Rav Dovid Lau to be Special Guest at Har Hazeisim Flatbush Breakfast at Home of Rav Lieff

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rav-dovid-lauFlatbush, Brooklyn – Rav Dovid Lau, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, will be a special guest of an urgent breakfast gathering at the home of Harav Moshe Tuvia Lieff, Moroh D’Asroh of Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin. 2423 Avenue O (& Bedford Avenue). Rav Lau previously served as the Chief Rabbi of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, and as the Chief Rabbi of Shoham.

The ongoing security issues on Har Hazeisim and plans for the further development of the 3000 year old cemetery will be the subject of the urgent meeting. The event is to support the efforts of the International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeisim, chaired by Avrohom Lubinsky. His brother Menachem, a well known askan and President of Lubicom Marketing will join Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, in co hosting the event.

Harav Yakov Perlow, the Novominsker Rebbe shlita, as well as other members of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah are expected to attend the breakfast. In addition, many prominent askonim are also expected to participate in this significant demonstration of solidarity for kedushas Yerushalayim and kovod hameis.

Har Hazeisim is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the world, dating back over 3,000 years and is the resting place for over 150,000 Jews, dating back to the nevi’im and including leading admorim and roshei yeshiva. Despite being in Israeli hands, the cemetery remained largely neglected until May 2010 when Israel’s State Controller Micha Lindenstrauss issued a stinging report on the neglect and abuse of Israel’s second holiest site. He blamed successive Israeli governments for virtually neglecting the cemetery. This shocking report prompted Avrohom Lubinsky, a Brooklyn NY businessman, to create the International Committee for the Preservation of Har Hazeisim.

The Committee has thus far managed to persuade the Israeli authorities to install 142 surveillance cameras in addition to a 24/7 Command Center. After extensive lobbying at the highest level of government, a police substation was finally established in March 2012. The police station has been a further deterrent to the criminal activity by Arab youths. The Committee continues to lobby the government to increase the police detail on Har Hazeitim to better protect the access roads. To deny Arab vandals easy access to graves and mourners, a series of new fences was installed as part of a broader plan to secure some of the individual sections of Har Hazeisim. For the first time, the Municipality of Jerusalem conducts regular sanitation services on the mountain. Previously, Har Hazeisim was a dumping ground for local Arabs including garbage and discarded construction material, making parts of the Mountain look like a “junk yard.”

The Committee is also spearheading an effort to further develop Har Hazeisim with new roads, signage and even a Visitor’s Center and shul.

Despite these accomplishments graves continue to be destroyed and mourners and visitors routinely stoned. The Committee has stepped up its efforts for full security for the ancient cemetery where regular burials continue even today. In addition, it is continuing its efforts for many new projects to increase security and demonstrate Jewish sovereignty.

{Gavriel Sitrit-Matzav.com Newscenter}


2 COMMENTS

  1. Looking forward to being at the breakfast meeting Rabbi Lau and to Mechzeik the askonim i have great-grand parents grand parents uncles aunts cousins buried on Har Hazeitim

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