>Making oneself conspicuous by standing while others are kneeling would not, I
>fear, be truly respectful; it would seem to be disruptive. Perhaps the Torah
>sages in the Israeli Foreign Office should meditate on that. Wouldn't it be
>best simply to remain seated?
>
>And what about cemeteries? If I remove my hat out of respect in a Christian
>cemetery, am I really being disrespectful? Would the nice folks in the Israeli
>Foreign Office suggest that I wear a yamulke?
>
>Gary Dickson
>University of Edinburgh
>
>
I'm afraid you're right, Gary. I really don't know the halakhic answer to
that one, and I don't suppose there is one. There are undoubtedly a dozen
different ones. I will ask my Orthodox students, though, out of sheer
curiosity, what they would do in such a situation. As I said, the Israeli
Foreign Office is not a religious authority - mercifully, speaking as an
avowedly secular Jew.
Esther
*************************************
Esther Cohen
Professor of Medieval History
Department of History
Hebrew University
Jerusalem, Israel
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