Mispalalim in the Poalei Zedek Shul on Tzilnov Street in Tel Aviv are falling prey to foreigners in the area, who they accuse of intimidating them. According to the shul’s rav, Rabbi Tzvi Halevy Movshovitz, as a result of the actions of the foreigners, mispalalim are afraid to come to the shul.

About 10 ten days ago, a 78-year-old man was attacked on motzei shabbos as he exited a shul on N’vei Sha’anan Street. The victim warned “as long as there are more of them, they become increasingly bold and continue lifting their heads, no longer afraid,” the daily HaMevaser reports.

The rav explains there is an increase in break-ins and thefts in shuls, stating that before Rosh Hashanah they changed paroches to while as is the minhag and after Yom Kippur, when they wished to change back to the regular ones, they realized they were stolen. He also cited a case in which a pair of bicycles was stolen outside the shul, belonging to mispalalim, who are becoming increasingly fearful of coming to minyan.

Mispalalim are elderly yidden unable to move from the area which has changed drastically, now home to many Sudanese refugees. The rav confirms many area shuls are empty, vacant, and in his shul, it is a struggle to obtain a minyan.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)