Rabbi Leo Dee is helping to plan a shacharit (morning prayer) service in Dizengoff Square on Thursday morning, he announced in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Under the slogan “Praying for Freedom of Religion and Unity in all of Israel”, the service is set to have three sections: One for men, one for women, and one for people who want to be mixed.
“Jewish prayer is open to everyone,” said Dee. “Judaism doesn’t believe in coercion. People can pray as they wish, and they don’t have to pray if they don’t want to.”
In terms of municipal approval, Dee said that the organizers of the service were not expecting more than 50 people to show up and therefore were not seeking municipal approval as gatherings of under 50 people do not require approval.
While not expecting a large crowd, they are sure that the event is something that would have widespread approval.
Significant response to Yom Kippur events
“I’m sure we will have the support of every liberal in the country and of every religious person,” said Dee. “This is about liberal values – the freedom of religion – and this is something that all Israelis agree upon. This is a service for religious freedom and unity.”
On a more personal level, this service is significant to Dee as a response to the events of Yom Kippur in which a prayer service in Dizengoff Square devolved into fighting over gender segregation.
During the incident, protesters disrupted the Kol Nidrei service and fought with congregants who tried to erect partitions to separate the men from the women.
Dee said his family has made a large sacrifice to make aliyah and come to Israel where they could live openly as Jews.
“The idea that Jews aren’t allowed to pray openly anywhere they want in the country is contrary to our values,” he said.
While some responded to the announcement by encouraging Dee to get municipal approval or even to cancel the event, many others voiced support for the prayer service and the choice to make both separate and mixed sections available to the congregants.
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