Maranan verabonon are planning to issue a general Kol
Korei later this week to support the UTJ list in
Yerushalayim for the City Council as well as Rabbi Uri
Lupoliansky for mayor. In an unusual show of support, Maran
HaRav Yosef Eliashiv shlita himself signed the Kol
Korei. In addition, all the members of the Moetzes
Gedolei Hatorah of Degel Hatorah and the members of the
Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel have signed to
support UTJ and Rabbi Lupoliansky in the upcoming elections,
as well as other important Torah leaders.
The Kol Korei asserts that harbei gufei Torah
efshar lekayeim ulechazeik im tihiyeh netzigut chazakah
leyirei Hashem ulechoshvei Shemo -- many central portions
of Torah can be fulfilled and strengthened if there is a
strong representation for those who fear Hashem and value His
name. It goes on to exhort everyone to vote and to influence
others to vote and to do whatever possible in support of the
UTJ list and Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky. It notes that there are
those at the national and the local level who seek to break
down the walls of Klal Yisroel, including those of
Shabbos. At the end, it invokes the blessing of
Yevorechecho Hashem miTzion ur'ei betuv Yerushalayim,
for those who help.
In the Great Beis Medrash of Belz in Yerushalayim, the
following announcement was made: Since municipal elections
are drawing close, each and every one is asked to work and to
cause others to work for the list of United Torah Judaism
(letter Gimmel) and for mayor for Rabbi Uri
Lupoliansky.
Even more than the economic pressure that is being exerted by
the current national Israeli government, gedolei
Yisroel are concerned by the ideology that is driving the
latest moves. Although perhaps some of the main figures
involved are no personally against religion per se,
many of the steps are being taken at the behest of Shinui
which makes no secret of its opposition to any and every
aspect of the Jewish religion. Their agenda is Rachmono
litzlan, to drive Torah and Judaism down into the
ground.
Against this background, it is crucially important to ensure
a strong presence on the Jerusalem City Council, and it can
make a bigger difference than in other times when the Knesset
representatives are in the government.
On Tuesday evening there was an important meeting of roshei
yeshivas, neighborhood rabbonim and other Torah leaders in
the home of HaRav Eliashiv in Yerushalayim in support of the
UTJ list and Rabbi Lupoliansky.
Worked for Torah Education in Jerusalem
United Torah Jewry representatives on the Jerusalem City
Council worked intensively and spared no effort over the last
ten years to address the housing problem the city's chareidi
educational institutions face, according to detailed figures
on improvements in chareidi educational facilities specially
compiled in advance of next Tuesday's elections.
A perusal of the dense, 6-page report sent from the City of
Jerusalem's Department of Chareidi Education headed by Rabbi
Binyomin Cohen, to the UTJ publicity bureau directed by Rabbi
Yaakov Segal, reveals a picture of constant activity that
resulted in genuine improvements both in the core city and in
outlying neighborhoods. The entire array of chareidi
educational institutions--from talmudei Torah and the
yeshivas to Bais Yaakov schools and seminaries--has enjoyed a
period of growth on a tremendous scale. This sharp growth in
student body was of course accompanied by an increased need
for additional student housing, new facilities, extensive
renovations, expansion projects and higher levels of rent
supplements for buildings.
Municipal aid for chareidi education extends through 35 major
neighborhoods, including both old and new areas. Through
prodigious efforts by City Council representatives over the
last decade, UTJ provided 267 housing solutions for
educational institutions worth hundreds of millions of
shekels.
Although hundreds of Torah and educational institutions are
now being supported, current UTJ City Council members and
candidates say much work remains to be done to address the
needs of hundreds of other chareidi educational institutions--
work that may not reach successful completion if a strong
chareidi delegation is not elected to the city council.
