The War on Kedushah in Holy Yerushalayim

6 Adar 5786

The anti-God, anti-Torah forces at work in our midst from the very beginning have sought to make Holy Jerusalem the equal of Tel Aviv.  The City Council said the city should become another hi-tech center and attract more youth and provide entertainment for the non-religious residents. 

From the opening of Malcha Mall and Teddy Stadium in the 1990s to the initiation of the first pride parade in 2002 to the transformation of the iconic Machane Yehudah shuk in the mid-2000s*, and the construction of "Towers" across the skyline, the modest and humble holy city has become unrecognizable.

[*Bars began appearing in Jerusalem's Machane Yehuda Market in the mid-2000s, with a significant transformation starting around 2006-2008 as the market shifted from solely a daytime food market to a nightlife hub.]

This "development" is not "progress."  It is an all-out attack on kedushah.  Sin and gaiva go hand-in-hand.  Drawing a line will not help.  It does not recognize any border.  It allows no limits to its influence.  Hashem yerachem!!   

“Pritzus And Hefkeirus”: Chareidim Launch Campaign To Prevent Major Purim Event In Yerushalayim

A fierce backlash is brewing in Yerushalayim after city officials announced large-scale Purim celebrations slated to take place along Jaffa Street, drawing opposition from residents of nearby chareidi neighborhoods who say the events threaten the kedusha of the city on one of the holiest days of the year.

Flyers circulating throughout Yerushalayim on Friday warned of a planned transformation of central streets into scenes of “pritzus and hefkeirus,” accusing the municipality of approving mass mixed gatherings, outdoor bars, and public performances in close proximity to long-established Torahdik neighborhoods.

While tens of thousands of frum families will be gathering for seudos and fulfilling the mitzvos of Purim, critics say the city’s program would create a starkly different atmosphere just steps away.  According to the announcement, bars are expected to extend operations into public areas along Jaffa Street, with large stages and entertainment venues set up in the heart of the city.

Residents of adjacent neighborhoods say tensions have been building for years, describing previous Purim celebrations as chaotic, with intoxicated revelers spilling into quiet residential streets. They argue that what was once limited has now escalated into a far more expansive municipal production.

Of particular concern is the reported plan for pedestrian access routes to funnel thousands of attendees through narrow streets bordering chareidi areas. Community leaders warn that this could bring large crowds through “the quiet and holy streets of Yerushalayim shel Maalah,” disrupting families and undermining the kedusha of the day.

“We cannot remain silent,” organizers declared. “How can we watch as the holy is swallowed? We will not allow the transformation of Yerushalayim — especially the areas surrounding chareidi neighborhoods — into centers of tumah, rachmana litzlan.”

Sources familiar with the developing response say emergency meetings of rabbanim and community askanim are expected in the coming days to determine next steps.

Municipal officials have not yet publicly responded to the growing protest, but the issue appears poised to ignite a confrontation between city planners and the chareidi community.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

It can no longer be that "we" will confine ourselves to our own areas and "they" will determine everything else.  The entire camp - the entire Land - is holy and must be liberated from the encroaching tumah in righteousness and in sanctity!!