Vaadas HaRabbonim LeInyonei Tikshores recently signed
additional contracts with Cellcom and Pelephone to develop
and market cell-phone models suited for the chareidi
public.
Several months ago maranan verabonon set up the
committee to address the problem posed by cell phones, which
had spread like a plague, causing serious spiritual hazards.
Committee members HaRav Tzvi Friedman, HaRav Boruch Shraga,
HaRav Yisroel Fishbein, HaRav Amrom Offman and HaRav Yosef
Binyomin Wosner—all of whom serve as rabbonim and
dayonim very familiar with the public's day-to-day
needs—were entrusted by gedolei Yisroel shlita
to seek a suitable solution.
The committee reached an agreement with Mirs to develop and
market cell phones adapted to the needs of the chareidi
public by blocking access to detrimental content, and
thousands of chareidim have already purchased these approved
phones. Rabbonim and public figures said the agreement with
Mirs provided proof of the substantial buying power of the
chareidi public, which responded to calls by gedolei
Yisroel to use only kosher cellular devices. The
thousands of chareidi cell-phone users who switched to Mirs
brought about a great act of kiddush Sheim Shomayim as
the competing companies were forced to almost completely stop
marketing their products and services to the chareidi
sector.
In the present agreement Vaadas HaRabbonim has approved
Pelephone's Telit 100x model and Cellcom's Nokia 8260 and
6120 models.
Gedolei Yisroel voiced their satisfaction with the
substantial progress this step brings. Led by Maran HaRav
Eliashiv shlita, they were closely involved in all of
the steps the committee members took to handle the matter in
the best way possible. Local rabbonim and prominent educators
were also pleased with the "tikkun godol" on the issue
of cell phones, saying it was a problem that had to be solved
by attacking the root of the matter.
Gedolei Yisroel expressed their deep gratitude toward
the members of Vaadas HaRabbonim, who invested time and hard
work in search of a reasonable solution. They also thanked
Dr. Yaakov Weinroth, who worked tirelessly on a pro bono
basis together with his colleague, Attorney Boaz Edelstein,
to tackle the legal aspects of the agreements.
With three different companies now vying for chareidi
subscriptions the public can now choose from a wider range of
products and service packages. The committee notes only
certain models have been approved for use by the chareidi
public.
The committee has also made arrangements for international
calling, which presents numerous stumbling blocks as well, by
signing an agreement with Xfone-018—now the only
international carrier that operates in accordance with
halochoh and blocks access to phone services not appropriate
for chareidi families.
Xfone-018 has even developed a calling card arrangement
designed to meet the needs of students who often call from
public phones at yeshivas and seminaries. The special calling
card even blocks all access to undesirable phone numbers.
