Pashkavilim were posted in Jerusalem addressed to Jerusalem Councilmen, calling on them to work to increase Shmiras Shabbos in the city. Leading the signatures on the letter are Jerusalem Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, Old City Chief Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl, Rabbi Eliyahu Schlesinger, Rabbi Yaakov Warhaftig and more, including chareidi and dati leumi rabbonim.

Among other things, the rabbis cited as examples the opening of entertainment complexes and businesses and calls to operate public transportation on Shabbos.

“In recent years, the observance of Shabbos in Jerusalem has been severely affected, entertainment complexes, businesses and restaurants are opening on Shabbos in certain areas, on the pretext that this is not against the law, and it appears to be in accordance with the status quo, and there are even calls from some to operate public transportation on Shabbos in crooked ways, while no one opens their mouth,” they wrote.

The rabbonim also call on shoppers to complete their Friday shopping earlier, to avoid the chilul Shabbos by stores. They call on councilmen to have a condition included in granting operating permits for city tenders, closure on Shabbos. They ask councilmen “not to lend a hand to chilul Shabbos”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)