The Cinema City Company plans to construct a mega movie theater complex that includes 19 theaters in the National Precinct area, a move that rabbonim fear will have a significant negative impact on the capital, especially regarding chilul shabbos.
Cinema City official Yaakov Cohen and Leon Edri, an owner, explain they hope the new complex will be operational within 18 months. They explain that the top two floors of a Chenyon HaLeum parking complex will contain the movie theaters, located near the Supreme Court, east of Binyanei Ha’uma. This will result in the loss of hundreds of parking spots. The movie complex is planned on 3,000 square meters, providing space for the 19 halls.
Above the movie complex will be a shopping area, spanning 4,000 square meters, with the daily HaMevaser pointing out all the construction permits have already been issued. The complex will include restaurants and entertainment centers.
Chareidi city councilmen are concerned, aware of the dangers that lurk behind such a project, especially in proximity to chareidi neighborhoods. They believe such an entity would bring hundreds of cars on shabbos, stating now is the time to act before it is too late, citing the need to act on behalf of kedushas shabbos and Yerushalayim.
When the parking facility was approved, it was to include 1200 parking spots but in actuality, 1800 were constructed. The Sapir Company is now seeking the area used to accommodate 500 parking spots for the movie complex. Councilman R’ Yosef Deutch called for bringing the plan before the city council prior to issuing all the permits, seeking to ensure the permits include adherence to shabbos and yomtov closure laws. Deutsch explains this clause does exist but he wants to make certain it is included in the final draft and signed by all agencies and parties to remove and doubt as to the legal status of the closure clause.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
13 Responses
As far as I have understood, the entire complex will be closed on Shabbos.
Further, that parking complex is usually nearly empty, I believe. So crying about hundreds of lost parking spots doesn’t really make sense. Car drivers regard it, naturally (lazy as they are) as too far a walk from the center of the city.
The answer to the question in the title is yes, hafganos!
Are the parking lot demonstrations still going on?
I don’t understand … In addition to the chillul shabbos, isn’t the presence of cinemas in the proximity of Yerushalayim a major concern too???
“Hafgonos?” in the headline – Is this news or an op-ed piece?
LUNATICS!!!
Here we are, under the threat of a new Holocaust from atomic weapons in Iran, under the threat of 10,000 hezbollah rockets from Lebanon, under threat from Obama and his arabist State Department, and these fools are busy antagonizing G-D, with filthy, degenerate “Entertainment” in HaShem’s Holy city of Jerusalem.
2 possibilties: 1) Either the (25% Israelis) chilonim leave and there will be no need for the theatre or 2)They’ll build it in Tel Aviv
its exaclty a roman style arena, same idolatry as 2000 years ago, right in the middle of the only jewish place on earth. we have a right to defend ourselves. baruch atah adonoai elohanu melec haolam asher natan lesecvee venah lehavcheen bain yom uvain lialah.
they can do that anywhere in the world, why in yerushalayim???
go to tel aviv with it, nobody has a problem with that
If they are closed on Shabbos they shouldn’t bother opening. Its a well known fact that theaters make the most money from weekends. This thing is doomed from the start.
#5 its just hock to hock about 🙂
Let them build it. It will end up as a Yeshiva building, with 19 classrooms.
For many years there was controversy over the Edison movie theater on Straus Street in Jerusalem. As the religious community grew, the patronage on the Edison declined and it eventually closed. It remained closed for many years, ten or more, I am not sure. The building and the land were eventually purchased by American Satmar Hasidim and a large apartment complex was built for Satmar Hasidim in place of the move theater. HAZAL tell us that the theaters and racetracks will eventually be turned into centers of Torah and Mitzvoth. So while it is correct and even obligatory to protest and try to prevent this latest idiocy, we should not do so in a repugnant manner nor feel defeated if it is actually built. It will also eventually become something useful.
Aryeh Zelasko
Sin-ama Sity