Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight
  

A Window into the Chareidi World

11 Nissan 5761 - April 4, 2001 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

HOMEPAGE

 

Produced and housed by
Shema Yisrael Torah Network
Shema Yisrael Torah Network

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEWS
Haifa Mayor To Consider Revoking Licenses of Business Open on Shabbos
by Aryeh Zisman

Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna plans to take stricter measures against businesses open on Shabbos. On the Shabbos of 29 Adar, Shinui representatives demonstrated at the Castra Mall at the southern entrance to Haifa, protesting closure of the mall on Shabbos. The Committee for the Sake of Shabbos in Haifa has since met twice to discuss needed additional measures as a result of an increase in Shabbos desecration in Haifa.

At the meeting of the Committee for the Sake of Shabbos attended by rabbonim and representatives of the city chareidi and religious blocs, ways to enforce the Municipal Auxiliary Laws and a demand for an increase in fines for violators were discussed. This meeting took place after numerous business concerns began to open their enterprises on Shabbos. Rav Moshe Rauchberger, a member of the Committee for the Sake of Shabbos and the rav of the Ramat Hadar neighborhood, reported on a meeting he had with the proprietors of the shopping malls, along with the chief rabbi of Haifa. The purpose of the meeting was to persuade the owners not to encourage the opening of business enterprises on Shabbos.

On Shabbos 29 Adar, unlike past Shabbosim, few stores opened in the malls. Nonetheless, a number of stores still remained open. The Haifa Municipality is continuing to send out inspectors to fine violators of the law. Mayor Amram Mitzna announced that such Shabbos desecration is a blatant violation of the status quo in Haifa, and that he does not intend to sanction it. "The Municipality will continue to ensure that stores close on Shabbos, not only by lip- service," Mitzna said. "We will continue to exert incessant pressure to charge steeper fines. If this doesn't help, we will consider revoking the licenses of the recalcitrant businesses."

Last week, Shinui activists demonstrated against closing of the Castra mall on Shabbos, despite the fact that the Haifa Shinui party as well as additional parties in the Municipal opposition have announced that they would not support a struggle to open mall stores on Shabbos. They say that these stores open only for economic reasons, and shouldn't be assisted in these efforts because there is a need for a weekly rest day. Rabbi Moshe Rauchberger noted that these stores open only out of selfish reasons, while undermining our sacred Jewish values.

Publicity agents for the mall distributed false notices during recent weeks, stating that the Haifa religious community plans to demonstrate against the opening of the malls on Shabbos. Haifa Mayor Amram Mitzna notes that these were false notices meant to attract media attention. "I respect the religious sector for not having been drawn after those false announcements and for enabling the Haifa Municipality to handle law enforcement," he noted.

 

All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.