Tel-Chai Nation

There was a selichot convention in Jerusalem, and some presumably Haredi soldiers appear to have acted disrespectful to women singing at it:

An event described as a "Selichot show" and organized by the IDF Manpower Directorate took place last night (Monday) at the Sultan's Pool in Jerusalem.

Selichot are a special series of prayers recited from the month of Elul and until Yom Kippur to prepare for the increased holiness of the holidays. They include various liturgical songs and many congregations sing them together for a commmunally uplifting experience.

Thousands of reserve soldiers were invited to the show, which featured performances by singers such as Eviatar Banai, Shuli Rand, Chaim Moshe, Amir Benayoun and the Revivo Project.

However, at the beggining of the evening, a women's military choir performed in front of the audience, surprising many of those present. The Jewish laws governing modesty prohibit men from listening to women singing.

Ahem. After October 7, 2023, a tragedy in which women were graphically raped and murdered for singing and dancing as much as for being Jewish, it is obscene in the extreme that any religious figures, Haredi or otherwise, would ever make any kind of fuss about this. Yet that's what they did, and making matters worse is that there were religious women who gave backing to these misguided and badly educated men:

Soldiers at the event said, "There are tens of thousands of soldiers here, most of them religious, we are shocked by the insult that senior Manpower Directorate officials pulled on us. This is really a slap in the face to us and our families after two years of reserve duty."

It is important to clarify that this involved only two songs at the opening of the event, when the majority of the audience had not yet arrived, and the remainder of the performance proceeded in line with public sensitivities.

The organization "Soldiers' Wives for the Sanctity of the Camp" together with the organization Hotam said in response, "Time and again it is proven that senior IDF officials do not respect the observant, despite the fact that they give their lives in large numbers in the most combat units. There is no chance to speak of recruiting haredim in such a situation, as long as there is such deep and blatant contempt for the observant in the IDF. Defense Minister Israel Katz of Likud must wake up and address these events."

That even religious women, no matter their specific background, would bring themselves down to this level after October 7, 2023 is equally despicable. It desecrates the memory of biblical Miriam too, and some commentors on the article made points. For example, in response to one that was selfish as it was uninformed:

How about listening to G-d instead of men. G-d gave women voices to praise HIM... READ THE TORAH.... These are the women who sang in front of or with men in the Torah and Prophets.....

Miriam leading the women in a song of praise after the Red Sea crossing, Hannah (mother of Samuel) composing a prayer-song of thanksgiving for her son, Deborah leading a triumphal song with Barak after a victory.

Additionally, women participated in larger musical gatherings, such as the singing women who accompanied David's harpists and the women who sang in the procession at the rebuilding of the Temple.

So are you saying that what G-d our HaShem has created is nasty and vulgar? Shame on you! Does not G-d deserve more respect then men?

And when somebody claims women sang separately, the following is written:

No they did not.... the women with King David were singing and dancing with him.... Miriam was singing with the people which including her own brothers and the men around her... and Debrah was with Barak and the men in the army. READ THE TORAH and stop listening to men. Listen to HaShem and His Words. Now READ IT.

Yes, please do. It's obscene in the extreme that anybody would come within even miles of implying that God giving women the talent potential for singing is solely vulgar. Another said:

The first time Miriam is named in the Bible, we find her singing. After the crossing of the Red Sea and the death of the Egyptian army, the Israelites are officially free from their captors for the first time in generations. Miriam's response, along with her brother Moses, is to sing a song praising the glory of God......

These are the women who sang in front of or with men in the Torah and Prophets.....

Miriam leading the women in a song of praise after the Red Sea crossing, Hannah (mother of Samuel) composing a prayer-song of thanksgiving for her son, Deborah leading a triumphal song with Barak after a victory.

Additionally, women participated in larger musical gatherings, such as the singing women who accompanied David's harpists and the women who sang in the procession at the rebuilding of the Temple.

There is no excuse for this kind of teaching when it does not go along with the WORDS of our G-d HaShem....HaShem gave women beautiful voices to be lifted up for His Glory and no man should ever say that what G-d has created is nasty or vulgar. SHAME ON YOU ALL. LISTEN TO G-D NOT MEN!

And then:

Shemoth Beshalach 15, 20-21 "Then Miryam the prophetess, Aharon's sister, took the tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dances. Miryam led them in song..."

And also:

Women Meeting Saul (1 Samuel 18:6)

After David's victories, women from the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul with singing and dancing.

This act celebrated the accomplishments of David, as they chanted, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands!".

So where do the aforementioned soldiers and any selfish, self-important posters get off distorting this vital history? Shame on them indeed, and any Haredis who're going to base their joining the army on how and what women do in terms of singing and such are desecrating the memory of October 7, 2023 victims by extension. Such thinking is also what led to the Afghanistan tragedy. Let's be clear: after that tragic incident in southern Israel 2 years ago, objections to women singing can't be done anymore. All observant Judaists, Haredi or otherwise, must recognize that fact.

Labels: anti-semitism, communications, dhimmitude, haredi corruption, islam, Israel, Jerusalem, jihad, military, misogyny, Moonbattery, sexual violence, terrorism, war on terror