Singer Mordechai (Ben David) Werdiger announced his decision
to comply with daas Torah by not performing in a
concert (billed as an "erev shira") banned by
gedolei Yisroel.
The announcement won wide praise for R' Mordechai Ben David
because of the financial loss and other problems involved in
a last-minute cancellation.
At the event the hall was half empty because the turnout was
very low.
Outside the hall were protest vigils that had formed
spontaneously. According to field reports the majority of
concert-goers who did arrive for the show were national-
religious Jews and summer tourists unaware of the ban issued
by the rabbonim.
Many others arrived at the concert only to return home after
protesters explained the reasons for the prohibition and they
saw the written ban signed by gedolei Yisroel, opting
to lose the money they had paid for their tickets to avoid
any offense to daas Torah.
Among the many Jews who sanctified the Name of Heaven was one
family head who arrived with seven tickets in hand, but upon
hearing about the prohibition announced to his family heeding
the decision of the rabbonim was worth more than the price of
the tickets.
