Channel 12 News presenter and economic editor, Keren Marciano, says in response to the decision to cancel the gender-separated Yom Kippur prayers in a public area due to threats of protests on social media is a "badge of shame for the Israeli society.”
"We have gone completely crazy. The fact that a public prayer on Yom Kippur is cancelled is a badge of shame for Israeli society," Marciano wrote after hearing the Rosh Yehudi announcement about cancelling gender-segregated prayers at Gan Meir in Tel Aviv, for fear of provocations.
Marciano added: "On this holy day, it's nice to see many people praying in synagogues, in public areas and wherever they want. Those who want to pray separately should be allowed to do so, and those who don't want to, can pray in a nearby place in a mixed-gender prayer."
She added: "I go to the synagogue on Yom Kippur and sit in the women’s section. I don't feel humiliated or excluded. I respect our tradition. And I'm fine with that. Enough with the craziness."
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Rosh Yehudi, an outreach organization located in Tel Aviv, announced on Thursday morning that it would be cancelling the gender separated Yom Kippur prayers that were due to be held at Gan Meir in Tel Aviv, despite the Supreme Court's ruling yesterday, approving the prayers.
The court case was held following violent disputes before Yom Kippur 2023, when the Municipality of Tel Aviv forbade holding gender-separated prayers in public areas in the city.
Organization heads reported that: "Even though the Supreme Court ruled in our favor, due to the fear of provocations, Rosh Yehudi will hold Yom Kippur prayers at the synagogue at 54 Bar Kochba Street, and not at Gan Meir.”
Extreme left-wing activists posted on social media that they would come on Yom Kippur to the area of Gan Meir, to disrupt the prayers with loud music and other means of disturbance.
Israel Zeira, head of Rosh Yehudi, said today: "We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision that stated the simple truth: prayer according to Jewish tradition in the State of Israel, even in the public realm, should be a given. This is not a provocation and not any kind of discrimination. A partition, as required by Jewish Law, has been the custom for generations. With God's help, we will still hold many prayers in the public areas throughout the country, and also in the first Hebrew city [Tel Aviv]."
He added: "In a time of war, when our soldiers are risking their lives in heroic battles, and while the entire nation is praying for the safe return of our hostages, the way to defeat and overcome our enemy, as well as bringing our hostages home, is by adding holiness, unity and inner peace. Unfortunately, we have heard of plans to destroy this legal prayer as well."
Zeira concluded: "We have chosen to take a responsible step and be among those who are taking a step back and doing what we can to not offend others. We will pray on Yom Kippur inside the synagogue."