Jerusalem Justice Tamar Asher Bar-Tzaban on Thursday night ruled in favor of Jerusalem City Hall and secularists in the city’s Kiryat Yovel neighborhood, prohibiting Shabbos tefillos in the makeshift shul held in an area home.
As was reported previously, the case surrounds objections by a number of non-frum residents of the neighborhood, which is rapidly becoming chareidi, who object to holding Shabbos tefillos in an apartment, insisting by doing so, they are violating zoning laws.
The home used is rented by a person living abroad, who gave permission to use it on Shabbos only for tefillos. Last Shabbos, residents were prohibited from holding tefillos as a court issued an injunction. Later in the week, a stormy prolonged session was held on the decision was promised before Shabbos, arriving on Thursday night.
Angry frum residents explain the decision was held up until late Thursday night, leaving them with almost no chance of making alternative arrangements for Shabbos HaGadol. They also point out that Justice Bat-Tzaban also issued the infamous ruling last year permitting the sale of chametz inside stores, explaining the law only prohibits the sale of chametz in public view, with the court interpreting “public view” as outside, not inside a store.
The residents sent a letter to Mayor Nir Barkat on Thursday explaining City Hall is ignoring its obligation to provide basic religious services to the neighborhood’s residents.
HaGaon HaRav Azriel Orbach is scheduled to deliver his Shabbos HaGadol drasha in Kiryat Yovel. Residents have turned to police to permit this to take place in Singual-Burkov Square, where the tzibur davened last Shabbos.
Attorneys working with frum residents are studying the ruling and are contemplating their next legal move in the hope of having the court’s decision overruled.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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8 Responses
This is amzing to me. Unsurprising but amazing nonetheless. Just the other day, there was a story from Ft Lauderdale where neighbors were complaining about the noise from the Toshe Rebbe’s residence and the city admitted they could do nothing because the right to have religious meetings in a private home was established by law and upheld in the courts. In Israel, that right is protected neither by statute NOR the courts. Imagine… AMERICA — the “treife medina” — protects a yid’s right to daven better than the so-called “Jewish” state!
In America, even when it was illegal to have a synagogue (in Maryland, this was the situation until around 1830), Jews always had a RIGHT to daven in homes. Even before there was Freedom of Religion, one could have a minyan in a private house.
But then again, the whole idea of the State of Israel is to establish an “Am Hofshi” – a people free from the yoke of Torah and Mitsvos, and the judge’s policy is quite consistent with the dominant zionist ideology.
Having lived in Israel in Kiryat Yovel in early seventies I’d say there is more irony than meets the eye here. How to answere an apikorass? Perhaps the hint is in the very words used.The secularists claim that “zoning laws are violated” allowing a makeshift shul in that neighborhood. The hebrew word for a prostitute is a zona. Truth be told in my business travels about Jerusalem, there were prostitutes stalking the streets approaching men in public. Brazenness knows no limitations even in the holy city. Justice Tzaban does not demand business licences from these woman[ ZONOT ] who pay no taxes on their earnings. Yet this Judge if one can say the word without breaking out in derision demands ‘zoning’ permit for a temporary shul which will be only a merit for the neighborhood. How absurd are this Judges’ decisions! Blinded by religious bigotry and hypocrisy.
who object to holding Shabbos tefillos in an apartment,
If I lived in that apartment bldg I surely would NOT wanted it used as a shul. There are shuls in the neighborhood, use them until one is built. We have a tendency 2 move into a place & take over very quickly sort of bulldozing over all prior residents & their lifesyle.
There is so much more to this entire story than what meets the eye. Secular kindergarden building was taken over forcefully (since there is no building available for frum kids), kosher PIZZA shop was boycotted till he removed the table and chairs (so that no socializing will occure, what about family hours?), poles and private property was used without permission for a mehadrin eruv and horrible attitudes towards residents that have been living in KY for years.
Just imagine the opposite a group of secular Israelis start buying apartments in Ezras Torah area of Yerushayalim, and start playing classic/Israeli music during the day that is heard from their windows, BBQing on their porches and inviting friends for dinner parties, begin jogging (men in shorts) in groups early morning hours through the streets, have exercise groups in the lobbies of buildings–of course they would be welcomed with a bouquet of roses and smiles from everyone.
#4…
They use the apartment precisely because there is no alternative in this largely secular neighborhood. If and when they build a shul, the chilonim will complain about that too. The truth is, neighborhood’s change over time. This is especially true in Jerusalem since (nationally)the chareidi birthrate doubles it’s population every 20 years while the secular birth rate results in NEGATIVE growth. What do you want chareidim to do? Live in ghettos? This is what the chilonim want. The fact is, as the religious population and the secular population shrinks, secular neighborhoods are going to change to religious neighborhoods. Get used to it or build ghettos
Imagine sitting at your Shabbos table while a boisterous gathering of Pentecostal Christians is happening on the other side of your wall. If you’re good with that, then you’re correct to be outraged by this court ruling.
#8 – if you don’t like CHristians, move to a non-Christian country (in Saudi Arabia they shoot Christians, so you might be happy there)