Tel Aviv’s chareidi community is up in arms after learning the AM:PM chain, which operates many stores on Shabbos, will sponsor a tefilla service as part of the 100th anniversary of the city.
One of the many events taking place to mark the auspicious birthday is a large tefilla service in the Tel Aviv Great Synagogue, sponsored by AM:PM. The event in the shul, located on Allenby Street, will be attended by prominent rabbonim according to the program.
Tel Aviv City Councilman R’ Naftali Lovert is calling for a boycott of all 100th anniversary events. The rav told Mayor Ron Huldai the event is tantamount to “spitting in the face of the Shomer Shabbos community. It is disgusting that Tel Aviv City Hall permits a firm that is mechalel Shabbos to take part in religious events towards advancing its business agenda”.
R’ Lovert on Wednesday called on the Shomer Shabbos community to boycott the city’s anniversary events including the tefilla service scheduled to be held in about six weeks.
Rav Tzvi Glasner, who heads the Vaad L’maan Shabbos is quoted by HaMevaser as stated that perhaps, the stores that continue to operate on Shabbos will use the opportunity to begin closing on Shabbos and eventually come to understand and appreciate the day. It is never too late.
Rav Glasner added that having AM:PM sponsor the tefilla is not acceptable, adding Tel Aviv City Hall does not do enough to uphold Shmiras Shabbos. “In addition to the halachic matters, the chain (AM:PM) is breaking the law. It has reached the stage that they employee Jews on Yom Kippur, the one day that all of Israel remains closed”.
“It is unfortunately that Tel Aviv City Hall does not exhibit sensitivity to the religious and traditional communities, seeking another sponsor other than AM:PM.
Councilmen from the left-wing Meretz Party applauded the decision to work with AM:PM.
MK R’ Menachem Eliezer Moses was quoted by HaMevaser as stating the matter is extremely serious and demands the appropriate response and attention. Moses plans to bring the matter to a Yahadut HaTorah faction meeting to plan how to address the issue.
Some Tel Aviv rabbonim plan to meet with Mayor Huldai, to call on him to reconsider permitting AM:PM to sponsor the event.
For now, it appears that if there are no changes regarding the AM:PM sponsorship, the tefilla event will be held in the Tel Aviv Great Synagogue but not in the presence of rabbonim.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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2 Responses
All those who are still shopping at Shefa Shuk (owned by the same owner) and buying at his Dor Alon gas stations hopefully have come to realize that their hard earned shomer shabbos shekels can be better spent at more “traditional” stores.
It would have been better had the Iriyah thought about this before soliciting AM PM sponsorship. not a smart move. But neither is telling Tel Aviv residents, secular for the most part, that their outreach is rejected. Frankly I was surprised that the city even included a prayer service lechatchilo. They shouldn’t be met with scorn even if they made a big mistake with the sponsorship.