The Charedi community is threatening to boycott Jerusalem’s luxurious Mamilla shopping complex due to electric ornaments resembling X-Mas lights, which have been placed along the boulevard.
Wall posters calling on the public to boycott the mall’s stores began appearing in haredi neighborhoods several days after the ornaments were placed in the shopping complex.
The ads – titled “Is Jerusalem becoming Christian?” – were signed by the Rabbis’ Committee for the Sanctity of Jerusalem. They stated that “if this idol worship is not removed immediately, we will declare a consumer boycott against the mall and the Mamilla Hotel, owned by businessman Alfred Akirov.”
The Charedim are troubled by the fact that the Mamilla Boulevard is one of the most pleasant ways to reach the Kosel , prompting tens of thousands of Jews to cross the mall on their way to the holy site, “forcibly exposing them to real paganism”.
The shopping complex’s management clarified that it had nothing against the Charedi or religious public and was willing to cover the light bulbs with a large cloth if they violated Jewish Law in any way.
“Every year, from before Hanukkah through February, we light up the boulevard with these lamps in order to begin the holiday of Hanukkah with a lot of light, and then continue with the lights throughout the winter,” explained the Mamilla Mall CEO.
“Because I don’t wish to hurt anyone, I agreed to first of all remove the green plastic, which was aimed at covering the electricity system’s cables, and because they interpreted it in a completely different way I decided to remove it. I apologize if I have caused anyone injustice.”
(Source: Ynet)
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15 Responses
seriously??
This will make very little, if any, impact. There are very few chareidim walking through there, and even so, I doubt very many of them spend money. Just another thing to complain about.
why can’t these people spend time learning instead of complaining about every minor thing, it turns so many people off
mamashtakeh
in theory you may be right, but the subject is still wrong.
it makes me sick to go to neighborhoods and stores and see X-mas products, lights, even crosses being sold.
i mean, we are a Jewish state, (last time i checked) and i think there is an ocean of difference between tolerance for other religions, people, etc than to actually feel we have to celebrate THEIR holidays.
and i think there is another ocean of difference between celebrating bank holiday, thanksgiving, or new years to celebrating X-mas.
i try to be tolerant, but this is plain and simple wrong. i dont know if i would join, campaign or respect the boycot but i have to agree with them in this instance that there is a limit to tolerance and respect.
X-mas DOES NOT BELONG IN JERUSALEM! FULL STOP!!
I believe that the lights and decorations are leftovers from Jerusalem Succas
Does that mean we can no longer take that shortcut from the plaza or is it just buying something from one of its patrons. Does the “commitie for the sancity of jerusalem” have an email address that we can ask.
The eidah chreidis gave a hechsher this chanuka on striped candy canes filled with jelly beans. On sukkot, you can find the goyisha ‘holiday’ lights and gremlins and drawfs as sukkah decorations all along meah shearim.
My point is that israelis are so far removed from christians, that they honestly do not know that these things represent goyish concepts.
You don’t have to be Israel-style chareidi to NOT want to see signs of xmas anywhere in Eretz Yisrael (especially Yerushalayim).
No dati Jew, and even most “traditional” Jews do NOT want to see it.
But the good news is, it seems the management was willing to correct things, so B”H…
get a life people.
I’m sure many chilonim are most grateful to the chareidim for this.
#2 Many frum yidden walk through the Mamilla Boulevard particularly tourists and those who visit from outside Yerushalaym.
Will we boycott those who use Xmas lights in their succahs for decorations also?
TsefatView (#7)
You ARE correct.
Most Israeli chareidim have no idea they are goyish decorations.
Two years ago I saw a Yerushalmi chareidi father walking with 3 of his little kids on Purim – ALL wearing santa claus costumes!!!
Being a very Frum family from Los Angeles, we do not go to shopping malls at all during the year! If my son needs shoes, of course we will buy them. If the store is in the mall then I take just that child who needs and get the shoes, we do not wander around the rest of the mall. Also living in “LaLa land” we see what we are suppose to see. Of course there are inappropriate streets just like “Time Square” in NY but frum people don’t go there, there is no needs. Our Shuls, Bais Yaakov, and Yeshiva are all within our community. It is sad that Yershalim has xmas lights, but again if we lived in Erertz Yiroel we would not go to the mall at anytime and not know about the lights.
Guys, the owner is bending over backwards to please you and avoid machlokes. But if you don’t wanna go, then don’t go. Or wear dark glasses. Or is it about publicity for yourselves?
And #12, I’ve seen at least one Santa Claus Purim costume worn in a modern Orthodox shul in New York. Of course all those in shul knew it was associated with Xmas. And nobody complained.
Good for the Charaedim – Christmas does not belong in Yerushalayim Ir Hakodesh.
And for those who claim that these protests have no effect, read the bottom of the articile in which the Mamilla Mall CEO says he will have the lights removed.