August 9, 2012

(JTA) — The South African Centre for Religious Equality and Diversity is protesting against the South Africa Zionist Federation’s failure to disclose what its policy is on women singing at the public Yom Ha’atzmaut event.

The group was scheduled to hold a flashmob protest on Thursday, which is Women’s Day in South Africa, in support of its petition, “Every Voice Has Value.” 

SACRED Executive Director Charlotte Fischer said in a letter to the members of her organization that the federation has ignored seven letters from SACRED asking to clarify its position.

“For the last few years, the SA Zionist Federation in Gauteng has banned women from singing at Yom Ha’atzmaut – a secular holiday, organized by a non-halachic body,” Fischer told the MyShtetl.com news site. “Last year, a group of incredible women organized to fight against this restriction and were allowed to sing, but when SACRED supported their campaign and wrote to the SAZF asking if this will continue for future years, there was no response.”

Federation national chair Avrom Krengel told the news site that he has met with representatives of SACRED and has invited them to partner on events. He explained that for events such as Yom Ha’atzmaut, the federation must take the broader community’s sensitivities into account.

Krengel said no plans have been set for next Yom Ha’atzmaut and that the federation could use orchestral entertainment to avoid offending anyone.
 

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