Rabbonim Shlita and askanim are busying themselves with plans for the upcoming siyum Shas that will be held worldwide IY”H in Av 5772. Last week, organizers visited the HaMoshava Stadium in Petach Tikvah, including members of the vaad organizing the event, Rabbi Shmelka Halpert and Rav Yisrael Moshe Friedman. They were escorted by correspondents from HaMevaser, Yated and Hamodia. The rabbonim explain the venue was selected because Petach Tikvah Mayor Itzik Ochaiyon announced that with the launching of the new large hall, there will be no chilul Shabbos in the stadium.
This is the reason the organizers are opting for this venue over Binyanei Ha’uma (Jerusalem Convention Center), which is far more comfortable, since they wish to place an emphasis on Kedushas Shabbos and the latter is not shomer Shabbos.
This is in line with repeated calls from rabbonim for the chareidi tzibur to boycott places that are not shomer Shabbos, including amusement parks and other family recreation facilities.
YWN-ISRAEL adds: Not wishing to contradict the rabbonim and the vaad, this stadium selected has indeed hosted events on Shabbos; first and foremost soccer matches which have begun hours before Shabbos ended.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
“Not wishing to contradict the rabbonim”
If you don’t wish to contradict, then keep quiet.
Weird.
Maybe the Mayor meant that going forward there wouldn’t be chillul Shabbos at the stadium; i.e.; “with the launching of the new, large hall” (whatever new hall was meant).
Hu? You write that with the opening of the new hall there will be no Chilul Shabbos, not that their was never Chilul Shabbos.
In this report http://www.kol-barama.co.il/live/11177/ (it’s in Hebrew), they’re quoting the askan as saying that according to the rabbonim, it’s better to use a place that “declares” itself as Shomer Shabbos (even though a few mishaps occurred), than using another venue that will not be as problem-free.