Atzeres Tefillah Today in Yerushalayim to Highlight Chareidi Bus Concerns

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mehadrin-bus[Update below.] Gedolei Eretz Yisroel have called an atzeres tefillah to take place this afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., on Rechov Shmuel Hanovi, near Rechov Shivtei Yisroel, in Yerushalayim, in front of Zvhill. The gathering has been arranged to bring attention to the need for ensuring that Yidden can travel on local buses according to halacha. For quite some time now, rabbonim have requested for the bus lines that serve the frum community to be run in accordance with Mehadrin standards. The No. 2 Bus, however, which runs from Har Nof to the Kosel, has still not been granted Mehadrin status and, as a result, people have had to travel on crowded buses, which the rabbonim said has caused a breach in the level of tznius and the separation that should exists between genders on the buses. Complaints to the Ministry of Transportation, as well as the Egged Bus Company, have not been heeded.

 

Maran Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv shlit”a has supported the request to make the No. 2 line a Mehadrin one and has supported today’s gathering as well. The Rabbinical Committee for Transportation Affairs recently met with the posek hador, as well as other gedolim, including the Gerrer Rebbe, regarding this matter.

 

Local Yerushalayim roshei yeshiva have urged people, in a printed kol korei, to attend. A large crowd, it is hoped, will get the attention of the bus operators to accede to the request of the chareidi community to raise the standards of the buses traveling in chareidi areas and serving chareidi customers.

 

In addition to the No. 2 Bus issue, there is fear amongst some in the chareidi community that, eventually, if proper action is not taken, the Transportation Ministry committee formed by Israel’s High Court to study the Mehadrin buses and report back to the High Court could actually call for the cancellation of all Mehadrin lines, a move that would detrimentally affect, ruchniyus-wise, tens of thousands of Yidden. It is noteworthy that on that committee formed to deal with this issue, there is not even one chareidi member – despite the fact that this issue deals exclusively with the chareidi community.

Today’s atzeres is taking place at the spot where terrorists killed over 20 Yidden in an attack on the No. 2 Bus returning from the Kosel in August 2003.

Update, 5:30 p.m. IL/10:30 a.m. EST: A small scuffle broke out a short while ago when some secular Jews began holding a counter-protest near the atzeres tefillah. Some people may have grabbed signs that the counter protestors were holding. Police are at the scene trying to maintain the peace.

 {Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}

 


2 COMMENTS

  1. Is this the biggest issue in Eretz Yisroel today that it needs a huge gathering? Oy gevald. What about all the fake kashrus, the corruption, the child abuse, the off-the-derech kids in Bnei Brak…

  2. When an issue has a solution, go with the solution. Those who want to travel on a mehedrin type bus can hire sherutim, mini buses etc to transport them to the kosel.
    A more likely solution is to encourage EGGED to add more buses to this line to cut down on the crowdiness.
    MAIN QUESTION that needs investigation is: What happens next? If and when the Mayor, city council, Egged and business concerns do NOT agree with this request. Do we ACCEPT the decision or………

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