Resident of Charish, a primarily frum community, were shocked as the head of the municipality removed the speakers used to signal candle lighting time in the community.
It has been learned that council officials in Charish have ordered dismantling the speakers used for to announce the start of Shabbos, which was done by playing songs, not a siren. It is explained that the music is bothersome to many and the municipality continues receiving complaints.
Municipal inspectors were seen in the chareidi neighborhood of Avnei Chen, atop of building roofs dismantling speakers.
The municipality’s leader, Yitzchak Keshet, a person who is shomer Shabbos, posted the following on his Facebook page. “Dear residents. City employees today removed speakers and amplification systems installed on the roofs of residential buildings in the Avnei Chen neighborhood used to play songs before Shabbos.
“This is unfortunately after the municipality demanded their removal 24 hours ago and this was not done. I stress once again. Charish is a city for all its inhabitants, secular, religious and chareidi. We will continue maintaining the unique urban atmosphere that allows each resident to maintain his or her identity and beliefs.”
Many of the remarks to the mayor’s post were from persons who stated that they are not religious but lament the removal of the speakers which played nice songs to signal the start of Shabbos.
Some frum residents of the community managed to arrange for replacement speakers in time for Shabbos, defying the new decision of the municipality’s leaders.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
As much as I love the music and I think it’s a beautiful thing if they do bother certain residents they should definitely be removed we can’t practice our religion by inconveniencing others
Smart move. The ehrliche yidden of Charish and other neighborhoods should be able to look at their watch or their phones and know the time for licht benchen w/o a siren or speakers blaring out music. We read here just last week about the residents of a frum neighborhood in yerushalayim complaining about the attacks on their serenity and shalom bayis from a nearby mosque following renovations and likely resumptions of amplified calls to Muslim prayer. In 15 seconds you can set your phone to alert you an hour or 30 minutes before Shabbos. No need to disrupt the entire neighborhood, especially if its a mixed area.
You’re not allowed to play loud music during the day?
Why were they playing songs? They should have just used a siren like everyone else does. It’s their own fault for losing the speakers.
I’m not suggesting this , but what would happen if somebody complained that the Yom HaShoa siren was disturbing first seder and that as a city for all it’s citizens the siren should be dismantled?
I don’t see why we need Shabbos sirens anyway. Are we so disorganized that we can’t even check the clock once in a while? And then there’s the issue of getting dependent on the siren, so if you accidentally miss it you’re in trouble.
I have lived in Boro Park, with the siren, and out of town without it. I actually feel more secure checking the clock and not the siren.
How did our zeides and bubehs do in Europe do without Shabbos sirens? Very well, thank you. Think of it as the thin edge of technology that eventually landed us with smartphone alerts that drive us crazy and GPSs that send us to Heaven-knows-where, and go back to looking at the clock.
Midwest2 :
Our Bobbes and Zeidas, if they lived in the shtetl, had a shofar blown before Shabbos. This was done in the old yishuv of Eretz Yisroel and even in Tel Aviv.
The practice dates back to the days of the Beis HaMikdosh (see Sukka ch. 5).
However, we are still in golus and we must do teshuva and look forward to the renewing of this practice unmolested along with the rest of the wonderful avoda.
Until then we must put up with the various church bells, mosque blarings, and even secular zionist sirens.
How did our zeides and bubehs do in Europe do without Shabbos sirens?
They didn’t. We have always had shabbos sirens, it’s an explicit halacha in Shulchan Aruch. Go learn some Torah and educate yourself