Women Gather for Israel’s Safety

An event organized by the ‘Crown Heights Women for the Safety and Integrity of Israel’ highlighted the Rebbe’s leadership and staunch advocacy for the Land of Israel’s security, territorial integrity and unconditional Jewish settlement throughout the country.

Opening remarks were given by Rabbi Sholom Ber Kalmanson, Director of Chabad Southern Ohio, who recalled the Rebbe’s close sphere of influence on Israeli and Jewish leaders.

Mrs. Frida Schapiro read from excerpts of letters the Rebbe answered concerning the security of Israel’s Jews. These letters come from the archive of English letters compiled by her father, Rabbi Nissan Mindel, who was the Rebbe’s secretary.

She noted that on principle, the Rebbe did not answer Halachic questions instead referring the querier to a competent rabbi. “One of the few exceptions to this rule was in the case of protecting Jewish lives in connection with the question of relinquishing liberated lands to non-Jews,” she said. “In this instance, the Rebbe did not hesitate to express his opinion.”

“In letters, private meetings and in public, the Rebbe reiterated his halachic position that Pikuach Nefesh, protecting lives, is apolitical, overrides the extant debates about the State of Israel and, needless to say, supersedes diplomatic efforts to attain international recognition through territorial and other kinds of concessions,” she stated.

Regarding those rabbinical rulings that concessions might actually spare lives, the Rebbe respectfully suggested they were based on misinformation, maintaining that only expert military testimony be considered in rendering a Halachic decision on the topic, Mrs. Schapiro said.

VIDEO:

Rabbi Yehoshua Hecht, senior rabbi of Beth Israel of Westport/Norwalk in Connecticut and member of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, spoke about the role Jewish Americans and especially Chabad Chassidim must play in advocating for the safety of fellow Jews in Israel.

He shared a number of instances in which the Rebbe called upon his father, Rabbi Avraham Dov Hecht OBM, to use his many connections to help ward off any concessions that were being contemplated by the State of Israel to their Arab neighbors or others on their behalf.

Following in the footsteps of his unforgettable father, Rabbi Hecht related his own mission to Israel shortly after the Expulsion of Jews from Gaza in 2005 during which he persuaded the Orthodox Union (OU) to not automatically supported all Israeli government policies.

As a result, the OU now readily speaks out against any schemes that might compromise the best interests of the Jewish People, even when that places it at odds with the “official” position of the Israeli Government.

Rabbi Hecht called on all Jews to emulate the Rebbe’s unwavering commitment to do everything possible for the welfare and security of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel; particularly in those areas most contested by international powers.

Video presentations included remarks by Shifra Hoffman who founded Victims of Arab Terror, the first group to advocate on behalf Jewish victims, and May Golan, founder and CEO of Hebrew City which improves conditions and restoring the “Hebrew character” to Tel Aviv’s southern neighborhoods.

The evening’s final speaker was Rob Muchnick, Rob Muchnick is the Director of Manhigut Yehudit USA, followed by lively discussion about Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount.

Proceeds from a raffle drawing for jewelry will go to Odel Banita who husband Aharon and rescuer Nechemia Lavie, HY”D, were the second group of victims to be murdered in the Knife Intifada that began on Sukkos earlier this year. Odel and her young son were also seriously wounded and continue to recover.