A rav who addressed IDF soldiers, speaking about ‘Hadrat Noshim’ (הדרת נשים – exclusion of women) as it is referred to in Israel, has been temporarily removed from the list of rabbonim permitted to address IDF soldiers, Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reported.
It appears the soldiers complained, not about the rav personally, but about his topic, which they found offensive. The rav’s address was to be on the Three Weeks. The soldiers reported the rav said “separation between men and women on a bus is not exclusion of women. The women have good thoughts regarding the men and they understand while men have different kind of thoughts”. In the eye so Israel’s secular community, the gender-separated buses are indeed ‘exclusion of women’ and viewed as discriminatory. Israel’s Highest Court ruled that it cannot be enforced and a woman has the right to sit wherever she pleases, even on a so-called mehadrin line.
The rav continued, explaining “the matter of exclusion of women began with the introduction of women into bases together with men. This is particularly problematic when women are on a base with chareidi soldiers”.
Galei Tzahal reported that the soldiers complained, explaining they should not have to hear such words while serving in the military.
Galei Tzahal followed up, and the military’s Manpower Branch probed the incident to determine if the rabbi really said that which is attributed to him. A decision will be made following the probe but for now, the rav may no longer address IDF personnel.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
The IDF prefers educators who defames Megillas Esther saying it’s “A scandalous book, it’s a wonder that it ever made it into our Holy Bible” and “hanging of Haman’s 10 sons is nothing less than a massacre”, and loads of other outrageous remarks.
I don’t get it….they want him banned because the subject matter “offended” them. Give me a break, Perhaps he should have stayed on his original topic but open and free discussion of one of the most timely issues in EY that intersects public policy and religious practice.
Arye – A Rav can speak of the 3 wks properly.
Wake up,the IDF is anti-religious and anti-Torah ,it’s no place for a religious Jew
not everything one thinks can be said anytime.
There is a time and a place for everything.
This rabbi needs a watch and a gps.