Kol Isha

Question

On 2/18/04 you discussed NCSY and Kol Isha and the Tshuva of the S'ridei Eish. You said more or less that the teshuva had very limited applicability and in essence was not relevent to the context of NCSY. He was replying to a specific situation and a specific group, and that is what every published teshuva in the world does. The practice of most morei hora'ah is to see which teshuvos are applicable to the situation at hand. Very few morei hora'ah do a thorough analysis of Shas and Rishonim and posken accordingly (as you quoted elsewhere from the Noda Beyehudah). The S'ridei Eish was replying in reference to a mixed youth group in post world war II France at a time when depressed and disaffected youth (and adults) were leaving Yiddishkeit. He said that if it is z'miros kedoshos on Shabbes in groups, it is ok. He also said that the hungarian rabbis who were attacking the idea of the mixed youth group simple didn't understand the situation and that is why they were losing their kids. You may argue that the situation in America with kids from nonfrum homes is different than the situation faced by the leadership of NCSY. They consulted other rabbis who don't agree with you. It happens that I, like you, would not have permitted it, but that does not make them nonorthodox. TR