The Reform and Conservative Movements on Thursday 10 Sivan at 5:00PM, will be holding a mixed gender ‘mincha’ at the Kosel Plaza. The event is not planned in the ezras noshim or the men’s area, but the back plaza of the Kosel.
Some feel this is nothing more than revenge for Jerusalem Chief Sephardi Rabbi HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar davening shachris at the egalitarian prayer area earlier this week after setting up a mechitzah.
The head of the Conservative Movement attorney Yitzhar Hess accuses Rav Amar of “breaking all the rules” after they endured “unprecedented slurs” from chareidi Members of Knesset. He explains that negotiations were ongoing for three years and agreement was reached and then Rabbi Amar comes and tramples the agreement.
It is added the Women of the Wall will not be participating in the mixed gender event officially.
HaGaon HaRav Avigdor Nebenzahl Shlita, Rav of the Old City of Yerushalayim, is calling on the tzibur to come to the Kosel on Thursday evening 10 Sivan at 5:00PM, to gather near the Kosel Plaza. Rav Nebenzahl spoke with Kol Chai Radio and stated the tzibur must prevent the planned Reform prayer event at the location near the Kosel, stating there cannot be any compromise with the Reform.
Rabbi Nebenzahl
They just want to be mechalel Shem Shomayim and anger HKBH and they are not interested in davening. It is a disgrace. There can be no compromise with them and the current plan for the egalitarian area is unacceptable. The tzibur must come to prevent them from holding a prayer event.
Kol Chai
Should the tzibur come and confront police to block the prayer event?
Rabbi Nebenzahl
I cannot ask people to confront police.
Some of the commentary & background
Rabbi Yisrael Gellis told Kol Chai he does not understand why roshei yeshivos and others are not joining in the call. He is angered by the silence of chareidi MKs, questioning why Shas is willing to bring down the government over the appointment of Rami Sadan as Chairman of the Board of Channel 10 News and why when it comes to the kovod of HKBH and the Kosel there is a deafening silence. He also expresses criticism against Minister of Religious Services (Shas) David Azoulai, who refuses to be interviewed on the matter and is not speaking out to the media in protest as the head of the ministry.
He adds the same is true for all chareidi MKs, who for reasons that remain a mystery, remain silent and are not using their political might as the Reform Movement continues making advances in the area.
An urgent petition is being filed with the High Court of Justice Thursday morning to block the event, explaining it is not a prayer service but a protest rally at the Kosel.
Why Doesn’t the Kosel Rav Stop the Event?
Complicating matters is the fact that the attorney general of the Ministry of Religious Services sent a letter to the Rav of the Kosel & Holy Sites Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz Shlita, informing him that while he had the authority to stop the Birkas Kohanos he does not have the authority to prevent a mixed-gender service.
Hence the Kosel rav’s hands have been tied. In the interim, the letter has been given to Attorney General Dr. Avichai Mandelblit to render his decision regarding the scope of the authority of Kosel Rav Rabbi Rabinowitz.
Rabbi Rabinowitz now awaits to hear if the High Court rules before 5:00PM and/or if Attorney General Mandelblit issues his ruling before 5:00PM.
The Reform Movement is calling “for a third designated area at the Kosel, one of equality at the actual Kosel [not the area designated at Robinson’s Arch]. The announcement explains the mincha event is a first and ultimately, they too will be at the Kosel like all others, holding bar and bas mitzvah celebrations at the Kosel.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
Very evil people. Before the 1930’s many of these Yimach Shmo’s wouldn’t even be numbered with Klal Yisroel.
In the course of time nationalism begot an offspring and named it Religious Nationalism. The choice of name seems to indicate that they are not satisfied with the adjective religious; they must supplement it with another ideology, nationalism. It is stated that the Torah of the L-rd is perfect, and we have been admonished ?You shall not add,? and whosoever adds detracts. Indeed Religious Nationalism has confused our camp. Until now only these observing the Torah were considered Jews. Whosoever denied the Torah was by law an apostate, and had no connection with us. Now a new ideology contends that even a heretic belongs to us, as long as he possesses a national consciousness. The Torah warns us ?It is forbidden to join with the wicked even to perform a mitzvah ? but they argue that by associating with the wicked we will influence them to mind their ways. They consider themselves wiser then the Torah. In fact, combining with the wicked has resulted in what the Torah foresaw. Instead of improving the wicked, those who joined them became loyal followers and the free-thinkers, and now direct all their energy and power against the Torah leadership. This is how the bridge between the religious and the free-thinkers was constructed. Generally speaking, people come and go on a bridge. On this bridge people only go, we see no one coming back?
