Gur Rabbi Urges Followers to Vote for United Torah Judaism
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
The Grand Rabbi of Gur has officially called on his followers to vote for the "United Torah Judaism" party in the upcoming elections, ending a period of uncertainty. The directive was published in the "Hamodia" newspaper on Sunday, October 27th, 2024. This decision resolves concerns within the Haredi political system that the influential Gur community might abstain from voting, potentially costing the party thousands of votes. The previous silence was attributed to internal tensions and frustration with government policies, especially regarding yeshiva students.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- The Grand Rabbi of Gur has officially instructed his followers to vote for the "United Torah Judaism" party.
- The directive was published in the "Hamodia" newspaper on Sunday, ending weeks of political tension.
- The Gur community's potential non-participation had threatened to cost the party thousands of critical votes.
- The previous silence was reportedly due to internal factional disputes and frustration with government policies.
- The call specifies voting for the "Agudat Yisrael" faction, marked with the letter Gimel.
Following days of unprecedented tension and speculation within the Gur Hasidic dynasty regarding potential non-participation in upcoming elections, an official directive was issued on Sunday. The declaration, published on the front page of the "Hamodia" newspaper, is a formal call from the Grand Rabbi of Gur for all his followers to vote for the "United Torah Judaism" list, specifically identifying it with the "Agudat Yisrael" faction, marked with the letter Gimel.
The announcement, dated Saturday night, October 26th, 2024 (7 Cheshvan 5787), aims to quell weeks of anxiety within the Haredi political sphere. Tensions had been high in the United Torah Judaism election headquarters due to reports of frustration among Gur leadership and threats from activists to withhold campaign efforts and even refrain from voting. The absence of a clear directive from Gur was feared to result in the loss of thousands of crucial votes for the party.
Previously, the Gur Hasidim had adopted a stance of "sitting on the fence," refraining from their traditional "act and activate" campaign methods. This was evident in their silence in "Hamodia," the absence of a formal announcement after Simchat Torah or on recent Sabbaths, and the non-establishment of election headquarters or production of campaign materials.
Sources within the Hasidism cited several reasons for this silence. Some pointed to internal tensions related to figures like "Perush-Shtark." Others expressed deep frustration with the government's conduct over the past four years, particularly concerning the issue of yeshiva students' conscription into the military.
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