Sanzer Rebbe to Cut Short Vacation, Lead Thousands of Chassidim in Protest Outside Military Prison

Sanzer Rebbe to Cut Short Vacation, Lead Thousands of Chassidim in Protest Outside Military Prison

The struggle over Israel’s military draft law is set to intensify dramatically after the Sanzer Rebbe announced that he will personally lead a mass tefillah rally and protest outside Military Prison 10 following the arrests of two members of the Sanz community over the draft issue. The move comes less than a day after emergency meetings were held by senior Sanz er activists to coordinate a series of nationwide demonstrations in response to the arrests. News of the Rebbe’s personal involvement surprised many Chassidim and is being viewed as a major escalation in the campaign. According to organizers, the decision was made after an avreich and a yeshivah bochur from the Sanzer community were arrested in recent days under Israel’s military draft law. The Rebbe will interrupt his stay in Caesarea, where he had been resting, and is expected to arrive Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the entrance to Military Prison 10. He will be accompanied by thousands of Sanzer Chassidim from across Israel, who are expected to travel to the prison on organized buses for what organizers describe as a massive prayer gathering and protest outside the prison walls. Those coordinating the event say the Rebbe’s decision represents a significant breakthrough in the campaign against the draft law. He will become the second member of the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah to personally lead a demonstration outside the military prison together with his Chassidim. The first to do so was the Gerrer Rebbe. {Matzav.com}