-Rebbe Elchonon Wasserman (somewhere between the late 1930?s-early 1940?s)
Roundup ALL these mishagoyim and DEPORT them to the USA and DO NOT ever allow them to return to Israel unless they are willing to abide to the rules and regulations of of this Holyland.
Suppose a man broke into another man’s home. Tied the man of the house up, threw him in the closet. Spent all his money, takes his idenity and racked up all his credit cards and then had the chutzpah to open the closet and un-tie the man of the house and asks him to help pay the bill. Well, that’s what the conservative, reform and zionist movements are doing to real Tora Jews. May HaShem put an end to Conservative, Reform Judaism and Zionism speedily and in our days
BS”D
Amen to your prayer Moshe Borisoff. Mamash terrible. These people are seriously a sick. And then people wonder why so many yesurim on Am Yisrael when prizut is happening at the holy kotel? It’s one thing to be ignorant but to purposely go against Hashem and the Torah just to anger those doing it right because they are so evil and disgusting is another thing.
Perhaps in Israel we need a Spokeperson like Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch! We cant make it just look like the “archaic” rabbis are shouting evil doers be gone! I think Rabbi Sherer of Agudah useto be more “diplomatic”. its for not chilul hashem but kiddush hashem such as to say often and publicly the best option is least offensive which is to follow “Classical Judaism” standards which is kosher according to all and respect all who come. Rather than making a CIRCUS out of Judaisms Holiest site with a Reform, conservative, JEWS FOR J?, and maybe one day even a FOURTH SECULAR section? Maybe if we follow US paths another for Trans gender services?!
The Quality of Movement or Animal Rights or whatever they’re called will soon insist that one of these nutcases replace the current Kosel Rav, Rabbi Rabinowitz and/or demand these weirdos have their own Rav.
These people are not sick, but have been lead to believe by their “rabbis” that the changes made to their watered down religion are appropriate for the 21st century. I wonder if those attending this “Mincha” service have ever heard of Mincha before or ever davened Mincha. While some conservative temples may have Mincha I doubt that Mincha is even in the newly rewritten reform prayer book. The reform rabbis are probably asking “what’s Mincha”. As far as I know there is nothing in their faith that forbids separation of men and women such as we have at the kotel.
I think everyone here that is posting vitriolic rhetoric should be aware that our Jewish brothers and sister may all be reading your posts. The internet is not closed to only Yeshivaworld readers. I guarantee you that not a single Jew will come close to Torah by calling their fellow congregants “sick”, “evil” and “disgusting”. I am actually glad to hear that David Azouli from Shas has been quiet. The damage he created by calling reform Jews not real Jews has not yet been repaired. It would do everyone to take a minute and think from the perspective of a conservative or reform Jew how they view your comments. What would you say if you met them in the supermarket? Call them a a sick evil person?
I just have one question:
Will it be a heicha kedushah?
I hope they don’t skip tachannun at this minyan!
CTRebbe, everyone is well aware of the fact that most Reform members are assimilated Jews and more than 50% are not Jews at all! So what kind of damage did he create by saying the truth?
The damage is that if you are one those members that are 100% Jewish, what do you think will be your attitude towards Orthodox Jewish and Torah Judaism. Do you know how many non-frum students of mine have told me that Orthodox Jews do not consider them as Jews and I had to dispel that lie! A Jew is a Jew is a Jew. The ONLY thing that a statement such as that can do is alienate more Jews and foster hatred. Show me one Jew who was insulted in such a manner and suddenly had a revelation and said “hey, maybe I should rethink my style of yiddishkeit”.
Have you ever seen a woman with a sheitel pass by those signs in meah shearim decrying shetel wearers as evil people going to He***, and then turn around and say “yeah you know maybe I should burn my sheitel. These guys are really right.”
Also again it’s very likely before the 1930’s many of these reform, conservative zionist and helenistics would not even of been counted Jewish.
CTRebbe: those who come l’haches, ‘kenimrod gibor tzeid….’ and bring the midas hadin on klall yisroel mitzvaj lisnoso…Mes Psachim