Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl Decries Prohibition of Mechitzos in Ezras Yisroel at the Kosel

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 08/03/22 | News Source: MATZAV

Rav Avigdor Nebenzahl, the rov of the Old City of Yerushalayim, strongly opposes Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s decision to “unfreeze” the outline of the Kosel proposal and prohibit the use of mechitzos in the Ezras Yisroel section, which was given to the Reform and Conservative movements who operate contrary to halacha.

In a letter addressed to Rav Shmuel Rabinowitz, rov of the Kosel and mekomos hakedoshim, as well as to Mordechai Eliav, Director of the Western Wall Heritage Fund, and Herzl Ben Ari, Director of the Society for the Development of the Jewish Quarter, Rav Nebenzahl writes that the decision to ban mechitzos at the so-called egalitarian section of the Kosel is contrary to the halacha, and that everything must be done to cancel it, and doubly so when these groups that work against halacha constantly seek to enter the grounds of the women’s plaza at the Kosel and behave there in a way that is contrary to the tradition of Klal Yisroel, while harming the holy places of Eretz Yisroel and mispallalim.

“Of course, everything must be done with reason, wisdom and darchei noam, and not violence,” he said. “Derocheha darchei noam vechol nesivoseha shalom.”