BS"D, Av 5767
We were appalled to hear of the terrible breach in our camp
in the form of arvei shirah and concerts featuring
singers and chazanim who sing before men and women in
mixed company Rachmono litzlan and even with separate
seating.
Previously gedolei Yisroel totally banned these
events, even where there is separate seating. As such we
hereby state our opinion, which is based on daas
Torah.
A. Attending these performances is totally prohibited
B. The prohibition applies to both the organizers and the
audience — young and old, men and women — and all
the more so on the singers and chazanim, who are
inducing the masses to sin.
C. Newspapers and advertising circulars should not help by
advertising these performances.
D. The singers and chazanim who appear before a mixed
audience may not be invited to sing at any event, nor can any
event at which they participate be advertised, including
tefillos and kosher events, in order to avoid lending
a hand to transgressors
May Hashem Yisborach, in His great mercy and kindness,
bring them to do teshuvoh before Him, and may we merit
the eternal Redemption — oz yimolei sechok
pinu.
Signing for the sake of the sanctity and purity of our
people,
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman
Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Yissochor Dov
Shmuel Halevi Wosner
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz
Chaim Pinchos Sheinberg
Tzvi Elimelech
Nissim Karelitz
Dovid Twersky
Shmuel Auerbach
Yitzchok Sheiner