“An Orthodox rabbi whose life’s work is healing seriously ill patients for free on Monday canceled a planned fundraising concert after the exclusion of female singers from the roster caused a public uproar,” states an unsigned report in Monday’s (11/4) Times of Israel. “The November 20 concert at Tel Aviv’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium was planned as a tribute concert for popular singer Shlomo Artzi and was supposed to be a show of unity in support of Ezra Lemarpe, a nonprofit medical support organization … and its founder, Rabbi Avraham Elimelech Firer. But instead, the event has been underscoring deep divisions in Israeli society. It was planned to feature performances by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and many top Israeli artists, but controversy erupted last week after it was revealed that Firer had requested that no female singers be included. Orthodox Jewish law prohibits men from hearing women sing in certain contexts, considering the female voice immodest…. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra subsequently said it would not perform at an event that ‘excludes women.’ So did Artzi’s guitarist, Avi Singolda, and Orly Vilnai, a journalist who was to serve as host, as well as many more singers. Others voiced support for Firer’s event.”
Posted November 7, 2019
