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From: rhendel@king.mcs.drexel.edu (Russell Hendel)
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 12:56:49 -0400
Subject: om Haatmauth Additions

I am responding to [White, V23 #86 who quotes Shiffman] concerning
adding a prayer of thanks on Yom Haatmauth.

A glance at Laws of Prayer, Chapter 1, Rambam will easily show that
   **Additions in the middle blessings are allowed (?encouraged?)
   **Additions in the first or last 3 are not allowed.

Thus quite simply, I would suggest that any person (and certainly the
community) can add a prayer say in "VLirushalayim Irchah..." thanking
God for the obvious fact that we have now returned (at least physcially)
to Jerusalem. True, the Aruch Hashulchan it a bit hesitant to allow
rampant use of this "addition heter" but certainly for the sake of the
community and for something of such national importance even he might OK
it.

Incidentally, returning to White's other question --- do Rabbis give
issurim to contradict conservative/reform opinions--- it appears to me
that such a question *should* only be asked in cases where there is no
other legitimate way to accomplish what is desired.  But in this case,
as shown above, one can add a blessing in VLiyrushalayim.  In fact the
best way to contradict the conservative movement is precisely to take
their prayer and place it in the middle of the shmoneh esray instead of
at the end.

Russell Jay Hendel, Ph.d. ASA , rhendel @ mcs . drexel . edu