NEW YORK (VINnews) — The leadership of Agudath Israel have released a public letter on Thursday morning in response to a viral audio recording criticizing their decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The audio can be heard here.
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The letter is signed by Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetzky and Rabbi Aharon Feldman.
The english translation of the letter reads as follows:
We write in response to slander and to publicly declare that the Guidelines released by the leadership of Agudath Israel of America – on the subject of how and when to reopen the doors of our shuls and batei medrash for tefillah in a way that is in accordance with the law and in which there is no danger of the further spread of coronavirus – were fully accepted by us and were with the approval of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. The rumors that the leadership of Agudath Israel acted on this of their own discretion are complete fabrications.
It is appropriate to emphasize that all the activity of the Agudah’s leadership under the direction of Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel are for the sake of Heaven and are performed after consultation with gedolei Torah.
[AN OP-ED ON THE ATTACK ON MOETZES GEDOLEI TORAH]
moderation
I am sorry but how dare you put this letter out !!! Anyone that knows reb pinchas knows he is a tzadik He did not lie!!!!
Essentially for one persons kovod you are destroying a rov’s stellar reputation!!!
We will not be influenced dont worry!!
I want to know why there is no video or audio of what was told to them ,THE RABBONIM about this whole fiasco!!
We know that there are issues Of communication like the tzadik REB PINCHAS said .
So why not share it or record so that we know instead of slandering one of the biggest tzaddikim in flatbush.
Does this letter say the thst the conversation between Reb Pinchas and zwiebel did not take place?!?!
That Reb Pinchas did not speak to rabbonim who were horrified?!?
Did the meeting not take place midnight?!??
THE CHANCES OF THIS COMMENT BEING APPROVED IS PROBABLY ZERO
JUST DO THE RIGHT THING AND POST IT
כל המבזה תלמיד חכם אין תרופה למכתו!!!
Is the the only Rabbis on the board? And if not where are the other signatures? I thought there were 9 numbers 1 passed away makes it 8 if you only have 3 signatures means that the majority is not with this letter just asking
Rabbi Frankel never spoke against any gedolim
I believe that even this letter was written by Agudah office and not by the three Gedolim.
The Rosh Yeshivas i believe do not know that Shulls are and were allowed to be open the entire time if followed by the guidelines.
Every essential business that is open most follow guidelines so are Shulls essential.
Its a Shanda that the Agudah who portray themselves as the Askonim of Klal Yisroel are not fighting Cuomo tooth and nail in the courts to open up all Shulls and schools without any problems.
There is a church in the Carolinas who went to court with the state allowing them to stay open for the masses and the judge ruled in their favor.
What a Chilul Hashem that we Jews are not doing the same for our Shulls.
The only Chilul Hashem we hear these days is “not wearing masks.”
A Shanda!
@Dave
“כל המבזה תלמיד חכם אין תרופה למכתו”
UMMM What about the other Talmedei Chachomim you just called out?!
To be honest I don’t know any of the details of the story and I did not listen to the recording I just find your comment ironic. You call out people for doing something you just did.
To Poster Dave
…you seem to be very upset when someone questions the integrity of your Rabbi in Flatbush..however you dont seem to have any issue with him casually and Flipantly Maligning an Orginization such as Agudath Yisroel and some of its Leaders and Lay Leaders
Oh no now it’s so much worse than I thought, I hoped that it’s true that they did not know what they signed on now that they confirm that they did know, we are seriously screwed.
Gedolim?
You also mean the ones that urged people not to leave Europe in the 1930’s?
Maven – ITS COULD WE HAVE RABBANIM – OPENING SHULS COULD KILL PEOPLE – CHURCHES FOUGH AND IN ONE CHURCH 141 PEOPLE GOT INFECTED ANOTHER ONE HAD LIKE 25 DEATHS ! THE TORAH SAYS TO LIVE TO OPEN THE SHULS SO YOU CAN DIE IS NOT WHAT HASHEM WANTS – THANK GOODNESS FOR AGUDAH!
Only THREE signatures. WHERE are the REST? Something SMELLS FISHY here.
Even if you tell me these three signed this letter did they know it was going out with ONLY THREE signatures.
Don’t UNDERESTIMATE THEIR INTELLIGENCE.
What was the drasha about? There is no link to the audio? Was it meant privately for his shul or for the general community?
Can you post the proper audio link. Many do not know what these refers too.
I really dont get the issue here. What about reb chaim kinyevsky reb gershon eidelstien reb dov Landau shlita. And all the chasidisher rebes shlita in eretz yisroel.
Who in the world is this r Frankel to open his mouth against all gedoiley yisroel saying that it was wrong to close shuls and chaderim etc.
I dont understand the issue here
Its mind boggling
I dont know what kind of conversation r Frankel may of had with whom.
I’m questioning his truth
I’m just saying look at the broader picture.
There is a young ruv shlita going against our giants our leaders
He should have no public podium for this.
I’m appalled that no one is realizing that this is against almost all gedoilim in the whole world.
I’m sorry, R’ Pinchas Frankel Might be a very nice person, but he comes across as not very intelligent, it was more on a on a yeshiva ketana level, it really made me cringe. I really think Flatbush is not his type of mispallelem he needs.
Im pretty sure he was not attacking them personally he just doesnt like nor thrust organizations like the rest of the people and there is good reason for that
Please post link to the audio or transcript of the speech.
I’m just wondering out loud how this second letter did anything more than the first. I thought AGUDA is smarter than that. the same people that allegedly wrote the first most probably wrote the second. AGUDA PLEASE TRY AGAIN!!!!!!