New York – The Rabbinical Council of America places great value on the judicious balancing of halachic and ethical principles of policy and action. The brilliance of the halachic tradition lies in its ability to affirm the Torah and rabbinic teachings of past generations, in a way which elevates and ennobles contemporary life, while bringing honor and respect to the Torah. This requires a special sensitivity to societal realities, widely-held ethical principles, and historical injustices. This is true no matter the particular circumstances that might militate in favor of policies or actions intended to protect a narrow community concern or interest.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
For this reason, the Rabbinical Council of America finds the recent statement by certain rabbinic leaders in Tsfat, Israel, regarding rental and sale of residences to non-Jews, to be objectionable. The halachic issues at hand are indeed complex, and we are surely sympathetic to the impulse to protect a Jewish community in the face of intermarriage, communal conflict, or unsafe neighborhoods. We are also mindful of the need to respect the halachic and policy rulings of rabbis in other countries and specific locales, given their general familiarity with the facts on the ground.
In spite of all of these considerations, we find it necessary to express our views from afar insofar as the statement in question affects not just Jewish communities in Israel, but communities in North America as well. In addition many rabbis across Israel whom we hold in high regard have spoken out in opposition to the statement.
It is our view that in spite of the concerns of the authors of the statement, it is wrong and unacceptable to advocate blanket exclusionary policies directed against minorities of other faiths or ethnic groups. Of all people, Jews should know that such practices are beyond the pale, having ourselves suffered from them in the past. This is especially so, when as in the statement issued by the rabbis in question, the halachic sources and arguments are a matter of debate, and even disagreement. And even were that not the case, it is not at all clear that the principles in question would apply in the State of Israel in the 21st Century.
We thus respectfully call upon the authors of the statement in question to reconsider their position, in the interest of communal harmony, societal peace, and the public sanctification of God’s name, which are as always the hallmarks of the Torah way of life.
Are these rabbonim in Sfad “tone deaf” or deliberately seeking to provoke a conflict with the arabs living in EY. Even the so called “gadolim” in EY have said they are wrong on their position but they have yet to withdraw their statement. Its bad enough when we have to deal with ignorance on the part of the goyim but this astonishing display of ignorance by the rabbonim in Sfad is beyond belief.
As I said before I say again
Let us frame this issue properly. The Arabs are executing -yes! killing – anyone who sells land to Jews. Neither the U.S. nor the EU nor the UN are doing anything about this. The Arabs are forever inciting their people to kill Jews. Read the local Arab papers! There is a war going on in Israel so why should Jews rent appartments to Arabs? so that another Hebrew University massacre can happen?
We must face the truth which is that we have for the moment a mortal enemy within us growing like a cancer and unless we do something about it we will die.
When the Arabs will publicly acknowledge our right to Israel and will publicly in Arabic say that they want to live with us in peace and when the Arabs will tell their citizens in Arabic that it is NOT OK TO KILL JEWS then we can rent them apartments.
Only stupid people will call this discrimination. Is it discriminatory to protect the lives of your family?
Wake up stupid “romantic dreamers” and read the map the way it is.
There are several rabbis that are members of RCA that supported and promoted tthe Onslow Arafat so called peace process.Why didnt they condem them?
There are halachos of kibbush ha-aretz, etc in the Torah. There are countless Rabbonim gedolim b’h in Israel to debate and adjudicate theser laws. The RCA should stay out of where they have no jurisdiction nor competence and address the failing, assimilating American Kehillah over which they would like to preside.
interesting to note how the modern orthodox rabbis in america aligned with the haredi ones in eretz yisrael.
why in williamsburg there is a ban from rebbes to rent to artistin but in israel you force jews to rent to arabs im sure if you lived in eretz hakodesh you wouldnt want your upstairs neighbor to rent the apartment to a nice arab family
i remember the rca at one time was more of a kick -ss org.to bad.i guess each org. has its POLITICAL diffrences.charlie why dont you move to the cool section of harlem or the bronx.those folks dont hate us cause we’re jewish.go on.or arab cousins are thirsty for our blood you fools.of course we shouldnt braodcast seemingly racist moves but to jump on the “me also” bandwagon decrying these rabbonim who just have our safety in mind with there opinion, is under all criticism.
this is another aspect of the overall conflict and we would be foolish to ignore it. But there is such a thing as discretion. We shouldn’t appear less tolerant than other cultures. Whatever happened to ‘Ein megalin ello litznuim?