Israeli Rabbonim To Certify Kosher Music

Jerusalem, Israel -- For the first time, a list of specific, detailed, guidelines drafted by prominent Rabbonim will be used to distinguish  between "Kosher" Jewish music and forbidden music.

Musicians who the Rabbonim believe to be influenced by rock, rap, reggae and trance music styles will not receive approval for their CD's, nor will they be allowed to play in wedding halls under Charedi Kashrus supervision. Halls with Charedi Kashrus supervision that host "non-Kosher" bands run the risk of losing their Hechsher. Companies that help promote "non-Kosher? Charedi concerts may find themselves subject to a consumer boycott.

The guidelines, which have not yet been finalized, ban "2-4 beats and other rock and disco beats;" the "improper" use of electric bass, guitars and saxophones; and singing words from holy sources in a disrespectful manner, among other criteria.

R? Efraim Luft of Bnei Brak, who heads an organization called the Committee for Jewish Music, has taken the initiative in drafting and enforcing the list of guidelines. R' Luft works with R? Mordechai Blau, a senior member of Bnei Brak?s Mishmeret HaTznius, and with the Jerusalem-based Va'ad LeMaan Tohar HaMachane headed by R? Yitzchak Meir Safronovitch.

R' Luft has already issued a list of "Kosher" and "non-Kosher" bands and musicians. He claims that he has enlisted the support of dozens of Roshei Yeshiva, who will refuse to come to the wedding of a student who hires a non-kosher band.

"The whole idea is that there are types of music that have no place with respectable people,? R' Luft said. ?Respectable people listen to decent music and immoral people list to indecent music, and it does not make sense that a community that has high moral standards should be listening to this type of music.?

R' Luft's proposal has its share of opponnents. Asked for comment, one prominent musician and bandleader who considers himself part of the Charedi community, responded, "The whole idea is based not on 'Frumkeit', but on ignorance. There is no such thing as inherently 'Jewish' music or 'Jewish' instruments. When gypsy influences started to creep into Jewish music, wasn't that 'Goyish' music? Yet today, Klezmer music -  which is a direct offshoot of that gypsy style of playing - is considered traditional Jewish music."

With regard to instruments, the musician commented, "Frankly, I seriously doubt that if I played R' Luft a tape, he could identify when the trumpet was playing, when the sax was playing, when the clarinet was playing - yet he has decided which instruments sound 'wild'. To me, the whole thing is a joke."

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