Haredim Cancel Outdoor Simhat Torah Celebrations Due To 'Lewdness'

The 'leaders' of the generation including Rabbis Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Aryeh Leib Steinman decided it best if all Simhat Torah–Hakafot Sheinit celebrations took place indoors at synagogues and wedding halls. But even that is not enough strictness for the dark side:

To enforce gender separation, monitors in Jerusalem's Mea She'arim quarter diverted women to side streets toward separate entrances to the synagogues and halls. On the main streets, men and women were told to walk on separate sidewalks.

So, after almost 50 years of hakafot sheinit in the streets with live music and dancing, what made the dark side crack down? This:

The rabbis' concern seems to stem from the presence of young men and women who have dropped out from ultra-Orthodox schools, and according to one street poster, or pashkavil, bring "singers or various cantors, thus causing gatherings of boys and girls who have deviated from the path."

Thankfully, both the National Religious and Chabad refused to give in to haredi pressure to cancel their outdoor celebrations. This has led to a haredi wall poster campaign against them and to actual street protests.

I have to say that some of my favorite memories from my times in Israel are from the outdoor hakafot sheinit in Sefat's old section and simhat beit hashoeiva celebrations outdoors in Jerusalem's Jewish Quarter. I saw no lewdness or bad behavior. I just saw thousands of Jews having a good time and rejoicing, which is what the chag is all about – it is z'man simhateinu, after all.

I'd also add to that list the giant communal succa near the Kotel (Western Wall). To sit in there with a close view of the Kotel and share food, songs and stories with Jews from all over the world, Jews you just met moments before, is a truly amazing experience.

Former Agudat Israel MK Menachem Porush, who has for years organized the second night hakafot in Sabbath Square, initially resisted pressure to cancel this year's event, but the pressure was too much and he caved in:

Sources speaking for Porush initially said the only person authorized to cancel the event was the Brisker rabbi, Yitzak Ze'ev Halevi Soloveichik, who had personally ordered Porush to hold the celebrations in public. However, the Rabbi from Brisk died in 1959.
 
Porush eventually gave in to pressure and decided a few days ago to cancel the public celebrations, earning high praise in the pashkavilim [often anonymous wall posters sometimes used to incite the haredi populace against a specific person or action].

If the Brisker Rav were alive and well today, Rabbis Elyashiv, Shteinman, et al, would be teaching in heders in remote development towns, or perhaps cleaning their bathrooms. The term "yeridot hadorot," "descent of the generations," could easily have been coined specifically for this generation of self-styled 'gedolim.'

Meanwhile, the walls get higher, the streets get narrower, and the pressure mounts. One day soon those walls will collapse, and the haredi world will come tumbling down with them. May it be soon, in our days – amen, sela.

Related post.

Comments

[Daniel]

Great blog site! Keep up the great work and I'll be by often! L'Shalom, Daniel

[The Monsey Tzadik]

The bright side in all of it is that the National Religious and Chabbad grew some balls and did not submit to Lom-Lom Elyashiv and his minions.

Maybe their cousins in he States can grow balls as well

[rabbidw]

It just seems to me that you cannot criticise Chabad in California for the tragedy that seems to have happened at their hakofot in Cakifornia, and at the same time blast the the Rabbis who do not want to take any chances and ban the event. Given the choice, my vote is to have the event and not worry about possible bad consequences, but understand that s*** happens, and not everything can be foreseen or prevented.

[Shmarya]

First, there are completely different events. In California the event is a) an actual holiday and b) INSIDE a synagogue. In Israel it is a) NOT and actual holiday and b) OUTSIDE on the streets.

Second, I did not endorse common drunkenness or allowing children to roam unattended in Israel. Why in the world you think I would endorse it in California?

[Lawrence M. Reisman]

"If the Brisker Rav were alive and well today" Shmarya would be criticizing him for his fervent anti-Zionism, his insistance that yeshiva students and religious girls not serve in the army, and that charedim devote themselves to learning and avodas hashem, rather than go to the workplace. That having been said, Shmarya is right on point in saying that the most recent ban is just another meshugas.

Try another one on for size. An Israeli woman stayed with us for the yomtovim, and told us of a family whose daughter was friends with a girl her school did not approve of. The school told the family that the girl would have to drop the friend or leave the school. Various rabbonim they consulted told them that it would be better for their daughter to leave the school, since the disapproved of girl had so no other charedi friends to speak of, and that this particular friendship was more important than the school. My only question is, once she's forced to leave, will another school take her on? The meshugasim keep growing and growing.

Ariel Sharon put it very well when he said "This is a land that knows no mercy."

[Dr Mike]

Me, I heard the story of the girl who had a friend who was told one day that her friend was not allowed to play with her anymore. Why? Not because she had a TV in her house, G-d f-rb-d, but because she played with another girl who did have a TV and this parent didn't want this indirect attachment to tumah for her daughter.

The smart frum guy will be the one who designs the first gadol-approved burkas and niqabs. Yes, he'll make a mint.

[rabbidw]

I don't think chabad ENDORSES drunkeness or leaving children unattended. And I think the "gedolim" of Israel are truly tiny men, and are moving in the direction of the Ayatollahs, but you are oiling on to your personal bete noir, chabad.The fact that it is a real holiday and was in the shul would be more reason to allow it. The fact that something unnacceptable happened is not something that anyone anticipated or wanted.

[rabbidw]

Meant to say piling on, sorry.

[Shmarya]

Clearly Chabad did not want it to happen. And clearly Chabad did not anticipate that it would happen. But there is a concept of taking responsibility, of providing a sfae environment, and of taking reasonable precautions. It is with these I suspect Chabad failed.

[rabbidw]

If there was negligence on the part of chabad, the parents will sue. It seems to me that the parents may have been negligent.

[Dr Fred]

Dr Mike:A fatal flaw of those who push for extremism is that they have no real way of limiting it.Sooner or later, and hopefully sooner, the worm will turn and it will all implode; some will be crushed and unable to cope, but it's inevitable.

[Arnold]

I had someone visit me on Shabbos and for the record, he and his wife are parents of three children-TWO daughters that are currently married to Kollel boys-and I use boys on purpose. All three of their children were ranked number 1 in their class in BOTH high school and college....so we know who is talking here.... and their insights were priceless.

He pointed out two things...first he said that kollel is a four letter word. Then he said that the fact is, these people are practicing a different religion-it has anthropological roots in Judaism, but without any doubt, kollel for all, is not the Judaism of the Torah.

There was a lot more, but suffice it to say, this story is in the same class....

[Dr Mike]

Arnold! Where ya been? How come no new posts?

Dr Fred, I agree with you completely. There's no red line to the right for some people, especially in a culture where being frummer than the next guy, even if it means inventing chumrah after chumrah. The Neturei Karta are just the first example of this rot. Much of the chareidi world will eventually follow them in their godless quest for godliness.

[Dr Fred]

It seems that the "I'm frummer than you" race to disintigration puts people, especially women, last ( and how people are treated is the real test of religion in this world).The personal hardship that results, the underlying unpleasantness ( whatever happened to "Darchai Noam"?),are ignored.I would suggest that any system or organization the puts people last is doomed to fail, and should be abandoned by any self respecting person.