The Jerusalem Municipality announced on Wednesday that it will not fund the planned Hanukkah concert for the haredi community at the International Convention Center in the capital after organizers decided not to have a women's section and to make the event men-only.
The event, which is expected to feature haredi singer Naftali Kempeh, was planned to be gender segregated as is the custom in the haredi community. After ticket sales began, women who had purchased tickets for the women's section were notified that the section had been canceled, and they received a full refund.
The organizers explained their decision in a message sent to those who had purchased the tickets: "Out of a desire not to serve as a basis or pretext to allow other events that do not comply with the rabbis' directives, we made a difficult and demanding decision: to cancel the women's section at the upcoming Naftali Kempeh concert, and the make the even men-only."
The decision comes after several letters were published on behalf of Lithuanian (non-hassidic) rabbis, including Rabbi Dov Lando and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, stating that mixed-gender music events are forbidden, even if the genders are separated. A letter published in the Yated Ne'eman newspaper read: "We were pained to hear that they are holding music events that are open to both boys and girls... this is a very serious breach of all that is holy."
The organizer's statement stated further: "We honestly apologize to the hundreds of women who purchased tickets... every purchaser will receive a full refund." The singer Naftali Kempeh added, "I understand that the reality causes pain to the Torah-observant community, and I don't want a part of that... May we merit to sanctify Heaven's name."