Vaadat Harabbonim Lemaan Kedushas HaShabbos held a meeting to
discuss ways of maintaining the sanctity of Shabbos in
Jerusalem, which the rabbonim referred to as the crown of the
Jewish people. They said that the city should be a paragon of
Shabbos observance, setting an example for other cities.
Shabbos observance also guarantees its security, for Chazal
said Jerusalem was destroyed because of Shabbos
desecration.
Participants at the meeting included HaRav Shmuel Binyomin
Sofer, HaRav Moshe Yadler, HaRav Avrohom Yeshayohu Fine,
HaRav Hillel Weinberg, HaRav Tzvi Odesser, HaRav Amir Krispal
and HaRav Yosef Aryeh Deutsch as well as committee
secretaries Rav Yitzchok Goldknopf, Rav Yosef Rosenfeld and
Rav Chanoch Glaubinsky. Among the public officials in
attendance were Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, Deputy Mayors
Rabbi Uri Maklev, Rabbi Yehoshua Pollak and Rabbi Eli
Simchayof, and board members Rabbi Yosef Luk and Rabbi Shlomo
Rosenstein.
Topics raised on the agenda included an incident involving a
crew of non-Jewish street cleaners from East Jerusalem
summoned by security forces to clear a pile of rubbish in
downtown Jerusalem. Mayor Lupoliansky announced that the crew
had been reprimanded for violating instructions not to work
on Shabbos. He said in East Jerusalem Arabs clean their
streets, but "in West Jerusalem there is not and will not be
work on Shabbos." The incident was an irregularity, he
noted.
The Mayor said he would continue to enforce the law and fully
prosecute business owners who try to breach the walls of
Shabbos Kodesh.
Mayor Lupoliansky said he was appointing City Council Member
Rabbi Luk in charge of coordinating the issue of Shabbos
observance in the City of Jerusalem.
Attention was also focused on the Biblical Zoo, namely talks
the Mayor is conducting to insure that tickets are not sold
at the site on Shabbos. Once the problem of chilul
Shabbos is resolved to the chareidi public will be able
to visit the zoo as well. The Mayor also said he is
concentrating efforts on opening additional sites to the
chareidi public in Jerusalem after Shabbos desecration is
stopped there.
Also on the agenda were the severe problems associated with
eruvin around the country, threatening to make
carrying on Shabbos prohibited in various places. In many
places where eruvin are on the verge of becoming
posul residents are liable to violate Shabbos
prohibitions, chas vesholom.
Rabbonim of towns around the country, kehiloh
representatives and eruvin experts took part in the
meeting. A visual presentation was presented to illustrate
the extent of the problems. The draconian cuts in the
eruvin budget have brought the eruvin program
to the verge of collapse since obviously eruvin
everywhere have to be constantly maintained, renewed and
expanded as neighborhoods expand. Vaadas Harabbonim decided
to consult the chief rabbis and officials at government
authorities and municipalities to save Jews from chilul
Shabbos.
