It may be that the next battle of the chareidi tzibur pertaining to chilul Shabbos in Jerusalem surrounds a plan to bring bicycle rentals to the city. The program would mimic the Tel-O-Fun program in Tel Aviv or the citibike program in NYC.
According to City Hall’s plan, the bikes would be available in the center of the city in addition to some of its neighborhoods and it would be available all week, including Shabbos. Chareidi city councilmen oppose the plan which they insist will bring even more chilul Shabbos to the city.
Councilman Eliezer Ruchberger, who heads the Yahadut Hatorah faction in Jerusalem says “There is not even a doubt that we view this very seriously and we will do everything possible to prevent this. I know this exists in Tel Aviv and elsewhere, but Jerusalem is not Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is a holy city and this is how we must conduct the city and this is how it must be”.
The pluralistic parties in City Hall view the chareidi position as objectionable, accusing the chareidim of religious coercion. They feel that the chareidim oppose the opening of the Yes Planet entertainment center on Shabbos as well as other entertainment venues and the chareidim are compromising their way of life. They insist the only day everyone has free to bike ride is Shabbos and the chareidi opposition places the planned initiative in danger.
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor (Yerushalmim) Tamir Nir says “It is inconceivable that someone would consistently try, once again, to impose his view on others and try to influence how other people spend their Shabbos. Our faction fought and continues to fight to permit freedom for all to spend Shabbos in its way”. He insists the chareidim are trying to force their way of life on all Jerusalem residents.
There controversy in Jerusalem increases as the chareidim are battling over the sharp increase in chilul Shabbos. Mayor Nir Barkat promises to maintain the religious status quo, promising that a number of 27/7 grocery stores operating in the city center on Shabbos in violation of the law will be shut down. The chareidim have been protesting the opening of Yes Planet and the Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisrael is calling on the tzibur to boycott stores and companies involved in the chilul Shabbos.
Yerushalmim accuses the chareidim of trying to take over the city and the chareidim accuse the secular parties of trampling the Kedushas Shabbos in Yerushalayim.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
Since there are opinions that permit *riding* a bike on Shabbos, perhaps our opposition should be focused on *renting* them on that holy day. If bikes could not be rented or returned on Shabbos, but could be before and after, it might even encourage people to ride bikes instead of driving, thus reducing the amount of malacha being done by Jews.
bicycle riding is not outright chillur shabbat, and the money transaction is not quite either, particularly if done with credit card. The uvda dchol argument and the shemo yetaken argument are deconstructed and refuted by the Ben Ish Chai
isnt there an eyruv in jerusalem?
so what is the chilul shabbos around riding a non motorized bicycle?
i see fruma children riding bikes in front of their houses all shabbis afternoon. these kids are prob’ly these kanoyim’s little chayos whom they want out of the house on shabbos afternoons
Make the bikes free on Shabbat. It is probably mutar to ride a bike on Shabbat within an eruv and it is certainly a lot better than driving.