Shabbat protest: Shabbat-observing residents of Safed, led by the city's rabbis, will arrive at the Shabbat reception in front of the Country Safed, to protest the desecration of Shabbat there.
In recent years, many efforts have been made to convince the owners of the country club to close the pool on Shabbat - but without success. Several years ago, the city's rabbis declared a boycott of the place, prohibiting Sabbath-observing residents from entering the pool. This move also did not lead to the pool being closed.
Now, as summer approaches, the protest is taking a turn for the worse. As mentioned, on this Shabbat night (Parashat Metzora), a mass Kabbalat Shabbat will be held. Strictly speaking, a gathering has been arranged at the venue, in order to allow the public to shake out the prayer arrangements.
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In a conversation with Haredim10, Safed journalist Elimelech Gerstel says that it is impossible for a city where about 701% of the residents are Sabbath and tradition-observant to publicly desecrate the Sabbath. "We tried to reach an understanding, through dialogue, but the pool managers insist. We will not support Sabbath desecrators in the holy city of Safed.".
Haredim10 has learned that the rabbis of Safed have issued an ultimatum to the pool managers, and if they do not commit to closing the pool on Shabbat this week, the rabbis intend to send a delegation to the great leaders of Israel, and ask them to prohibit the vacationing public that crowds Safed during the inter-religious holidays from using the pool. This threat is putting great pressure on the owners of the pool, which is popular among the organizers of the yeshiva camps.
