Rabbonim from Yerushalayim’s Ramot neighborhood have signed a letter prohibiting the tzibur from shopping or visiting the “Kenyon Ramot” Shopping Center, which is under chareidi management. According to reports, the rabbonim made several attempts to speak with the chareidi partners, but their request were ignored, leading to the letter placing the shopping center ‘off limits’.
The rabbonim explain the shopping center opened two years ago and prior to the opening, they were promised the new shopping center would adhere to the frum lifestyle of community residents and it would of course exhibit an awareness of the religious sensibilities and modesty standards of the community.
The rabbonim point out that as of late, the standard has not been maintained and the shopping center violates all terms of the agreement. The rabbonim add that a third story is planned for the building, which they fear will be “worse than the existing two floors”.
The rabbonim cite that “left without other alternatives” the shopping center is being placed off limits and the tzibur is instructed not to shop there any longer. Among the rabbonim who signed the letter are HaGaon HaRav Asher Weiss Shlita (Gavaad Darchei Torah), HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Aryeh Leib Halprin (Av Beis Din Ramot Gimmel), HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Neiman, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Yehuda Cohen, HaGaon HaRav Oriel Eisental, and HaGaon HaRav Menachem Mendel Fuchs.
When asked to response, the shopping center management explains it welcomes Jerusalemites from all walks of life, acknowledging it has met with area rabbonim and management will continue doing whatever it can to accommodate the chareidi tzibur.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
11 Responses
This article is incomplete. Please inform us of how it does not “adhere to the frum lifestyle of community residents” nor “exhibit an awareness of the religious sensibilities and modesty standards of the community.”
What do they want management to do? Turn away anyone that doesn’t look chareidi? I often shop in that center. There are no stores that sell untzniuskik clothes, nor do any store windows show anything improper. The food is all mehadrin, and it’s a mainly-family outdoor shopping mall.
No signature by BMG East hanhola. Wrong Ramot?
What are they objecting to? A “Victoria’s Secret” outlet? Selling food from a hecksher from a rival hecksher company? Do the owners support the wrong political party?
If Meah Shearim, with the Tznios Police, don’t turn people away, why should anyone else. Would they attack a soldier if he/she were shopping there, or only when they are protecting them?
happy olah – i live in ramot, “they” never asked the management to keep out chilonim, the rabonim asked for the kenyon to respect the frum community, i.e. modest window displays and music etc. The kenyon does not abide by these basic requirements of the frum community.
In any event, if the rabonim wrote that letter it should be enough for us.
There are 2 exceptions: If one needs pharmaceuticals from Super Pharm and has no other way to get them, or if one needs to take care of a bank transaction and has no other way to do it except at a branch in the mall.
(FYI mark levin, the signatures are from the main Moro D’Asros of each Ramot – Rav Fuchs shlita is accepted as the Moro D’Asro of the area where BMG east is located (Ramot D). These are the major Rabbonim of each neighborhood. The Roshei Yeshivos there AFAIK go by what these Rabbonim say in such issues)
sh9888 – you obviously have not shopped in the center. There are NO immodest window displays. Lord Kitsch and one other chareidi clothing store on the ground floor are the only clothing stores with mannequins and their clothes are all past-knee length skirts and long-sleeved tops. Other than that, there are an awful lot of shoe and houseware stores. And a supermarket. And I’ve never heard piped in music either.
For shame! The rabbaim have imposed their will on the kenyon and on the dati leumi, masorati and hiloni communities for whom Ramot has been a home since it was built. They have threatened shopowners and forced the supermarkets and restaurants not to stock greens that haven’t been poisoned, and products that are higher quality but lack the badatz, costing the rest of us our hard-earned money and our health. And now they see fit to drive the stores that have made all our lives easier out of business? There is no end to the arrogance and high-handedness of the hareidi leadership.
One of the clothing stores pipes in pirchei, which I found wholly inappropriate while I was changing in the dressing room to the words of tehillim. Better secular music while we are dressing and undressing!
dati leumi – everyone is free to choose their way of life.
So are chareidim. If they choose their leadership, it’s their own choice. If you don’t want to listen to their leaders, don’t. Live and let live