a siyata dishmaya that transcends simple “daas adam” even in the face of slanted information. Now although they are not infallible individually, when they seem to be in agreement, speaking with one voice, they are to be relied upon 100%. I am sure they are very much aware of the chillul Hashem – even if their presentations were compromised.
We are all in pain from this outrage – aval ain lanu ela einei chachamainu.
Ps. Ironic Parshas Hashavua depicts the WOMEN holding strong to mesorah, not participating in their generations corrupt NEW FORM OF SERVICE (Eigel) and here it is the women leading the charge to corruption!
Ikvisa D’moshicha!
The photo accompanying this article will actually repulse most non religious Israelis who will see this bunch of rich Americans as nothing more than frauds. Israelis actually have a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. Even if they drive to family on Friday night to have the “Shabbat Seuda” together, after they light the “Shabbat candles”, they deep down acknowledge that this is not really the right way to observe Shabbat but they justify themselves one way or another. But they all know that women gathering round a Sefer Torah, wearing jeans, is simply wrong and not the “Jewish way”. The average non frum Israeli male may only put tefillin on once a year when he is pressed by a Chabadnik, but he knows that “davening Shacharis” without tefillin on a weekday is simply a fraud. We are used to hearing the Gedolim questioned on YWN blogs when they seem too “fanatical” but here they are being backhandedly attacked for seeing things maybe more clearly than the average Israeli Charedi. Rest assured that the members of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah are more than capable of seeing the issues here and are not being bamboozled by the politicians.
From where did theese people have a sefer torah the law dosent permit them to get a torah from the kosel aron kodash?
Haredi MKS need to learn Modern Etiquette in Public communications! Obviously calling the opposition of his views “Mentally Ill” will not only Not Work for HIM but will HELP them by people Sympathizing with Them for Being called Mentally Ill! And certainly many non religious will say these Haredim think we All Are Mentaally Ill or Not Jewish. What is needed for Haredi MKs is perhaps reading a lot of Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch and his Style and of his disciples in how to address Reform. Even Rabbi Sherer of Agudah of America of yesteryear was good in his choice of words. Haredi MKS (and maybe OU and Agudah itself!) should letter write to publications in English and Hebrew that Reform has WITHERED MUCH OF AMERICAN JEWRY. It has thrown away many of Classical Judaisms practices and most of the fundamental Beliefs including Positive Belief in G-d, in Reward and Punishment by Him, in Prophecy, in the Prophecy of the WHole Torah by G-d to Moses, in the coming of Messiah and in the eventual Resurrection at the end of times of the righteous. They also have done away with MOST of the rules of Sabbath (at one time they even switched it to Sunday), advocate free for all abortion and absolutely no qualms of any lifestyles (despite them being openly disallowed in Scriptures). To no shock there is a lot of assimilation and inter marriage (majority of them) to the point one is not sure what percentage of Reform Jews are actually Halachically Jewish. Obviously to Dedicated Committed Jews this means Reform Judaism was a catastrophe who we do not want to end up taking any power in Israel which was set up as a refuge Jewish State. Otherwise it may lead very likely to an Increase in Mamzerim (Bastards) in Israel and it may no longer be (it isn’t anyways due to many Russian and other non Jews) for granted if you come to Israel you will probably marry a Jew. It needs to be Emphacized this is not against Reform JEWS but Reform JUDAISM. Theres a difference between not being religious and making ones official religoun Non Religious, especially even involving the core belief system,
Where is ZION FLAG? How about Gadol Hador? I don’t understand there silence on this issue. While we love Eretz Kodesh, it seems that we are losing the battle.
EVERYONE, who is reading is this comment, including YOU are a contributor to the plague of reform, which wiped out Yiddishkeit in North America.
While we have bastions of Yiddishkeit in certain palces, the majority of our people are toast.
Do something! write a letter, email, comment, tell people.anything
In an age of total assimilation and intermarriage, I see a nice picture of Jews celebrating their judasim (differently from the way I celebrate it… But still celebrating it). Rather than fight it, why don’t we celebrate it. We have our own problems. Our children are going off the derech in huge numbers because of all the hate they see from us. As Rabbi Zweibel said at the Agudah convention, “We are hemorrhaging!” Lets worry about our own children being religious rather than others.
