The head of the Emunah National Religious Women's Organization, Liora Minka, has sharply attacked a letter sent by senior Chabad rabbis forbidding Chabad emissary Chani Lifshitz from participating in Israel's Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony.
"Precisely now, when people are looking for unity and social cohesion, it is distressing that Chani Lifshitz has bowed to pressure exerted by the extremists among Chabad rabbis and has retracted her decision to participate in the torch-lighting ceremony," she stated.
"This is an embarrassment for this small group that refuses to accept the invitation to mend the tears in the fabric of Israeli society, at a ceremony that is a central symbol of our nationhood. I call on the rabbis of the Chabad Rabbinic Council to reconsider - it's not too late for them to change their minds and allow Chani to represent the welcoming face of Judaism. This [should be] a Judaism of unity, not of social rifts."