Assistant State Attorney General Dina Zilber has responded to a request from Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita leading to an argument between Rav Yosef and his sister, Mrs. Adina Bar-Shalom, Walla News reports.

Zilber responded to a request to permit a mechitzah at the kever of HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L in Jerusalem’s Sanhedria Cemetery. Zilber explained this does not exist today and she does not intend to make such a change.

Walla News basis the report on an internal document from three months ago, a document that addresses an argument between the children of the late Torah giant. Rav Yitzchak Yosef feels a mechitzah is required for kovod to his late father as well as to those who visit the kever. Rav Yosef feels the request of his sister, Mrs. Bar-Shalom should be ignored as she wants to have the area remain as it is, without a mechitzah. Bar-Shalom maintains most of the family is opposed to a mechitzah.

In her response, Assistant AG Zilber explains a chevra kadisha is bound by the laws and regulations set forth by the Ministry of Religious Services, which prohibit forced gender separation during a funeral. She explains the same regulations apply to the area around the grave of Rav Ovadia.

Zilber continues, elaborating regarding laws preventing discrimination against women, adding a probe shows there is no gender separation in Sanhedria today and this is the way it is going to remain.

Zilber responded to a letter from attorney Batya Kahana-Dror of the Mevo Satum (מבוי סתום) organization, http://www.mavoisatum.org/endefault.aspx in which she accuses Rabbi Yosef of abusing his powers as Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel to permit setting mechitzos into place at his late father’s kever. She explains the current arrangement, without a mechitzah, will continue and a mechitzah will not be permitted.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)