“Hooliganism” is the word used by one chareidi newspaper to describe the continued vandalism against the eruv in the Kiryat Yovel and Kiryat Menachem neighborhoods of the capital. This past Shabbos, the attack against the eruv was expanded to additional areas of the capital as well.
There appears to be a growing momentum in the battle against chareidim moving into Kiryat Yovel. This past week, there was a protest outside Jerusalem City Hall during a council meeting, with secularists expressing their opposition to a chareidi school in Kiryat Yovel.
Once again, the eruv was torn and poles damaged, and an inspection on motzei Shabbos revealed significant damage in the two neighborhoods as well as the mehadrin eruv in other areas including Armon HaNatziv, Givat Mordechai, Givat Shaul, and Bayit Vegan. Most of the neighborhoods still had the religious council eruv, although there were actually areas without any eruv according to reports. Rabbonim lamented the fact that the acts of vandalism led to chilul Shabbos by some in areas that were left without an eruv as a result of the actions of the secularists.
Rabbonim will be convening in an urgent meeting on Sunday to discuss the alarming trend and the lack of response from Israel Police.
As YWN prepared the above information to post, we recieved the following update:
The eruv system in Yerushalayim is quite comprehensive, and in many areas, there is redundancy, a mehadrin eruv from one rabbinical authority, a religious council eruv, perhaps an Eida Chareidis eruv, and so-forth. The redundancy ensures that if there is a p’sul in one of them, the others will cover residents and avoid chilul Shabbos chas v’sholom.
This week, according to a Yated Neeman report, areas were left without an eruv R”L after yet another Shabbos of intentional attacks, this time targeting the eruv cable and poles in many areas, leaving large portions of the capital without an eruv and without an ability to inform residents of the attack carried out by secularists whom have made the eruv sabotage their weekly outing.
Yated reports that in one instance, a rav involved in the eruv decided to see for himself and he conducted a Shabbos stakeout. At about 1:00am, he witnessed two Mazda 3 sedans pull up and the people who emerged were on a mission, to take down the eruv. He identified himself and pleaded with them not to take action that will result in chilul Shabbos but his plea fell on deaf ears. They went about their business, destroying eruv lines and poles while the rav watched helplessly, unable to intervene due to the kedusha of the Shabbos.
The rav stated that he did not realize the extent of the damage until he and colleagues returned on motzei Shabbos – explaining that the damage is extensive, in multiple areas, and quite costly as well.
Rav Shlomo Rosenstein, a member of the vaad responsible for the eruv in Yerushalayim commented that the recent events are most alarming and he questioned why people have decided to launch a campaign that is leading to chilul Shabbos in the city. The rav pointed out that in recent years, the frum and non-Shomer Shabbos communities for the most part have been getting along and the recent turn in events is most distressing.
Yated reports that as a result of the damage this week, the roads leading to MDA, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital, Shaare Zedek Hospital and Bikur Cholim Hospital were without an eruv in certain areas, as was the entrance to the capital and streets connecting different neighborhoods.
Rabbonim were outraged upon learning of what had occurred, questioning how police continue to sit back and permit this to happen Shabbos and Shabbos, without intervening.
MK Uri Maklev before Shabbos spoke with police, seeking to impress upon officials the seriousness of the situation, but apparently the pleas of the elected official were insufficient to prompt a police response.
Rabbonim also decry the statements of some secular MKs who are turning a blind eye or somewhat supporting the vandalism and law-breaking in the hope of gaining support from the non-frum community in the next election.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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15 Responses
This sounds like a “midah kneged midah” story. These people, by putting up their own eruv, are publicly impugning the kahsrus of the city eruv. It’s only fitting that their eruv be definitively rendered posul for the world to see.
#1, could you explain your ridiculous statement?
Perhaps a dati leumi site, where everybody prefers the Rabbanut, is a more fitting place for you than YWN.
Show me one Litvishe godol who relies on an Israeli Rabbanut eruv.
