Grapevine April 28, 2024: Israel Prize disputes

• Published date: 28 April 2024
• Author: GREER FAY CASHMAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

The letter accused Yosef of overstepping his role by supporting the attempt to prevent the enactment of legislation that would force ultra-Orthodox youth to perform military service. Yosef was reported to have said that if there is a change from the status quo whereby exemption from military service will no longer be valid, ultra-Orthodox youth will leave the country in droves. As a public servant who receives his salary from the state, Yosef spoke out of turn, and what he said was a form of incitement. He has since stated that he was misunderstood, but to no avail. There have been calls for his ouster and for the retraction of the award. There have also been demonstrations against him

As has happened in the past, the question arises as to whether a person should be judged only for achievements in the category in which he or she has been named as an Israel Prize winner or whether the awarding of the prize should also be based on that person's behavior and political and religious views and affiliations.

Empty seats on Passover at the Great Synagogue

■ ONE OF the most demoralizing things that could happen during a pilgrim festival, such as Passover, is to attend services at the majestic Jerusalem Great Synagogue and see that most of the seats are empty.

There could be several reasons for this.

One is that people slept in after the Seder, having gone to bed at midnight or later. Another is that, due to numerous flight cancellations, many of the thousands of evacuees transferred to Jerusalem after October 7 have returned to their homes, leaving no tourists to replace them. Yet another is the police warning following the terrorist attack in Jerusalem just ahead of the holiday; fear may have kept some people at home.

But, as always, the inspiring Great Synagogue choir, with its wide vocal range that accompanied Cantor Tzvi Weiss and was conducted by Elli Jaffe, was top-notch, even though it's somewhat disconcerting that Weiss sings in the Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew. Latecomers began to file in after the Bible reading, more so in the men's section than in the women's, but there were still far too many empty seats in both.

In nearby France Square, a long, symbolic Seder table had been set with artistically folded yellow paper napkins on each plate, empty wine bottles, and dead flowers. Each chair had a large photograph of a hostage, affixed with his or her name, sending a powerful message. The symbolic high chair at the head of the table, which bore the...