Tzfas Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu Shlita absented himself from a Memorial Day ceremony after learning there would be a female vocalist. The ceremony was held in a Tzfas school on Wednesday 3 Iyar, Memorial Day. The rav was supposed to have been the central speaker at the event.
Some of the bereaved families were angered by the rav’s actions, explaining he is a civil servant and must act as such. Tzfas City Halls officials’ explained on such a day they prefer to unite with the bereaved families. Some senior City Hall officials stated they are furious over the rabbi’s decision.
Officials responding for Rabbi Eliyahu explained organizers of the event at Beit Yigal Alon were insensitive to the rabbi’s needs and the religious sensitivities of the Orthodox community. They point out the rabbi several weeks before the ceremony requested not to have a female vocalist but organizers decided to ignore that request.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
it’s halacha ,folks, so don’t expect religious jews to be there!
Re comment no. 1: You missed the point by a mile. I suggest you rewrite your comment as follows: It’s halacha folks, don’t expect non-observant, secular Israeli Jews to understand why an observant rabbi cannot be present when a woman sings.
Why couldn’t he just leave during the singing and then come back in?
He is awesome. He is true leader, He is not a follower.
YWN, what’s the point of the article, if he did go I would understand writing an article (also not, since it would of been Loshon hora) , but not going, that’s following the shulchon urach, do you write an article every-time someone does what the Mechaber says?
If the goal of the day was to “unite with the bereaved families” why couldn’t they do it in such a way that it allowed the Rav to be there? I cant believe the female vocalists were so critical to this achievement that if they did not perform the purpose of the day was lost.
takahmamash #3: Because then all the hardened zionists would have been yelling at him for daring to insult the female singers by publicly walking out on them in front of everyone.
The rabbi is first and foremost a SERVANT OF G-D!!! He does what G-D commanded all of us!!!
Re: Comment No. 2 If they are so inconsiderate of halacha, why do they even want the Rav at the ceremony?
They would really have to be standing with their heads very deep in the sand not to know that an even with women singing publicly is not something a Rav would be expected to participate in,. There have been numerous stories in the press about this exact issue. Mostly scornful of frum yidden sticking to their principles.
Actually, I think we can learn quite a bit from this.
Here is a rabbi in a very delicate situation. He finds out that despite his request there will be kol isha at the ceremony.
If he shows up to deliver his speech he will need to step out for the musical part (it seems he was willing to be meikel on the minhag of not listening to music during sefirah as this is not quoted as being part of his request). If he is not able to do so quietly enough, this will directly embarrass the tinokes shenishbis who is about to sing. People would talk about it anyway whether he walked out or he just didn’t show up so the sought after “unity” couldn’t happen anyway.
His decision saved a wayward bas Yisroel from embarrassment. Perhaps she will come back one day without the deterrent of having been directly insulted and embarrassed by the chief rabbi.
Nfgo,
I think this is the FIRST time on YWN that i actually agree with your comment.
I need a mikva.
Not quite. It’s actually more like: if you want to be crazy and be “dati”, then that’s your business. But the State comes before all.
It was like that even during WW II when Jews were being murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, too. Zionism, as the Zionists unashamed claimed then, is above all (including saving lives).
This is in Israel; as opposed to in a normal country, where it is a given that cultural mores must accommodate religion.
nfgo3,
If he would have attended this once, it would have been in the media,and used as precedent to demand of others.
And Most secular Israeli, as opposed to americans, do understand..
Re comment no. 11: We all need a mikva. Even when you are agreeable you can be wrong.
If he would have attended this once, it would have been shown in the media,and used as precedent to demand of others..