Gabboim of shuls in Beit Shemesh, affiliated with Degel Hatorah, have published a letter in which they accuse of local rabbonim of going against the word of Gedolei Hador Shlita, expressing their disapproval with these rabbonim. The letter is addressed to the chairman of Degel Hatorah, MK Moshe Gafne, as well as the MKs in the faction. The initiative was undertaken by Rabbi Yitzchak Bugrad, who is among the gabboim. As Gafne continues negotiations with Shas regarding the upcoming municipal elections, signatories of the letter insist Abutbul cannot run the city properly and they are suffering as a result.
Rav Bugrad spoke with Moshe Glasner of Kol Berama Radio on Sunday evening to explain the situation. Bugrad begins with an explanation, that they remain committed to the word of Gedolei Torah Shlita, and that they are acting to address the issues, and not in any way leveling a personal attack against anyone, including MKs. He apologized for what occurred during the asifa, emphasizing nothing here is in anyway addressed at anyone on a personal level, but there are persons whom have “suffered over recent years” due to the fact their cries have not only been unanswered, but not even heard. “We are here to talk to the point, to address the issues, and to ascertain if the suffering endured during recent years is going to come to an end” exclaimed Bugrad.
“We have turned to MKs and tried to implement change. There were negotiations, which did not end in a number of weeks, which would have led to change, but instead, they dragged on for months and we cannot conduct a normal Torah life in the city, hence we are turning to Degel Hatorah to save the situation”, added Bugrad.
The following is a synopsis of the radio interview:
Kol Berama:
Your letter states as Torah observing Jews, we remain committed to Rabbanei Gedolei Torah but the Degel-affiliated rabbonim in the city are not acting as they should.
Bugrad:
I cannot stand behind this. Yes, I was there and among those who wrote it, but now, I feel it must be addressed again.
Kol Berama:
You also write the local rabbonim are ignoring your needs. Are you saying the negotiations with Mayor Abutbul [ahead of elections] ignore your needs and contrary to the desire of Gedolei Yisrael? This is what the letter says.
Bugrad:
We are missing basic services. There are no playgrounds. Yes, the letter says this. There were negotiations but there were no results. Come and see. There are no mikvaos. They are building another neighborhood without a mikve and yet another without a mikve. What is going on? In Azur there is a mikve, but here in Ramat Beit Shemesh there is none.
Kol Berama:
There are no mikvaos for all the kehillos or just the litvish tzibur?
Bugrad:
Forget the letter. There is a tzibur here. The letter is not the issue. I am aware of three neighborhoods without a mikve. Ramat Gimmel 1, there was no mikve when we got there and avreichim paid with their own funds to build a mikve after years. People are beginning to move into Gimmel 2 and there is no construction [of a mikve] and there is the Mishkafayim neighborhood. I must state that everything I am saying is by far not the entire picture. There is no one running the city!
Kol Berama:
Are you referring to Mayor Moshe Abutbul or someone else?
Bugrad:
No one is running the city – I don’t know who. There is no representation. Perhaps Yisrael Porush. You cannot understand how much people support him. We need someone who has been successful.
Kol Berama:
Just mikvaos or are there other issues as well?
Bugrad:
There are issues with the cemetery too regarding proper kovod hameis. There are drunks who are in the cemetery and walk around at nights and while a committee was established to address this, the problem continues.
The woman who supervises the mikve women is not Shomer Shabbos. Regarding marriage registration, there is nothing accommodating chareidim. There is one location and it is handled by a woman who does not cover her hair.
Rabbi Dovidovich is in charge of the city’s eruv, and there are no regulations or standards, and it is done without a proper salary allocation. There are no regulations and now, finally, after years, they are consulting with an outside consultant, but for years, they did not.
Kol Berama:
What about kindergartens and schools?
Bugrad:
Kindergartens are in the ezras noshim of shuls and yards. I am not talking about the other areas of the city which are not Degel or Shlomei Emunim. Those areas are well taken care of.
Kol Berama:
Are you referring to Shas?
Bugrad:
Shas and Gur are well taken care of and looked after. There was a plan to build classrooms, and all that was and will be built has been allocated to chassidos which have more classrooms than talmidim.
Regarding the cemetery, the chevra kadisha has also decided to bury soldiers there, persons who are not Shomer Shabbos.
Kol Berama:
There are many frum persons who served in the IDF. The issue is not being Shomer Shabbos, not the IDF service.
Bugrad:
Some served instead of being Shomer Shabbos.
Kol Berama:
I understand your positions and the issues. However, if Gedolei Yisrael decide to back Mayor Abutbul for another term, what will be your reaction?
Bugrad:
Beit Shemesh is unique and there are several types. There are the Americans and Gedolei Yisrael is not the upper most with them and what concerns them is a solution. Some believe Aliza Bloch will save them and this is a joke. First of all, we will hear the cry but we will do as instructed by Gedolei Yisrael but it is urgent that their hear us.
I must raise one additional burning issue. There are thousands of women here and no one has done anything to arrange for parnasa for them. There is no other chareidi city like this. No one has created jobs! Many are crumbling under the financial burden. I am not speaking against anyone on the personal level. Rav Abutbul is a good person but he cannot run the city.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
So why is aliza bloch a joke??
You sound helpless and without any possible solution, and all you can utter is
“we will follow the gedolim”???
Since when is stupidity a jewish traite?