The following is an article by The Suburban:
Officials at the Ben Weider Jewish Community Centre (Snowdon Y) have reached an agreement with local rabbis regarding the decision to open the Y on Shabbos, The Suburban has learned.
Starting in late October, the Y will be opening 1 p.m. Saturdays. The later opening was decided on, so as not to interfere with “Shabbos services”. There will also be no exchange of money, no organized classes, and the front desk and restaurant will be closed.
The decision, reached by a clear majority of the board this past summer, pleased many who wanted to work out Saturdays, but displeased those who felt the Y should continue its longstanding tradition as a Montreal Jewish community institution of not opening on the Sabbath. Most JCCs in North America open on Saturdays. In recent weeks, local rabbis have engaged in negotiations with the Y.
The decision reached this week was that no electricity would be turned on or off on Saturdays — observant members of the Jewish community respect the Sabbath prohibition against doing so.
“The Y will be open on Shabbos for Jewish programming, the basketball court and the swimming pool will be open, but in terms of the cardio room, where the real Sabbath violations occur, that will be closed off,” said Rabbi Reuben Poupko of Côte St. Luc’s Beth Israel Beth Aaron Synagogue. “I think it’s a compromise most people can live with.”
Rabbi Poupko was one of several rabbis involved in the extensive negotiations.
“I’m sure there will be people who aren’t happy the Y is open at all, and many people will be unhappy that the cardio room is closed, but to me it’s the solution that maintains the sanctity of Shabbos and the unity of the community.”
Asked if all the rabbis involved are satisfied with the accord, the rabbi said “there are various degrees of satisfaction, but I believe the overwhelming consensus is that” this is the best solution.
(Source: The Suburban)
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8 Responses
No Orthodox Rabbi I ever met in Jerusalem would approve opening a Y on Shabbos, even just for the basketball court.
Swimming is also asur anyone, and programming almost always involves chillul Shabbos.
How sad that some people think they can compromise Shabbos and win.
#1, why do you think that the frum community even has the leverage to request ANY considerations in this? It is because Orthodox Rabbis such as Rabbi Poupko have built solid, mutually respectful relationships throughout the Jewish community. The JCC isn’t funded by the government or Orthodox dollars, per se. So why on earth do you think they have a responsibility to even listen to frum considerations?
The fact is, with all of its different elements, the Montreal Jewish community as a whole is exemplary. In 2002 when Jews across the world were afraid to come out on the street, 30,000 to 50,000 Jews of all stripes rallied in support of Israel during the worst time of the Al Aksa War. Montreal has a very high rate of Jewish Day School education (second only to Toronto outside of Israel, I think) it has a higher proportion of Kashrut observance than most Jewish communities, a very large proportion of traditional Jews, many sefardim, who might not meet your lofty standards of shmiras mitzvos, but who are solid, shul going, torah learning Jews. Montreal has a tremendous outreach infrastructure on campus. It is a rare student who hasn’t spent Shabbos with Reb Leibish Hundert at the Ghetto shul, or eaten in the Chabad house near McGill campus. Chabad has a tremendous presence. ANd very importantly, Frum organizations and institutions for the most part work closely with the Federation, and benefit from it, while some of the big Federation donors are frum Jews.
In this context, in typical fashion, the first thought is not what is being accomplished, it is what is not being accomplished. How easy it would have been to simply open the whole facility, except the restaurant, all day Shabbos.
Perhaps spend some time with someone who does kiruv with American and Canadian Jews (especially the Canadians, who are a generation closer to Europe, and generally way more traditionally disposed towards Yiddishkeit) and listen to what goes on outside your bubble. Frum Jews in these communities live and work and learn Torah and do Mitzvos every day with thewir broader communities. you should try it sometime.
No REAL orthodox rabbi from montreal would permit this. I urge R. poupko to respond to this comment and tell us which rabbi took part of this so called agreement. Huge hillul hashem. Shame on us!
from montreal.
Agreed with #1. Better abandon and boycott the JCC altogether.
Compromises like this can hardly work. Who will ensure that the agreement is being kept? It will slowly become more and more ‘open’ on Shabbos and claim it has a “Rabbi’s” backing.
People before you judge and mistakenly think that rabbis have given their ok to this, just look above and see who wrote that article. It was taken from The Suburban. That is not the Vaad Ha’air’s statment. They are trying to play down the Y’s chillul shabbos by saying that they came to some agreement with the rabbis.
When the Y first made it public that they were opening on shabbos, Rabbi Poupko voiced the orthodox opposition more than any other rabbi in the community. And his opposition has not changed. He simply realized that they were not backing away from their plans, so he got them to agree to as much as he could. But anyone who is familiar the rabbi knows that he is not content or satisfied with this arrangement – its just the best he could do.
Nevertheless, I must admit, that by making this “compromise” it now looks as if the Y has his support – which is a very dangerous impression to portray.
Rabbi Poupko is quoted saying “the real Shabbos violations occur in the cardio room,” which will be closed. I take it when he says ‘real Shabbos violations’ he means biblical violations rather than rabbinic. With all due respect, swimming and using the basketball court will also uinvariably lead to biblical Shabbos violations. All who swim and play basketball take hot showers. Opening up the hot water tap is a biblical prohibition, as I’m sure he’s aware. Besides which, how can he even compromise on rabbinical prohibitions? Shame on him!
Rabbi Poupko even has the chutzpah to declare that this new policy will maintain the sanctity of Shabbos!Shame on him!
In response to #2, lo taasu keyn,Rabbi Poupko might be admired by the non-frum Jewish community, but he has lost all respect from the frum community for giving a rabbinic stamp of approval to Chillul Shabbos. Jerusalem is NOT for sale and neither is Shabbos!!!