Chazal teach us that one who has not seen a simchas beis hashoeva has not seen a simcha in his time, the scene of former years in Yerushalayim, attracting thousands to take part in the yomtov events. These annual yomtov events now appear to be a thing of the past.

While thousands attended in the past, the scene on motzei shabbos in Jerusalem’s Shichun Chabad neighborhood was quite a different one, with dozens attending instead of thousands, the habitual practice of earlier years. The once large prominent stage was replaced by a modest shadow of the former years, and the atmosphere was noticeably far less than was known in during Sukkos celebrations in the past.

It appears the drop in participation is due to the efforts of Rav Mordechai Blau and his vaad, which has become concerned with the mixed audience participation in such events, waging a war to bring them to a halt.

Vaad members, the activist rabbonim, have succeeded in obtaining the signature of many prominent rabbonim and admorim, effectively bringing the simchas beis hashoeva of former years to an end. Ironically perhaps, despite the small turnout last night in Shichun Chabad and other areas, there were many women among them, so efforts to prevent a mixed event have failed, albeit downscaled significantly.

Kikar reports a number of Chabad Chassidim present on motzei shabbos questioned how their rabbonim could have capitulated to the vaad when the Rebbe zt”l was an outspoken advocate of hosting very large simchas beis hashoeva events.

Click HERE to read the story posted last year regarding a ban put into place by Rabbonim.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)