Solidarity Atzeres to Take Place Sunday in Lower Manhattan

NEW YORK

The solidarity atzeres tefillah called by U.S. Gedolim at the request of Gedolim in Eretz Yisroel to support the bnei yeshivah will take place on Water Street in lower Manhattan this Sunday, beginning at 2:00 p.m., organizers announced Monday.

The gathering will echo this past Sunday’s huge atzeres tefillah in Yerushalayim, which brought out hundreds of thousands of Jews in response to the Israeli government’s ongoing attempt at social engineering of the chareidi community, including wholesale conscription of bnei yeshivah.

Since the state of Israel’s inception, young men engaged in full-time Torah study have been deferred from military service. Those avreichim and their families have willingly accepted the consequent relative poverty and the limitations thereby placed on their ability to eventually enter the work force. In recent years, political and legal efforts have been made to change that modus vivendi and pressure talmidei hayeshivos to join the military.

Most recently, the chairman of the Yesh Atid party and current minister of finance Yair Lapid has mobilized Israeli sentiment against the chareidi community’s way of life, and promoted universal (although not for women or Arab Israelis) conscription.

Legislation to draft large numbers of full-time yeshiva students in stages, complete with criminal penalties, even including imprisonment, for those who do not register, is currently before the Knesset, which is expected to pass the bill within weeks.

The New York asifah will include a special area for women. It will begin with Minchah and consist only of the recital of Tehillim and special tefillos.

As organizers expect a large turnout, New York residents are urged to take public transportation to the site, which is well serviced by the subway system, and not to attempt to drive into Manhattan for the gathering. The A and C trains stop nearby.

For those outside the subway system, such as Lakewood and Monsey, buses will bring participants to the location.

The weather Sunday is predicted to be much warmer than now. According to Accuweather.com, Manhattan will be 40 degrees with calm winds during the day.

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