Efforts by Jerusalem Councilman Rav Yosef Deutsch and Deputy Mayor Rav Yitzchak Pindrus together with other chareidi councilmen on erev Shabbos led to a solution which resulted in a quiet Shabbos with tefillos in Kiryat HaYovel. The elected officials worked into the late hours close to Shabbos to reach agreement in the hope of preventing another Shabbos of conflict in Kiryat HaYovel.

A 45-day extension was granted to eliminate the immediacy of the situation regarding a storefront being used as a shul. Following that hiatus period, Jerusalem planning officials will file for a special dispensation to permit using the storefront as a shul, which would remove the matter from the city’s agenda if the zoning accommodations are made.

Deutsch explains the success must be attributed to the cooperation between all councilmen from Yahadut HaTorah and Shas, all sending a unified and resounding message to Jerusalem City Hall, that they will not permit the closure of the storefront shul due to a zoning technicality. R’ Deutsch added that similar results may have been possible if the opening of the Jerusalem municipal parking lot on Shabbos enjoyed the same widespread coalition unity among the chareidi officials.

When mispalalim arrived at the shul on erev Shabbos, a number of journalists were present, apparently seeking to provoke an incident, but they were ignored and davening took place without incident. Community leaders called on mispalalim not to acquiesce to the provocations after davening, the presence of the media, and Baruch Hashem, the erev Shabbos tefillos passed without incident.

The daily HaMevaser points out that the situation became increasingly complicated last week when the Jerusalem legal advisor, Yossi Chavilov, issued an order preventing mispalalim from using the storefront as a shul, effective immediately.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)