(GOREN CONTROVERSY)

Jerusalem

18th Kislev, 1972

Secretarial Letter Signed by Rabbis Yecheskel Abramsky, Moshe Chevroni, Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Chaim Shmulewitz. Protesting against the actions of Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren who permitted the marriage of individuals with questionable illegitimate status of “Mamzeruth” (bastardization).

“We are astonished by the terrible desecration of the honor of heaven by the serious incident which has never occurred before in the Nation of Israel, to destroy and undermine the authority of Halacha and pervert its true meaning with paths of deception...to permit grave prohibitions in public through hidden deeds and to make a mockery of scorn and derision toward the path of normative, traditional halachic decision-making. We therfore declare that all of (Goren’s) decisions are henceforth null and void. We write and sign with a torn and seething heart.”