Israel – A number of rabbis and public figures from the city of Raanana have signed a letter strongly condemning the desecration of a local Reform synagogue.
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“This act, like other acts of violence, saddens all of us,” the letter said. “We stress that the Torah condemns any act of violence and harm to our fellowman.”
The synagogue’s windows were smashed with stones last weekend, and the writing “It has begun” was scrawled on the building’s wall. A complaint was filed with the police.
Raanana’s Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz, a former interior minister and Shas chairman, signed the letter, despite being very close to the Orthodox Lithuanian leadership, which strongly opposes Reform Judaism. He added in his handwriting, “Her ways are ways of pleasantness.”
The letter was also signed by Rabbi Shlomo Ishon, Rabbi Daniel Beller, Rabbi Ronen Neuwirth, Rabbi Shaul Farber, Deputy Mayor Aryeh Friedman, Rabbanit Oshra Koren, Rabbi Zvi Koren and Rabbi Avichai Katzin.
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Kok hakovod to these rabbonim for speaking out against this tragic desecration of a shul. A reform shul has the same kadusha as a frum shul and the desecration of either is a chilul hashem. The perpetrators should be punished as if they had vandalized any of the big chassidshe shuls.
Why use words like “opposes reform…”? The very existence of this reform religion affront to every yid. These fraudsters are pulling yidden farther and farther away from Judaism. They are targeting the vulnerable and the disaffected with massive financial backing using the same lies and tricks that the missionaries of the baptist, methodist and other evangelical churches do. They use “celebrities” and tv/radio personalities with great financial power to show how “pro-Israel” they are, and tell you how much they love Jews when all they really want is the destruction of Judaism.
Obviously we should all reject and condemn this kind of violence and destruction. But that doesn’t mean we have to reject the POINT being made. This “reform” religion is not Judaism and those who preach it are committing a FRAUD. They push our must vulnerable yidden to reject the validity of Torah.
Why do we consider this to be any better than the xian missionaries? Why are these fraudsters allowed to operate in E”Y when so many of them are not even Jewish to begin with?
When will we draw the line in the sand? When will we put a stop to it?
We ALL allowed this to happen and we ALL need to fix it!
reform shul has the same kadusha as a frum shul? Not true! R’ Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, paskened that it is assur to enter a reform shul.
I disagree with #1 on the facts. At best, a reform temple has NO kedushah; at worst is is worse, since it is prohibited to enter a reform sanctuary for any type of religious function.
OTOH, I agree that wanton vandalism of a reform temple is not justified at this time.
As to whether it is a Chilul Hashem, it might be, but that is not certain in my mind.
While it could be argued that reform congregants are innocent (tinokos shenishbu), their clergy are chotim, umachatim es harabim, and should be continuously condemned appropriately.
One may not enter a reform temple, so where do you get the novel dea of reform anything having any connection to kedusha.