The High Court of Justice rejected a petition on behalf of Gerrer Chassidim in Arad regarding a bomb shelter being used by the chassidim as a shul and beis medrash. The court ordered them to evacuate the premises. Before Shabbos, a city official locked the shelter to prevent the chassidim from entering over Shabbos.
Last week, the Be’er Sheva District Court ruled that the chassidim must evacuate the shelter, which they have been using as a shul. In response to the ruling, the chassidim petitioned the High Court in the hope of having the district court ruling overturned. That effort failed.
The chassidim explained to the court that the city does not have the right to evict them as they have been there for over a month, and according to the law, an eviction must occur within 30 days, and therefore, they should be permitted to remain. The court however did not agree, and ordered the chassidim out, based on testimony from residents that in fact, the chassidim took over the shelter less than 30 days ago.
In addition, the court instructed the petitioner to pay NIS 20,000 in court costs for the city. The city did not waste time, and locked down the shelter before Shabbos, effectively shutting down the Gerre shul/beis medrash for the mispallalim.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
If this report is accurate, the Gerrers had no claim of substance to justify using the bomb shelter. Their claim was that they weren’t evacuated quickly enough and so should be allowed to stay. Not very convincing.
not every thing that is le shem shamayim is legal……
They’re called Zionazis for a reason.
chalk one up for the rule of law, to which all are bound
This has to be a joke, right? Converting a bomb shelter into a shul?
Joseph: Please tell us who is called Zionazis, and give us the reason.
Bomb shelters are for emergencies. C”V there was no need for this shelter while the Gerrer were blocking it. This bunch of Gerrers are schnorrers. Does anybody need to know why?
For informational purposes only: In Israel, many bomb shelters are used as shuls and kollels.
Using bomb shelters as shuls is extremely common in Israel.
What’s wrong with going to the city government and getting a permit to construct a shul or use a a portable or temporary building in the meantime? Bomb shelters have to be kept ready for use. I’m sure the mispallelim didn’t leave the shelter unlocked with their sefer Torah and seforim inside.
A personal note: I was living in Jerusalem during the Yom Kippur war. When the sirens went off the people in my building went down to the bomb shelter – and it was locked. It took several days to locate the owner, who refused to give over the key on the grounds he had furniture and household things stored there. If we had needed that shelter during the first few days of the war we would have been out of luck.
Bomb shelters are for sheltering from bombs. They have to open 24/7, even if people want to use them for some worthy cause, because it could become a matter of life and death.
The Gerrer community simply took over the building because they wanted another place to daven. “Took over” is simply a nice way of saying stole. If the Gerrer Rebbe thinks his Chassidim need another shul let him buy them a building. The Rebbe is a multi-millionaire in his own right. Stealing public property is not one of the positive mitzvos set out in our Holy Torah. Maybe the Ger version is different.
It is common practice in Israel to use Shelters for Shulls or other social purposes. This keeps the shelters inhabitable. I remember the shelter in the shelter in my building as dirty, dark and sometimes full of junk. A working Shull is clean has furnishings (you can sleep on a bench in an emergence), has Kave shteeb, etc.
noch_a_yid: If the siren goes off at 2 in the morning is the bomb shelter going to be open? With the sefer Torah and everything inside? I think not. If the shelter isn’t open and a missile hits the building, lives could be lost.
If the shelter in your building is dirty and full of junk, do something about it. Do you have a facilities guy? A manager? A building committee? Get them moving. Unfortunately, with the way things are going these days, you may need that shelter. Hezbollah claims it has rockets that can reach all of Israel. I pray not, but it’s better to be prepared, believe me. I’ve been there and done that. You don’t want to.