Adherence to the so-called religious status quo in the Kiryat Yovel neighborhood of the capital was ignored on yet another Shabbos as the minhelet community center once again R”L offered free movies to interested residents of Shabbos Kodesh. Despite a directive from Mayor Nir Barkat to halt the movies, explaining the religious status quo must be maintained, the local government appears to prefer to continue offering movies in the mixed neighborhood as the shomer Shabbos community within Kiryat Yovel continues to grow.

A minhelet in a respective neighborhood is viewed as an extension of City Hall and is compelled to adhere to directives from City Hall but in this case, the secularist activists appear more interested in preventing their neighborhood from joining the growing chareidi population in Yerushalayim.

Jerusalem Councilman (Bayit Yehudi) Dov Kalmanovich decried the Shabbos movies and the minhelet’s disregard for directives from City Hall. He stated a body operating under the control of City Hall may not continue doing as it wishes in total defiance of the directives from the mayor’s office. Kalmanovich adds the movies are a gross violation of the religious status quo to which the administration remains committed.

Kalmanovich on Sunday, 22 Teves, held a kenos to strengthen shmiras Shabbos in the capital attended by Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita and roshei yeshivos affiliated with Bnei Akiva. Also in attendance were Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita and Petach Tikvah Chief Rabbi Micha Halevy Shlita.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)