The Tel Aviv – Yaffo City Council has voted to permit grocery stores and kiosks to operate on Shabbos. Councilman Naftali Lowirth called it a “black day” as the mayor succeeded in obtaining a majority in favor of advancing chilul Shabbos in the city.
The vote was taken in the council on Monday evening 22 Adar II, changing the city’s long-standing so-called religious status quo in favor of increased chilul Shabbos. Despite the efforts of Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau Shlita, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai remained firm in his belief, that stores would open in non-frum areas for the convenience of residents.
The amended law will permit a limited number of grocery stores and kiosks to operate on Shabbos. realistically, the frum community realizes this is the back door to widespread chilul Shabbos in the city and once stores open, many will follow.
However, before this can occur, a final stamp of approval must be given by the Interior Ministry, which today is headed by Minister (Likud) Gideon Saar.
Huldai feels “we mustn’t permit turning this into a religious war, for we are all Jews and there have always been different faces to Judaism. I am a proud Jew in a different way than others, and Shabbos is my day of rest too. Our job is to see to it that we all live together harmoniously, with pride, without someone taking ownership and telling us that our actions for the benefit of the general public are not Jewish”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
I WONDER IS IT LEGAL IN THE “JEWISH STATE” TO BE A SHOMER TORAH U’MITZVOS OR NOT?
Unfortunately I’m afraid the response from hashem will not be long in coming
#1: Lol! That’s a good one. Actually a sad one too; cus rebellion knows no bounds.especially in this generation. Hashem yishmor!
I think now is the time for all chareidim to really strike and not buy from non shomer shabbos companies and stores. They thrive from us chareidim. And look what’s happening all over with the chillul shabbos situation.
#2 you obviously don’t understand hashems patients level and don’t claim you do for you sound like a fool!!
Mayer – what kind of response is that to this article? You’re about as intelligent as the rest of people who type in all-caps.
As I understand the issue was that the fines for operating on shabbos were making it easy for large chains to operate and impossible for family stores to compete. This decision was about local businesses and shabbos was just the reason for the discussion.
It’s incredibly sad that in a Jewish state we don’t have shmiras shabbos. But when most of the population is not observant it’s the natural consequence. May we be zoche to inspire or fellow yidden to accept shabbos.
On some level, I think that decisions like this are actually a good thing. Tel Aviv can have businesses open on Shabbat, so Cinema City is closed on Shabbat in Jerusalem, and we can choose to keep our businesses in our cities closed in Jerusalem.
And jdb, yes. It is sad that the Jewish state is not Shomer Shabbat. But the blame is all on the multitude of Religious Jews living in America and elsewhere in Chutz La’aretz. I guess money is more important than mitzvat yishuv ha’aretz. After Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, I have completely lost faith in American Judaism and its rabbis.
If all of those posers would just make aliyah, you wouldn’t have Haredi units in the army. EVERY UNIT would be religious. The only arguments about Shabbat would be whether we hold of the GR”A or Rabenu Tam.
But you people prefer to just keep to your money and judge Eretz Yisrael from far away like the Meraglim.