I wonder if chabad shluchim will hang out there to offer tefillin, shabbos candles/meals etc to these lost souls? What would the Rebbe advise?
I have two OPPOSITE views on this.
1. The Satmar Rebbe zt”l was right! Frum Yidden should not go to the ‘kotel’! At least now we might all take this position and see how the koisel looks without us.
2. In today’s day and age when every possible neshama yearns to come back, maybe-maybe a few real neshomo’lech sunk in the reform movement will come back thru this.
In these times we should go out of our way for Sholem and possible EMBRACE this branch of lost yidden. Look, we have all kinds of tshuva organizations all over, let some volunteers loose on the new guests.
The more I think of it, I think hey, maybe even the Holy Divrei Yoel might agree to this today.
Maybe the gedoile haDor have a reason for not coming out against, maybe the see Moshiach at the doorstep and don’t want to cause him to run back – again- .
#11- Calm down. Wait until the frum people rise up against this enmasse.
Shlepper;
The Satmar Rebbe fought against Zionism, but didn’t against the Reform. He felt that we have little to worry about them ; they’ll assimilate and frum Jews won’t become Reform. Zionism is evil. , reform is a nothing mitt gurnisht. Well, the chickens have come home to roost.
#4, Avreimi is right. Even secular Israelis, for the most part, know that Orthodoxy is genuine Judaism even they they, the secular don’t observe it.
Now it’s all changing:
The Reform is challenging the status quo and growing in influence, pushing to gain legitimacy with a drive that hasn’t occurred before.
The Satmar Rebbe was right, huh?
This is a horrific Desecration of the Kotel
ThE SILENCE of the religious parties is equivalent of the Crime of KAMTZU bar KAMTZU story.The Religious parties all
serve the new Golden Calf: money.
this Goverment has no moral right to exist.If the frum parties do not bring the Goverment ,the consequence will be the same as the Kamtzu bar Kamtzu.
Please, read the Archives of the State Department which proves that the reform Rabbis and leaders sent several letters to the State Department NOT TO ALLOW ANY JEWISH REFUGEES TO THE USA.They wanted the jewish woman, children to be burned in Aushwitz,Reform Rabbis and leaders should have been tried after the war crime against the jewish people and each of them hanged, like the Nuremberg trial of the Nazis.they are like hitler ,eicman and mengele.
Todays leaders are the same they want to force Israel to Aushwitz Borders so Hamas and the Plo can destroy Israel.
Every single Reform leader and rabbi must hunted down like Sheik Yassin.
Every single Israeli MK WILL end up like the king of
Israel after the Romans occupied Jerusalem ,if they do not bring down this Evil devil satanic snake Goverment.
I hope their sefer torah (lower case intended) is passul.
Or even better, that someone would rig it to contain ONLY all those despicable sections that they want to deny are halacha by which we are bound. Like the laining for yom kippur – ahem. The halachos of kashrus, and Shabbpos of course. Matan Torah at Sinai directly from Hashem (who???). So of course it would still begin with Breishis, the most antithetical to all their beliefs! It is mind-boggling how blind they are, as in the old adage “don’t confuse me with the facts. My mind’s made up.”
mments- nothing un-halachic is happening. There is no indication of an actual “mixed’ minyan, which would not be halachic, only of a woman reading the Torah- explicitly allowed in the Shulchan Aruch, Check it out.
Funny how they take pictures as if “davening” is a Kodak moment. When you are Reform, and treat your faith and life as a Kodak moment while omitting meaningful tradition, values, and devotion; you are left with a pretty picture to put in an album, but miss out on a meaningful/purposeful life.
I am sadly singing Yakov Swheky’s “Racheim”
TGIShabbos: They are overgrown spoiled children playing house and smugly smiling, “So there! Ha ha!”
I’m sick to my stomach. Disgusting.
With all the tzoros confronting the klal, its really bizarre how so many get so agitated about a few misguided yidden engaging in their own “hashkafah” which many find offensive. No one is forcing anyone to join this minyan or to daven with them. No one if forcing anyone to even watch their theatrics. Let them be and stop giving them so much attention and focus our energies on the terrorism threats, the unemployment crisis among the Chareidi tzibur, the need for better schools and medical care and a million other priorities. The fact that several gadoley yisroel including Rav Gavornlik and others have given their approval of this arrangement as the lesser of two evils makes it even more important to move on.