According to the rabbi of my synagogue, his Rav, a well-respected Rosh
Yeshiva at Yeshiva University, would disagree with the rabbi in Providence,
cited above. His understanding of the problem of security cameras is tied
into the prohibitions of "ketiva," writing on Shabbat. He said that if the
cameras tape onto videotape, the violation is a Torah-prohibited violation,
but even without tape, the prohibition is Rabbinic. The suggestion had
been made to mount such a camera in the men's section in the synagogue,
with a monitor in the Women's section, as the women cannot see the Rabbi or
Sefer Torah from all areas of the Women's section. However, his Rav turned
it down on grounds that even a temporary picture would constitute a form of
(prohibited) writing on Shabbat.
Lisa Weiner
ljweiner@pipeline.com