The Eida Chareidis protest kabolas Shabbos did not prevent the new Yes Planet entertainment center in Yerushalayim from opening on Shabbos.
Hundreds of chareidim took part in the kabolas Shabbos at the beginning of Malchei Yisrael Street in the Romeima neighborhood of the capital. A number of youths decided to ignore calls from rabbonim to remain quiet and pelted police with rocks. B’chasdei Hashem there were no reports of injuries or arrests.
After the kabolas Shabbos ended many Israelis went out to Yes Planet, which reported an extremely heavy turnout. Management reports far more visitors than they expected, pleased at the turnout amid the realization many Jerusalemites R”L want to have another movie theater and recreational center to visit on Shabbos.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
protests like these don’t work and accomplish little if anything. perhaps an invitation to spend shabbos with members of the kehillah might sway more people to become shomer shabbos.
If it wasn’t for protests like this, there would be chillul shabbos in ALL OF THE STREETS of ירושלים. There is a place for invitations to individuals and protests against the guilty parties….A time and place for everything…..
As a sort of corroboration for stam a deya. I am amused by the often stated remark made by some visitors and tourists, frum and not, after spending a Shabbos in Yerushalayim. “Oh, the atmosphere is so serene and Shabbosdig! What a pleasure to be able to walk leisurely in the streets without a worry about vehicular traffic.” It’s true, of course, depending on what neighborhood you are referring to. But, what many of these naive visitors aren’t realizing is that all this was achieved at heavy cost, by protesting and demonstrating against chillul Shabbos. In the 1950s, at least one valiant man paid with his life for the kedusha of Shabbos. Israeli police mercilessly clubbed him and he later died of his injuries. Some of the locals referred to him as the “korban ha’Shabbos.” The “serene and Shabbosdig atmosphere” was achieved despite the medinah, not because of it. Stam is correct that there is a place for both methods.
Stam a deya you are wrong.
They never expected or thought the theater wouldn’t open as a result of the protests. In fact, the protests weren’t even near the theater! What they do know is that since the other side knows that every time such a thing occurs they face months of protests eating up city and police resources, it isn’t a simple matter to permit opening up these venues. So, indeed, the protests accomplish much more than meets the eye.