Modi’in Mayor Yaakov Gutterman over the weekend convened the cities Council during which there was a stormy meeting between the representatives of the Bnei Torah party of Peleg Yerushalmi, Shmuel Elyashiv and Avraham Dov Hecht and Mayor Gutterman of Degel Hatorah.

The mayor permitted the members of the opposition party to speak their peace, as he is required to do, but when they requested to receive an office in City Hall to meet with their constituents and to permit them a place for their activities, the mayor was adamant in his refusal, explaining to them there are simply not enough rooms to give out. May explained to them that there is a room which is used fo

r everyone, alternating between the different councilman and the different factions, to use to meet with their constituents, but he cannot authorize designating a specific room just for them.

Elyashiv brazenly responded to the mayor, “the policy of a rotating chair should also be used for the mayor, who has been serving for over 20 years without the opportunity of another serving in that post.”

The members of the Peleg faction then asked to be permitted to speak, to raise the matter of the memorial of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach ZT”L, the mayor was accommodating, permitting them to speak during the meeting, as the mayor felt this was a matter of kovod Hatorah.

Councilman Hecht took advantage of the opportunity, expressing his utter outrage, “that there is a family in the community, by the name of Blau, whose husband and father sitting in jail for the crime refusing to cooperate with the IDF.”

He added, “we must remember many institutions that were founded by Rav Auerbach, including the Darchei Rochel Seminary and the Chochmas Shlomo Cheder, and many more. He cited Rav Auerbach taught, ‘if one does not continue to grow, one falls,’ citing the need for additional shuls in the city, pointing out that while there may be many, there is need for many more.”

Hecht concluded, “Modi’in Illit merited that the mayor and two deputy mayors will close to the late Rav Auerbach, and therefore we must continue strengthening ourselves spiritually, to continue adding, to add more shuls, like Beit Knesset Darchei Shmuel on Netivot HaMishpat Street, a shul which continues to operate for private home, as they do not have a dedicated plot”.

“If we do not ask to assist to spiritual growth, then we will continue to decline, and now everyone knows, that we must bring an organization affiliated with the Joint into the city, as well as Hatzalah which is about to dedicate a volunteer center, the disgrace of the police which is not yet been removed to the city, so therefore we must now strengthen and add instruction of spirituality in the city.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)