With the call to "make peace," they pushed the greatest of the Sephardic generations to the margins.

May 24, 2020   

In the newspaper 'Yated Ne'eman', the publication of 'Degel HaTorah', a 'Call and Request' was published this morning - a rare letter from the great men of Israel from all walks of life on the obligation to "establish peace and brotherhood". The special call states that "the coronavirus pandemic still threatens the entire world, including Jews throughout the world, many of whom have fallen victim to the pandemic, and many others have fallen ill and are in need of God's abundant mercy." "And it is known that during the days of the Omer, mourning is practiced for the disciples of Rabbi Akiva who did not show respect for one another, and the main thing is to do everything possible to correct the defect and deficiency in this." The rabbis call for "increasing and increasing even more in matters between one person and another" - and request: "Therefore, let everyone see to it that they strengthen their relationship with their fellow man and establish peace between one another. "He who has a dispute and quarrel with his friend will see it as his duty to establish peace and brotherhood between them, and even when he knows that he is the righteous one, he must act in this way." However, the publishers of the letter present the signature of the leader of the Sephardic community, president of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, Maran Hacham Shalom Cohen at the bottom of the list, among the other rabbis who sign, while the signatures of Maran Ha-Rabbi Kanievsky and Maran Rosh Ha-Yeshiva, Maran Ha-Rabbi Edelstein, are presented at the top of the list, even though it is noted at the bottom of the announcement that the order of signatures is in alphabetical order. Activists in Shas Shas responded: "In an ad calling for more in matters between a person and his fellow man and for respect for one another - the name of the High Priest Maran Hacham Shalom is included among all the rabbis in the lines below. Shame.". 

Photo: From Yated Ne'eman