The Gerrer Rebbe Shlita has sent shluchim to the Gavad Eida Chareidis, HaGaon HaRav Tuvia Weiss Shlita, to inform him that Gerrer Chassidus is ready to join the battle for the sanctity of Shabbos.
Chareidi councilmen are working to compel City Hall to back down from its decision to operate parking lots in the downtown capital on Shabbos, but Mayor Nir Barkat remains determined, explaining the move is necessary to accommodate the many visitors who come to Yerushalayim on Shabbos. City Hall officials seem genuinely puzzled, explaining that from their perspective, there is no chilul Shabbos involved since the parking facilities are being operated by goyim.
In the meantime, the protests to safeguard the sanctity of Shabbos appear to be gaining momentum and Gur is about to become involved too, a move that will guarantee a significantly larger turnout than last Shabbos, at which time thousands of Eida affiliated chassidim marched on City Hall.
According to reports, on last erev Shabbos, the Gavad sent shluchim to Gur as well as to the home of Maran Hagon HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv Shlita, calling upon them to join in to protect kedushas Shabbos in the capital. The message was that the protest should be announced in the shteibelach and to inform mispallalim that they should join in for the sanctity of Shabbos.
On Tuesday, the Gerrer Rebbe Shlita sent shluchim to the Gavad of the Eida, Rav Weiss. Rav Yitzchak Goldknopf who heads the Vaad L’Ma’an Shabbos went to meet with Rav Weiss along with Rav Yadler, who is the author of seforim on hilchos Shabbos. They explained to Rav Weiss that Gur will not join in alone, but only if Gedolei Yisrael Shlita call on the klal to join in, adding the Rebbe views this as a matter of paramount importance.
Members of the Vaad L’Ma’an Shabbos have sent a letter of protest to City Hall and representatives hope to meet with Mayor Barkat this week, at which time they will demand that he abandon plans to operate parking lots in the capital on Shabbos, a move which they insist will encourage increased chilul Shabbos.
In the meantime, the Eida Chareidis is preparing for this Shabbos and a major kabolas Shabbos is planned for the Bar Ilan area as a flexing of the organization’s political muscle and a warning to City Hall that this battle will not be won by the city, but by the Eida. At present, it appears if the kabolas Shabbos takes place, it will enjoy widespread support.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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14 Responses
ger has only themselves to blame for helping barkat win
I’m surprised that the protest last Shabbos was not held in front of Ger, since they’re the ones who caused the secular mayor to be voted into office.
#1 in the zechus of shemiras shabbos and standing up for kevod shomayim the city is going to florish and florish, grow and grow
Thank you, #2 and #3. Klal Yisroel needs people like you to be marbeh machloikes and sinas chinum. That is what will help us in these trying times. Shame on you!
I THINK TO DO THIS ON SHABBOS MAKE’S MORE CHILUL SHABBOS BEC THE POLICE ETC…. HAVE TO COME DOWN BUT I AM SURE THERE RESONE’S AND RABBIS BEHIND IT.
#5 Quit the “marbeh Machlokes and Sinas Chinum” business” To you there is nothing worth fighting for. Perhaps we should have left the Misyavnim alone in Bayis Shayni?
Why can’t people view this as achdus???
er….surely protests on shabbos aren’t a good idea. This looks like a clever move by the Ger Rebbe – by only supporting if he gets the other’s support he is distancing himself from a dubious cause perhaps.
#7, unfortunately when it comes the real issues we Yidden should be fighting for, I don’t see many of your names coming up, but whenever there is a little loshon hora and machloikes, everyone pops up and contributes.
it’s not a Jewish state let them do what they want
sam rose – im simply bringing out a point. ger actively campaigned for barkat over the chareidi candidate – a colossal chillul hashem and this shows the consequences of that. for them to go protest seems a tad hypocrtical to me
chmoke, I understand very well that you were bringing out a point, but that doesn’t make it any less of a contribution to machloikes and sinas chinum. Koirach was also just bringing out a point, but since his point brought about machloikes and sfaikos in emunas chachamim and consequently a chilul hashem, he and many others in Klal Yisroel paid a very dear price. MY point is, that its not worth it to get involved in these matters.
The Chillul HaShem already happened when in the holy city of Yerushalaiim the ehrliche yidden couldn’t get together to vote for Meir Porush, the only Chareidi candidate with a chance to win.
I’m willing to bet that most of those demonstrators either didn’t vote for him or voted against him.
You can be sure if Meir Porush had been mayor this parking lot would never have opened.
So instead of yelling “Shabbos” and demonstrating, they should be klopping Al Chait and and davenning for forgiveness Min HaShomayim for the enormous Aveiro of Chillul HaShem (and Chillul Shabbos) their actions (or inaction) caused.
Yes, THEY caused it, NOT the Tinuk SheNishbo sitting in Jerusalem’s city hall today.
the protests are a huge mistake. The general non-chareidi Israeli population thinks the protests are crazy. It will lead to huge Sinas Chinam, but worse than that they will say, if these boys can fight on Shabbos, force them to join the Army and all ther Yeshiva exemptions will be lost because of these protests.