NEW YORK (JTA) — Tens of thousands of haredi Orthodox Jews rallied in New York against a proposed Israeli law that would draft more young haredi men into the military.
The Sunday afternoon prayer rally in the Wall Street area of Lower Manhattan drew a crowd that police estimated at between 30,000 and 35,000, according to The Jerusalem Post. Organizers put the number of participants at more than 50,000, The Associated Press reported.
The rally stretched for blocks, with men and women gathered in separate areas.
The prayer rally’s logistics were organized by Agudath Israel of America, the leading haredi Orthodox umbrella group. Among the prominent rally participants was Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, the grand rabbi of one faction of the Satmar Hasidic sect.
Last week, an estimated 300,000 haredi Jews protested in Jerusalem against the proposed draft law, which is backed by Israel’s governing coalition.
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