Opinion
& Comment
Our Hopes for the Mayor of Jerusalem
The mayor of Jerusalem, as head of the largest city and the
capital, is one of the senior public officials of the State
of Israel. With its diverse population, and encompassing
sites that are of deep religious and cultural interest to all
Christians and Moslems as well as Jews, Jerusalem draws
international attention and its mayor has to deal with that
as well.
But what do we, the chareidi residents of Jerusalem, expect
from our new mayor who is one of us?
Our main expectation is not, as most of the commentators
imply, that our community will get more money, but rather
that Jerusalem will generally get more Judaism.
The secular Jews who were entrusted with the leadership of
Jerusalem sought to make it more like the other "great
cities" of the world, trying to introduce and sponsor
elements of Western culture in Jerusalem like music
festivals. However, as one of our holy cities and home to
hundreds of thousands of religious Jews, Jerusalem can never
be more than a poor imitation of New York, London, or
Paris.
Jerusalem is the ancient capital of the Jewish people, whose
major worldwide impact has been as the cradle of the
Tanach, and everything points to the fact that
Jerusalem must find its own identity as a city that is
genuinely Jewish as well as a fully developed society of the
modern world.
Rabbi Lupoliansky is unusually qualified to help Jerusalem
find its true identity. With a firm background in Torah, he
has also shown himself adept at exercising modern techniques
of management.
Both before and after the elections, the secular press raised
the specter of a return to some "dark ages" under a chareidi
mayor. The people of Jerusalem, both those who voted for R'
Uri and those who stayed home, showed that they are not
afraid of what the city will be like if it is given some
Yiddishe taam.
We hope that Jerusalem will embody and project Jewish values
that are admired and appreciated by everyone, such as
honesty, fairness, decency, the importance of mutual respect
and consideration, the pleasures of community and social
cohesiveness, respect for Jewish traditions and Hashem, and
more. If Tzion is infused with its original character by a
mayor like Rabbi Lupoliansky who is deeply in touch with its
roots, it will be a beacon to everyone, and not just those
who are already religious.
There is no doubt that the path is fraught with perils, some
due to the objective problems of the city and the huge budget
defecit left by the previous mayor, and others due to the
hostility of the press and many politicians who are eager to
see a chareidi failure in this high-profile position.
We are happy to see that Rabbi Lupoliansky has taken steps in
the right direction by seeking counsel from the elders, as he
always has. He also asked, after his election, that everyone
pray for his success, and that he be blessed with siyata
deShmaya and that no bad consequences result from his
actions. The humility and ultimate reliance on Hashem will
certainly serve him well.
When Rabbi Lupoliansky began his career in politics as a
representative of Degel Hatorah, he received two important
pieces of advice from Maran HaRav Shach zt"l.
Recalling conditions in his home town in Europe, Maran said
that wherever there is bein odom lechavero lesheim
Shomayim there is also bein odom laMokom. He also
said that an aged Russian general once advised him that the
important thing is to keep focused on the ultimate goal, and
not to be distracted by temporary setbacks.
We can only add our own prayers and blessings that his term
result in a great kiddush sheim Shomayim.
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