Posted on 11/05/19
| News Source: MATZAV
The tribute concert planned for celebrated Israeli singer and music artist Shlomo Artzi has been canceled by the organization planning it due to the demands to include female singers, JPOST reported.
The November 20 concert at Tel Aviv’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium was planned as a tribute concert for popular singer Shlomo Artzi and was supposed to be a show of unity in support of Ezra Lemarpe, a nonprofit medical support organization that has helped save thousands of lives, often at no cost to the patient, and its founder, Rav Elimelech Firer.
Following the revelation that the Firer had requested that women not sing, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra announced it would not perform at the concert, as did Avi Singolda, Artzi’s lead accompanying guitarist, and the woman slated to host the event, Orly Vilnai.
After much controversy, Rav Firer wrote a letter to the director of Ezra LeMarpe on Monday canceling the event, saying that “I draw my strength from Jewish law, I am proud of my lifestyle and cling to my life mission: saving lives, and loving others and those who are different.”
The National Union party, headed by Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, reacted with outrage to the development, and called it “a low point in Israeli society.”
“The liberal lunacy has won,” it added. “Every man and woman who is an Israeli citizen should feel embarrassment and shame over the humiliation of a huge philanthropist.”
Read more at JPOST.