It now appears that Wednesday’s planned Bridge of Strings dedication in Yerushalayim will not only carry an absurd price tag of NIS 2 million, but it may bring more unacceptable behavior to the capital, alarming many of the city’s residents, frum and others alike.

Opponents to the rumored program explain that making things worse is the reality that the bridge will not be used until 2010, and the ceremony is just another waste of money compliments of City Hall.

According to City Hall adverts for the ceremony, a diversified crowd will be present at the dedication when the “bridge turns into a musical harp” with the use of laser beams that will “play” the strings of the bridge.

There will be fireworks, short films, hundreds of candles illuminating the bridge, and background music.

During the Monday night rehearsal for the event, there was a female singer as well as a troop of female dancers, not what many deem appropriate for the Jewish Capital.

According to Chadrei Chadarim, a meeting was held in the presence of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Ulman of the Eida Chareidis to decide if and how to protest the event, expressing a perplexing situation since at the helm of the city and such an event stands Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, a chareidi rav.

The NIS 2 million perhaps is dwarfed by the staggering cost of the bridge, now holding at NIS 270 million, a sum that has prompted much criticism, disapproval, and even calls for a police investigation into the admitted mismanagement and alleged wrongdoing and malfeasance.

City Hall released a statement responding to the Chadrei Chadarim report, calling it untrue, explaining the national government is paying for the ceremony under the budget of Jerusalem’s 40th year celebrations and not City Hall. (One may assume from this that wasting the national government’s funds is less abrasive that wasting local government funding).

“City Hall is not planning and will not permit an event that does not conform with demands for modesty, anything that may insult the religious sensitivities of the public, and the claim that there will be a female singer and dancers is simply a lie.”

“Appearing at the event will be Dudu Fisher, Yesh Lapidot, and Jerusalem Pirchei. During the Monday night rehearsal, a number of performers took part, seeking inclusion in the event, but they were deemed unsuitable due to tznius (modesty) considerations…”

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)