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FEBRUARY 3, 2022 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Kedusha of the Kotel Under Attack
By E. Fink
M
ixed prayer. Buses running on Shabbos. Desecration of the Torah. By your next visit to Israel, the Kosel may look painfully unfamiliar, its sacred stones – violated. The current Bennett government, coerced and heavily intimidated by Reform Knesset members within the coalition, has sworn to implement a horrific plan to redesign the Kosel plaza within the next 45 days. Over $35.4 million have already been allocated by the Bennett government in order to “upgrade the infrastructure at the Western Wall.” Their true intentions? To completely destroy the centuries-old infrastructure of halacha, creating a Reform mixed prayer section in the center of the Kosel Plaza, taking a significant amount of space from the existing men’s and women’s sections. Once the Reform leaders gain the right to their own section, under their own leadership, it will be virtually impossible to remove them and regain the complete sanctity of our precious Kosel. A Devastating Ripple Effect The goal of the Reform movement promoting this plan is frighteningly clear: to gain validation and
official recognition in Israel as a legitimate form of Judaism, equivalent to Torah-true observance. Their final destination doesn’t lie at the Kosel’s tear-soaked stones. As they publicly declare, they seek to take over conversion, marriage, and kashrus in Israel, destroying the Chief Rabbinate. Along the way, they will legitimize immoral marriages and foster tremendous chillul Shabbos, with buses running to and from the Kosel on Shabbos. The Lone Voices Perhaps the driving force behind the opposition to the Kosel agreement is the Libah Yehudit Organization. Founded with a mission to minimize the influence of the Reform movement and to promote genuine
Did you know? Rock salt is also known as halite, which is the Greek word for salt
Torah-true Jewish identity in Israel, they have been at the forefront of the battle against the influence of the Reform for years now, operating on a variety of fronts. One of their major initiatives is carried out each Rosh Chodesh. Libah Yehudit recruits and provides bussing for over 1,000 seminary and yeshiva students to come and pray at the Kosel, ensuring that the Women of the Wall remain a small and unnoticeable minority. Another powerful voice representing the perspective of the religious community is Mati Dan, chairman of Ateret Cohanim. He has spent the last number of years gathering a cadre of top-notch lawyers to repeatedly make the case on behalf of the sanctity of the Kosel. Facing off against the apathetic Israeli judges is a daunting challenge involving tremendous time, energy, and legal fees. When it comes to the kedusha of our Kosel, however, there is no sum that is too great. In the words of Chaim Rabinovitz, organizer of this campaign supporting the efforts of Libah Yehudit and Mati Dan, “The only way to stop
the Reform agenda is with unity. If we unite as one, the Jews of Eretz Yisrael together with Jews around the world, the Reform will have no choice but to retreat. Any donation big or small can have a dramatic effect on the Jewish identity of tens of thousands of Israeli children.” Funds are needed urgently for this campaign, to create awareness and to mobilize the Chareidim, Dati Leumi and the 3 million Masorati who vehemently oppose Reform control in Israel and at the Kosel. We must bring our nation to the Kosel for our voices to be heard and to preserve what is holy and pure. Let us take a stand before it is too late! This campaign has haskamos from all the Gedolei Hador. To name some: Rav Kanievsky, Rav Edelstein, Rav Shalom Cohen, Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbis Rav Yitzchak Yosef, Rav Yisrael David Lau, and Rav Shlomo Amar. You can make a tremendous impact on the future of Am Yisrael. Visit saveourkotel.org to donate to fight for the kedusha of the Kosel
