the following clip was a part of an event in a shul that set off a firestorm.

(tzniyus alert)


last week a shul in Tel Aviv was used as the location for a fashion show, an immodest fashion show, while a team of chazzanim were singing shalom aleichem.

According to NRG, the show was specific for the shul as the designed had used inspiration from her studies of shul architecture and design in the design of her clothes.

The event was criticized by all, even by the Tzohar organization the shul is a part of. The rabbi of the shul, Rabbi Ariel Konstantyn, who happens to be an acquaintance of mine, was criticized for having allowed this to happen.

It turns out, though, that there was an agreement to allow the fashion show in the shul, and the rabbi obviously knew about it in advance. However, contrary to some of the claims made to defend him, but the original agreement, which has now been publicized, actually allows for a modest fashion show. The designed and producers of the show broke the agreement and put on the immodest show without agreement or knowledge by the shul administration.

It turns out the chazzan of the shul was behind the event, and was immediately fired when Rabbi Konstantyn discovered what had transpired.

Rabbi Konstantyn himself wrote on his Facebook page yesterday that he wa staken advantage of and he never agreed to such an immodest show, and that he put a stop to it as soon as was possible and he immediately fired the chazzan..



To me it does not seem appropriate to hold a fashion show in the shul, even a modest one. In their contract it is justified by saying it is a part of promoting Jewish content, while safeguarding the holiness of the synagogue.

I know Rabbi Konstantyn somewhat, and I believe he was duped as he says. Rabbi Konstantyn is a heartfelt guy who works to inspire and bring people close, and has been very successful in his shul in Tel Aviv. I disagree with the justification of a modest show, as I think no fashion show is appropriate for a shul, and as we see it is just a short slip to drop from a modest show to an immodest show. His style is different from what I am used to, but what I really don't get is what the chazzan was thinking when he let this go on.