New in Jewish calendar: 'Katif fast'
Religious Zionism rabbis, officials want to declare eighth of Elul as day of fasting in remembrance of Gush Katif synagogues' destruction. Rabbinate officials: It would be a problematic precedence
The proposal was already presented to some senior rabbis in Israel, among them Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yona Metzger. The initiators suggested holding a special public soul-search and prayers in synagogues and schools.
The suggestion is about to be presented to leaders of the religious factions in Israel, among them Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Shas' spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Palestinians torch Netzarim synagogue (Photo: Reuters)
The Chief Rabbinate already said in response that the issue will be discussed during the next meeting of the Chief Rabbinate Executive Council. However, officials at the Rabbinate are concerned.
"Setting a memorial date for such events, painful as they are, will constitute a problematic precedence," they said.
Rabbi Elnekaveh told Ynet that the proposal already enjoys broad public support. He explained that its purpose is to "Immortalize the synagogues' torching in Gush Katif on the eighth day of Elul, in order to remember the destruction, devastation, and brutality in which the synagogues, sacred to all Jews, have been torched."
The rabbi added: "There is no Jew who was not shocked while watching those images when synagogues were burned. It was like 'Kristallnacht'."
Based on Maimonides law
Rabbi Elnekaveh was among the rabbis who firmly opposed the idea of having IDF soldiers demolish the synagogues, and even brought up the issue to the Knesset.
"We, as Jews, didn’t want IDF soldiers to demolish the synagogues, even though we knew that the Palestinians will destroy them in a day," he said.
Yoel Elitzur from the settlement of Ofra, who took part in formalizing the proposal, said that it is based on the Maimonides fast laws which determine that the most important fasts are based on our lifetime events and not on ancient past.
"The places that were given to us were given by the God almighty during the Six Day War," Said Elitzur. "Disposing them into the hands of world's evils and the uprooting of established communities requires a day of fast. The issue culminates in synagogues' burn."
The purpose of the fast, according to Elitzur, "Is to remember the event and to prevent the repeating of serious events like the ones we saw in Gush Katif."
Despite the fact that the Chief Rabbinate is a national institution, Elitzur hopes that the Chief Rabbis will accept the proposition and establish a day of fast to commemorate the events in Gush Katif.
"We are dealing with issues between us and God. If we encounter refusal on their part, we will consider turning to sources outside the system," he concluded.
