Arriving in California at the height of the feminist movement, a woman approached R’ Shlomo Cunin, asking to start a women’s minyan. After explaining that it’s not permitted in halacha, the woman had a new proposal: to lead a women’s prayer group in the shul combining Tehillim and other tefilos, without the format of a minyan.

After consulting with Harav Zalman Shimon Dvorkin, who reviewed the details and ruled it was not against halacha, Rabbi Cunin wrote to the Rebbe.

One evening, R’ Shlomo received a call from Rabbi Chodakov. After being asked to confirm details of the proposal, silence fell. The Rebbe was on the line, listening in to the conversation.

After a few moments, Rabbi Chodakov returned to the phone: “The Rebbe wants me to tell you that ‘minhag avoseinu b’yadeinu,’ and every Chabad House is a ‘mikdash me’at.’ Therefore, the conduct within it is to be like it was in the Beis HaMikdash, where women davened in the ezras nashim and nowhere else.”

At that point, the Rebbe’s voice was heard on the line, speaking to Rabbi Chodakov: “Tell him that this is how the Conservative movement began…”

(As told by R’ Shlomo Cunin)