I just saw now that it’s back:
https://www.srugim.co.il/586300-%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A8-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%91-%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%96%D7%A8-%D7%9E%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%93

If Rabbi Matanya had shown a really significant difference between some point in the past and today, I’d think it worth discussing his claims. But simply no.
If Rabbi Melamed wrote 15 years ago about Reform Judaism A, and today B, that would be a difference [and then we’d need to discuss whether it’s really a difference at all, or whether reality changed; or if once he wrote about youth movements A, and today B, same thing] — but he doesn’t show any difference at all…
He tells us that Rabbi Melamed founded a separate youth movement within Bnei Akiva, and when he wasn’t satisfied he founded Ariel [and Rabbi Melamed even served as secretary-general], and therefore in Rabbi Matanya’s opinion he surely has to be a head-against-the-wall type on every issue and in every matter. And if not, then surely he’s undergone sweeping changes…
It seems to me that Rabbi Matanya’s words do not manage to prove what he already decided about Rabbi Melamed…

With God’s help, 26 Av 5781

When there was an intention in the 1950s to open a branch of HUC in Jerusalem, including a Reform synagogue, the Chief Rabbis Rabbi Isaac Herzog and Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim, of blessed memory, expressed fierce opposition, and among other things wrote that the Reform movement had contributed to assimilation and absorption into the gentile population in the Diaspora (Ledor Vadorot, 2: Bekomah Zekufah, pp. 293–303).

Today their actions are even more severe. Many of their leaders recognize intermarriage and are willing to accept such couples and their children into their communities, and some of their rabbis even conduct mixed-marriage ceremonies. The day is not far off when, in the Western Wall plaza that was handed over to them, they will also conduct mixed marriages and call the children of a gentile woman up to the Torah. So Rabbi Melamed will donate a Torah scroll for that? 🙂

I do tend to partially agree with his view, that one should not multiply demonstrations against them, because the very response to their provocations gives them media exposure and serves their goals. It is only necessary to work as quietly as possible so that the provocative prayer services of the “Women of the Wall” will also be moved from the women’s section to the mixed plaza, and without “attention,” their presence there will aspire to zero.

Best regards,
Yaron Fish"l Ordner

As for the southern wall — there was a difference in approach between Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim and Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman. Rabbi Yitzhak Nissim fought to have the southern wall also designated as a prayer site, and therefore demanded limiting the archaeological excavations there. His colleague Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman was satisfied with sanctifying the Western Wall as a place of prayer.

The difference in approach between Rabbi Nissim and Rabbi Unterman emerges from the difference between the two rabbis’ letters to the Minister of Religious Affairs, demanding that no archaeological excavations be conducted at the Western Wall before planning for the site was completed, at which point the Chief Rabbinate would consider whether to approve those excavations (Ledor Vadorot, 2: Bekomah Zekufah, pp. 49–51).

However, Rabbi Nissim states (in the memorandum he submitted to the ministerial committee on holy places): “The southern wall is holy just as the Western Wall is holy, and it too should serve as a place of prayer. If throughout the generations our enemies prevented access to it and narrowed the area in which Jews could pray — we must not follow in their ways, and the time has come to redeem this wall as well from the disgrace of neglect and filth, from its desolation and isolation” (ibid., p. 62).

Best regards,
Y.F.O.R.

There are two types of Reform Jews that people don’t quite distinguish between:

In principle there is no difference between a Reform Jew and a secular Jew except that the Reform Jew is also infantile (and perhaps they also, unintentionally, disgrace sacred objects, Torah scrolls. Though according to their own approach this is not a disgrace, and it is worth discussing whether an unknowing disgrace is considered a disgrace). Rabbi Melamed met with the leader of a Reform community in France in order to work out together how to preserve and save Jewish lives. That is no different from cooperation with secular people here in Israel. There are Reform Jews of this type in America too. These were the Reform Jews of the previous century who prevented assimilation among Reform Jews.

Indeed, Reform Jews in America who hate Israel and fight Jewish nationalism (which Rabbi Kook said is a holy thing, and one who acts on its behalf, even if he is secular, is in practice doing something spiritual, even if he is not aware of it — like Herzl), and who encourage assimilation and do not believe in the Jewish people — it is indeed forbidden to meet with them. But they are no different from all the various progressive Jews who do not believe in the Jewish people and fight against the Jewish nation, and especially against the State of Israel. I do not know who exactly those are who pray in the Western Wall plaza, but there is a presumption in Rabbi Melamed’s favor that he checked and found that these are Reform Jews of the first type.

The Reform Jews of the first type do not believe that the Torah is from Heaven, and in that they are no different from an ordinary secular Jew. They have no religion, because they do not believe that God commanded anything, and therefore the claims against them of falsification do not really amount to much, because there is simply nothing to falsify. They are engaged in culture (which is of course foolish), but from their point of view Orthodoxy too is culture. They are simply foolish people, that’s all. The fact that their prayer ritual is forbidden according to Jewish law is a true statement, but an empty one. The halakhic status of the Reform Jews (the non-progressive ones) is the same status as that of the non-progressive secular people here in Israel — they are like children captured among the nations, and the war against them is ridiculous (to the same degree that they are ridiculous). It simply stems from Haredi self-righteousness and not from a genuine halakhic, Torah-based, and spiritual perspective. It’s a kind of fight over the originality of a brand name (that’s the claim about falsification). But originality of a brand is a matter of culture, not of truth. There really is no one who thinks the Reform are the same thing as the Orthodox. The Orthodox believe that their commandments are from God. In that sense Christians and Muslims are also believers. But the Reform do not believe in any commandment. For them it is culture (except for prayer, which is something of value because there is a God, just not something one is obligated in). Therefore the claim of falsification does not apply here. And anyone who does think they are similar is very foolish, which is a bigger problem. The progressive Reform, although they too are seemingly like children captured among the nations, because they separate themselves from the Jewish people and fight its national existence, it is worth discussing whether they are considered apostates (and there is a similar discussion regarding the secular progressive left in Israel). The main sin of an apostate (to the whole Torah) is apparently that he has separated himself from the Jewish people (by not observing the commandments altogether, in the words of Maimonides).