Rabbi Holzberg: Mayor Barkat Trying to Turn Yerushalayim into Goa

6
>>Follow Matzav On Whatsapp!<<

barkatA “beach party” that was to be held outside the Old City of Yerushalayim is to be moved to the Malcha neighborhood, but the incident has left a bitter taste among religious and chareidi residents of the city, who accused Mayor Nir Barkat of gross insensitivity to Yerushalayim’s religious heritage.

The city has decided to move the party after religious groups complained about the location and timing of the event. The city had planned to truck in 80 tons of sand and spread them on Rechov Alrov, the main street of the Mamilla Mall, visible from the Old City, and conduct a “beach party” on Friday, July 29 – just a few days before the beginning of Av and in the midst of the Three Weeks. Deck and beach chairs were to be set up on the street, with the municipality distributing ice pops and watermelons, and supplying “beachgoers” with backgammon boards and “matkot” beach tennis rackets and balls, popular with Israelis as a beach pasttime. Two live bands were set to provide background music, which party attendees could hear through headphones they could rent for a small fee.

Although the city decided to move the party to Malcha after numerous protests, many residents of the city feel that Barkat went too far in even planning the event, which is one of a number of parties and happenings that are taking place in the city this summer.

Rabbi Efraim Holzberg said that Barkat is mistaken if he thinks he is giving the people what they want. “Tourists and visitors come to Yerushalayim for its holiness, not to see 80 tons of sand at a beach party. Barkat may understand tourism, but he does not understand chemistry – the chemistry of what attracts people to Yerushalayim. People go to Holland to see canals and to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, but they come to Yerushalayim to see the Holy City.”

Rabbi Holzberg called on Barkat to think hard and long about his policies. “He wants to turn Yerushalayim into Goa. Young people will go wild at these parties, losing all control. Instead of spreading holiness from here to other cities, they are seeking to bring unholiness to Yerushalayim.

“The mayor is bringing the judgment of Heaven down on us, G-d forbid,” he added. “One day it’s a same-gender parade, another day it’s a beach party. What’s next?”

The Yerushalayim municipality said in response that it planned to hold the party in Malcha instead of Mamilla “in recognition of the fact that it is the Three Weeks.”

Read more at Arutz Sheva.

[Arutz Sheva/Matzav.com Newscenter}


6 COMMENTS

  1. What was the hava amino that this guy will be good for us the chareidim? How could anyone daati vote for something like this? It shows how far negius goes. It even undmines the yesodos HaTorah.

  2. ” it planned to hold the party in Malcha instead of Mamilla “in recognition of the fact that it is the Three Weeks.”

    Yep – no ‘Three Weeks’ in Malcha.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here