Prominent Israeli rabbi calls for public fasting on Wednesday

Religious organizations called on Tuesday for a day of fasting and praying on Wednesday because of the rift between many groups in Israeli society as a result of politics and the judicial reform being promoted by the government. The initiative, promoted by Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, calls for a day of fasting ahead Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the first day of the month in which Passover falls.

“Against the backdrop of the great rift in Israeli society and the fear of fratricidal war, many organizations, are calling to join the request of Rabbi David Stav to observe a day [or half a day] of public fasting on Wednesday, March 22, the 29th of the Jewish month of Adar,” a press release said. This initiative is supported by many organizations such as Beit Hillel Rabbis, the Kibbutz Hadati (Religious) Movement and a coalition of non-profit organizations from across the board of Israeli society such as Ohr Torah Stone, the Israeli Congress, Kolech, the Masorti Movement and Ne’emanei Torah Va’avodah.

This initiative for a day of fast and prayer is, according to the organizers, “a call to our father in heaven – ‘Please God, save us’ – and a demand from our leaders not to tear the nation apart.” They’re message to the leaders and politicians of Israel is that they should “take a break until after Independence Day,” which falls this year in five weeks on April 26.

The organizers wrote that, “as is the custom of our sages, we will fast a Yom Kippur Katan [Minor Day of Atonement] on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Nissan in the hope that we will receive the mercy of the heavens.” They continued inviting Israelis and Jews around the world to “join a day or half-day common fast for all groups in Israel. We are all together in prayer for our brothers and sisters, our people and our homeland.

A break until after Independence Day

“The members of the aforementioned organizations call on the general public, secular and religious, traditional and ultra-Orthodox, for and against [the judicial reforms], to join the fast with the understanding that the rift must be prevented,” the invitation said. “We must keep hope. We must go on a break until after Independence Day in the hope that we will spend the National Days [the ten days between Yom Hashoah and Independence Day] together and that this break will create an opportunity for dialogue.”

Stav said in a video recorded to promote this initiative that “this time around, we are fasting before the destruction,” referring to the destruction of the two temples in Jerusalem in Jewish history.

“We see how we are deteriorating and about to fall off a cliff. We ask you all to fast so that our leaders will find a way to continue the right way – to continue promoting this huge enterprise called the State of Israel,” the rabbi said. “This fast is intended for the success of our people and in order for us to get out of the crisis we are in as soon as possible.”