RCA on Uncivil Disruption at Kotel

July 20, 2021 – The Rabbinical Council of America, the leading membership organization of orthodox rabbis in North America, avows that expressions of disagreement, especially in matters of religious principle, should be voiced with respect and dignity, and therefore regrets the uncivil disruption by orthodox Jews of Tisha b’Av observances at the Kotel this week.  

Rabbi Binyamin Blau, president of the RCA, said, “If our prayers of restoring the fabric of Jewish society are to be realized, we must fulfill the vision of the prophet Zechariah who foresaw that the fast and destruction of Tisha b’Av will be transformed into ‘joy and gladness and cheerful feasts’ only when we conduct ourselves with the principles of both truth and peace. (8:19)”

Rabbi Zvi Engel, vice president of the RCA, said, “On Tisha b’Av we mourn the loss of the Temples and we must recommit ourselves to reestablishing the holiness of the place where they once stood. Holiness can only be manifest when rooted in the principles of respect, dignity, and peace.”