Haredi "Shabbat Alert" Patrol Sparks Controversy

To prevent merchants from violating the Sabbath by remaining open, after a brief hiatus a haredi Shabbat Alert patrol has again begun descending on Mahane Yehuda market about an hour before Shabbat begins each week to remind, encourage, goad and intimidate stall owners to close their businesses before the Sabbath.

Haredi Shabbat Alert Patrol Sparks Controversy
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

While some stall owners in Jerusalem’s large outdoor Mahane Yehuda market close their business and leave the market before the Sabbath begins, many others close only moments before candle lighting and others push the envelope even further, remaining open until the moment Shabbat begins or even later.

To prevent merchants from violating the Sabbath by remaining open, after a brief hiatus a haredi Shabbat Alert patrol has again begun descending on Mahane Yehuda about an hour before Shabbat begins each week to remind, encourage, goad and intimidate stall owners to close their businesses before the Sabbath, Ynet reports. The newly reconstituted Shabbat Alert patrol is headed by Rabbi Eliyahu Schlesinger, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood.

The first Mahane Yehuda Shabbat Alert patrol was founded two decades ago by Rabbi Bezalel Goldschmidt, who sent a patrol of haredi yeshiva students to the market every Friday to urge and sometimes coerce merchants to close their stalls. Over the years there were incidents of heated arguments between the haredi Shabbat patrol on one hand and merchants and customers on the other. Some of those incidents escalated to physical violence.

The haredi group behind the original Shabbat Alert patrol closed it down about a month ago. Schlesinger jumped in to fill the void.

"We don't shout at the merchants, but rush them politely. Some say to me, 'Rabbi, give me a blessing,' and I promise to do so if they shut down, and it works. But I am very angry at religious and haredi Jews who start shopping at the market just before Shabbat, creating a serious obstacle [to merchants closing before Shabbat begins],” Schlesinger told Ynet.

Some of Mahane Yehuda’s merchants don’t think Schlesinger’s actions are altruistic or entirely non-violent. Instead, they think he’s running the Shabbat Alert patrol to promote his candidacy for chief rabbi of the city.

"He is creating public relations for his activity among the haredim by going to the seculars in order to promote himself," a merchant to Ynet.

Some stall owners also point to what they say is the bad behavior of the haredim in the Shabbat Alert patrol. One merchant posted a photograph in his stall showing haredim in Shabbat clothes pushing a stall owner against a wall in the market.

Schlesinger rejects the criticism.

“We do it out of love for Israel and not for any other reason but to honor the Sabbath,” the rabbi said.

Comments

[Rebitzman]

But I am very angry at religious and haredi Jews who start shopping at the market just before Shabbat, creating a serious obstacle [to merchants closing before Shabbat begins

Seems like their focus should be here.....

[John Nagle, Silicon Valley, CA]

Shopkeepers: ask them about their draft status. If they're in good enough shape to get violent, they're in good enough shape to be drafted.

[Abraham]

I like the idea of announcing the approaching of shabbos but they should not get physical. The proclamations will clear out most people and the rest are not worth trying to convince.

[jancsibacsi]

Theese bozos need to busy themselfs with something since they are not working and also feel that they are somebodies otherwise their life is meaningless what a bunch of loosers.

[mimi]

"One merchant posted a photograph in his stall showing haredim in Shabbat clothes pushing a stall owner against a wall in the market."

Are you allowed to push on the Sabbath?

[Warren]

Has it gotten more aggressive since its return? I don't visit the shuk at the last minute because I need time to cook the food too (if I go to a performance that ends close to Shabbat I'll do my shopping on Thursday and have it cooked before I go out) but a few years back I was staying closer to the shuk and went there late on a Friday, there was a nudnik with a metal horn who didn't seem threatening and no one paid him any attention, neither merchants nor shoppers.

Anyway a local makolet in southern Jerusalem is open until later and a 24/7 store is open all Shabbat long (it became 24/6 for a few weeks but went back to 7).

[Garnel Ironheart]

How about the merchants start a pepper spray patrol in response?

[Jack]

We should start a patrol to go around to all Yeshivas, bar mitzvah lessons, etc... and remind them that it's illegal to rape children

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

Jack, they will reply, "minhag k'din."

[Jeff]

We should start a patrol to go around to all Yeshivas, bar mitzvah lessons, etc... and remind them that it's illegal to rape children

Posted by: Jack | October 11, 2012 at 01:18 PM

Oh, SNAP!

[S M L]

A baseball bat upside the head of some of these characters when they become aggressive might remind them that their interference isn't necessarily welcome. Just a thought.......