Similar to what #1 is saying, the reason this is happening, is becuase WE the frum in Jerusalem, and around the world, are doing somthing wrong. Maybe it’s lashon hara, maybe it’s treifot, maybe it’s chillul shabbos, maybe it’s women not dressed properly, that’s up for the tzaddikim to tell us, the point is, each one of us needs to do introspect, not cry “where are the secular police to save us” it’s funny and sad that this is what comes out from an eye opening event….where’s the secular police….not maybe we should fast, or maybe we should strengthen our limud hatorah,
no, we need a meeting with the mayor..haha it’s funny..wake up jews…wake up
Nochamol, mihyos tov al tikro ra. The city eruv relies on kulos that a smaller eruv doesn’t have to. And each extra eruv adds security to that area, in case there’s a breach somewhere else in the city. If these were kano’im who destroyed an eruv because they thought it was too lax, you’d rightly be up in arms; but rather than do so, they corrected the situation by putting their finger in the hole they perceived in the dyke, so all fair people should applaud them, even if they’re not concerned about the hole. And the vandals who destroy the eruv are attacking *all* religious Jews, and are deliberately being machshil *everyone* in chilul shabbos — except for the mehadrin who don’t rely on any eruv! That’s not something to applaud.
That is a reason many rabbonim are against putting up an eruv in a public place.Rather,do not carry on Shabbos at all from Reshus Horabbim to the others.
Why are people surprized? Secular Jews and Israeli Zionists do not want frum people near them.
“This sounds like a “midah kneged midah””…
nobody’s publicly impugning any kashrus. The Rabbanim of the city are usually talmidei chachamim, and they themselves will not carry within the “city eruv” since many religious/public services done are not mehudar, just enough to make sure nobody will transgress, chalilah.
Is it permissible to ask or demand non frum jewish policemen to patrol on SHABAT the eiruv so to avoid the chilul shabat of thousands of frum jews??! if not….How can we ask the policemen for help? We know theyll be mechalel shabbat, if they wish to catch the perpratrators. We cannot assumme they will dispatch only arab israeli policemen(if they exist)….unless ofcourse theres an agreement. Im curious how this will play out….
gabs out
Nochamol obviously doesn’t understand too much about hilchos Eiruv. there are many many kulos in the Rabbanut eiruv that the mehadrin ones do not rely on.
AND, the attack was on the rabbanut eiruv too so MeiHaichi Taisi to blame the mehadrin rabbanim!!!!
I guess all of us in Yerushalayim will have to stop carrying on Shabbos
The rav pointed out that in recent years, the frum and non-Shomer Shabbos communities for the most part have been getting along and the recent turn in events is most distressing.
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This Rav is correct EXCEPT now that the frummies decide that the Kiryat Hayovel eruv is not to their liking and a new one must be constructed and telling everyone that you have been non-religious, rather “we” only know the correct halacha and disregard building relationships, what do you expect to happen???? The kanoim of KY will cause a deterioation of all the good that has been developed in all mixed neighborhoods over the years. 100 Cheers to the fools!!!!
I hope that nobody is expecting the mishtara to be mechalel Shabbos in order to stop the destruction of the eiruvin…..
How come everyone is so sure that it is Chilonim? Couldn’t it be Israeli Arabs? Does anyone take blood samples of the vandals?
#1, go get a life!
I am puzzled as to why a supposedly observant Jew (a couple of the comments on this article) would attempt to justify one Jew damaging another Jew’s property, especially since the result of the destruction is people being Mechalel Shabbos without their knowing it.
Did the Rov who saw the cars get their license numbers?
anybody else notice? this is a fight over the essence of Judaism, Shabbos!!!
if this is where these people are holding — the situation is really bad. it also seems to signal to me that Mashiach is really getting close by. If people are ready to be Mechalel Shabbos in order to cause MORE chillul Shabbos by other people due to their HATRED (sinat chinam) of frum Jews, they are sealing their own fate…. Mashiach doesn’t come until the generation (meaning each individual) will be completely worthy or completely unworthy. The battle grounds are drawn— its up to us all to choose the correct side!
Get READY!!!