Rabbi Leo Dee, who lost his wife and two daughters in a terror attack in Samaria in April, is helping to plan a shacharit (morning prayer) service at Dizengoff Square on Thursday morning, he announced in a Facebook post on Sunday.

Under the slogan “Praying for Freedom of Religion and Unity in all of Israel,” the service is set to have three sections: one for men, one for women, and one for mixed seating.
“Jewish prayer is open to everyone,” said Dee. “Judaism doesn’t believe in coercion. People can pray as they wish, and they don’t have to pray if they don’t want to.”
Dee said that the organizers were not seeking municipal approval as permission is unnecessary for events of 50 people or less and they are not expecting a larger crowd.

Significant response to Yom Kippur events

“I’m sure we will have the support of every liberal in the country and of every religious person,” said Dee. “This is about liberal values, freedom of religion – and this is something that all Israelis agree upon. This is a service for religious freedom and unity.”
On a more personal level, this service is significant to Dee as a response to an incident on Yom Kippur during which a prayer service at Dizengoff Square devolved into fighting over gender segregation. Protesters disrupted the Kol Nidrei service and fought with congregants who tried to erect partitions to separate the men from the women.
Dee said that his family made a large sacrifice by moving from the UK to Israel, where they could live openly as Jews.
“The idea that Jews aren’t allowed to pray openly anywhere they want in the country is contrary to our values,” he said.
While some responded to the announcement by encouraging Dee to get municipal approval or to cancel the event, many voiced support for the prayer service and the choice to make both separate and mixed sections available to the congregants.