HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman, local rabbonim and roshei
yeshivos were on hand at a gathering for hundreds of
avreichim and bnei Torah in Beitar Illit last
Thursday, 21 Teves, to strengthen standards of modesty. The
event followed a number of similar gatherings in other
locations in Eretz Yisroel. Funding for the event was
arranged by Mayor Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus and his office
director, Rabbi Yosef Shetreet.
Speeches were given by HaRav Boruch Shapira, a ram at
Yeshivas Kol Torah Letzei'irim, the moro de'asra HaRav
Aviezer Tewfik and HaRav Tzvi Ordentlicht, HaRav Shalom
Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, HaRav Aviezer
Piltz, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Tushiyoh Tifrach, HaRav
Menachem Klein, the Gavad of Ungvar, and HaRav
Shteinman shlita.
After reading aloud a letter of support from HaRav Nissim
Karelitz, HaRav Tzvi Braverman recited the decisions of the
gathering.
1. There are families that do not meet modesty standards and
when the time comes to register their children in educational
institutions they encounter difficulties getting accepted at
the educational institutions and then they turn to Vaadas
HaRabbonim LeInyonei Chinuch with various pledges. We hereby
declare in the name of Vaadas HaRabbonim that all of these
families must start conforming now at the beginning of the
year rather than crying out after the fact, for those who do
not conform to the directives of rabboseinu gedolei
Yisroel forfeit their right to make demands of the city's
educational institutions.
2. The gathering calls on clothing stores not to sell clothes
that do not conform to the instructions issued by the
rabbonim. Doing so constitutes an act of causing the buyers
and the public to stumble, and they are accountable for the
public's sin. As in other cities, this should be buttressed
by only patronizing stores that receive certification.
3. Since the beis din is required to oversee public
places to prevent people from socializing improperly it has
been decided to set up Agudas Hashomrim, which will dispatch
hundreds of avreichim to stand watch on these
matters.
4. Under the current set of circumstances on public buses it
is very hard to maintain proper modesty with women walking
down the aisle past the men, both in terms of the men and the
women themselves, therefore it has been decided to arrange to
have women board via the rear door and the public is asked to
assist in upholding these arrangements. HaRav Braverman then
read the main takonos issued in accordance with
gedolei Yisroel.
