I think this is a case of "What's mine is mine and what's yours will be mine too"

The problem is that someone in authority (city hall) needs to stomp this hard and probably wont.

The problem is that anyone in city hall who "stomps this hard" won't be in city hall past the next election. What we need is a mayoral candidate who doesn't mind serving only one term.

The following is atranslation to English I did this morning.

The preamble is only summarized.

Three years ago the DL community started buiolding a girls schoolm next to the Haredi buildings "which would destroy the holiness and purity of our neighborhood", we protested and at that time the rabannim put out the foillowing call (followed by text of that call with names of rabonim) [NOTE: the rabonim signed on the previous call 3 years ago but not this one]

Follow our resistance we were told everything would be OK.

"But now as the time has come these same Datiim Leumiim and good-for-nothings (lit. "Rekim") areentering the building. This is after they were offered a bigger building in another location but they refused and insist on setting up camp davka in the midst of Haredim in order to 'break the Haredim' using their own words.

In advance of the start of the school year, and knowing that their entry would cauise an earthquake, they came as thieves in the night yesterdayand entered the building with deceit in order to establish facts on the ground. Immediately when this became known, avreichim from the neighboring ares came to protest and in respons the DLs called up about thrity of their thugs together accompanied by dogs (on four legs) to deter the avreichim who did not fear them.

This morning they brought to the place hundreds of boys and girls, youths as well as virgins [sic], men and women, in unseemly colthing [lit. "levush pritzut"] as is their custom and in an abominably mix of men and women and stood on the other side as they danced together to the sound of amplified women's song (may the merciful one save us) swearing and insulting and even lifted their hands and chairs against the dear avreichim whoi stood on the guard.

In their unruly and ummorally unseemily behavior they showed the inhabitants of the adjacent neighborhood how it will indeed be if they succeed to inhabit the building, when the immodest [lit. "Prutzot"] girls will come every day to the neighborhood and in the way they look will destroyto the foundationthe holiness and purity of the neighborhood and the blood/money [lit. "damim tartei mashma"] that we have invested in this quiet and holy corner in order to educate and bring up our offspring in the way of torah and modesty and holiness will at once be to nothing.

This is not a time to be quiet!

We cannot see our holy neighborhood be destroyed by those whose whole aim is to harass us and steal our homes! We are determined to fight with dedication [lit. "mesirut nefesh"] against this lowly and viscious plot! We will not restas long as the serious danger threatens the continuation of our existanceas Jews fearful of God and his Torah!

We turn at this last moment to those responsible and the theives: know that we are determined because this is as bad as an edict of eviction!

And to you the citizens of Beit Shemesh who are fearful of Gods word we cry: Come please to help us, stand by us to save our inheritance that it may not be trampled and looted by foreigners and theives!

Prepare for the battle for our homes!

Inhabitants of the Kiryat Hasidim"

"Gazlanim" - ok, if they think (even mistakenly) that the land is theirs, they would understandably feel it's being stolen.

It's the word "ZARIM" (foreigners) which is more telling. Jews who are not charedi are not "acheinu beis yisroel" - they are foreigners, strangers.

The problem is that at this point neither side will back down. So there are only a few ways for this to end, all of them bad.

ARGH

The statement claiming that it is a command of geirush, does that mean that if the school stays they will move elsewhere to someplace more insulated and solve the problems?

This is another example of the how quickly those who see themselves as the representatives of Torah are willing to act violently.

This whole protests is especially sad as Haredi groups protest the fact that other town and neighborhoods do not want the Haredi community to move in.

Sadly the smart money is on the Haredim.

More info on the situation, this time from Shalom Lerner (on the "kulanu orot banot" Facebook group):

"Important to know ,4-5 years when we suffered from the violence of the fanactics i did everything possible to block the building of their school bnot yerushalayim.After the elections when it was ready to come again for a vote in the council i told mayor aboutbul that i am willing to drop my efforts against them on condition that you the mayor go with me to rav heler (rav of the 'kanaim') and tell him clearly that he will built a girls school next to the boys for the dati leumi and we went together and rav heler together with his right hand man friedman and they agreed.So if the city starts with disinformation about agreements just remind them about this agreement which goes back two and a half years."

I'm not sure why he was trying to block the building of a charedi school, but the point is an agreement was made to allow the building of the Orot girls school, and Abutbol himself was there.

From the police chief (reported by Arutz7 as of 17:55 tonight):

A girls' elementary school in Beit Shemesh that has faced threats will be protected when the school year opens, local police chief Kobi Cohen promised parents in a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. "I will provide the necessary manpower to maintain law and order in Beit Shemesh even if it means bringing help from outside," he assured them...

The problem here is that its not just going to be the first day or even week. They are not going to stop. Its going to be the whole year. Its going to be ugly. They will leave for 2 weeks and then come back..

I surprised that Rabbi Kornfeld isn't signed.

He has stood behind the kanoim on many occasions. I guess he is too bust trying to shut down Magen so that the molesters can breathe easier.

I think some of the comments on here accusing certain Rabanim or claiming so and so said that or that is beyond the pale. There is alot of pent up anger here and is leading to very serious malicious gossip. If this is what being a B/RBS Anglo is all about I am disgusted and embarrassed to be part of the community.

I find it extremely disturbing that Tov has not come out with a public position on this. As a coalition partner they should know what was or as not promised. They should also be outraged that the mayor has stated outright that he is changing his policy because of a threat of violence from a fringe group of residents.

By staying silent on this matter they (Tov) are just as much to blame in this situation as the mayor himself.

Jon,

I'm sorry it has taken so long for you to be embarrassed to be a BS/RBSA anglo.

The intolerance by various members of the community and belittling of others different than them (and yes my friend even by rabbonim) is sickening.

If you don't like it now how do you think it will be in a few years when the "taliban" have full control of the city and enact their "Nuremburg" type of takanos.

The accused rabbonim are proud of their kanoish stance and have no problem "dissing" those they don't approve of.

A community, like a generation, reflects and is a reflection of it's leaders.

Our community suffers from discord and a serious lack of true Ahavas Yisroel (which is in fact Yiras Shamayim) because our leaders foster such an atmosphere.

The title rabbi brings greater responsibility NOT lack of it!

both sides are claiming (verbal) agreements were made. Why are there no written agreements in place?we should be asking why? many of these problems would have been solved if they could produce real proof

There are no written agreements because politics here are handled mafia style at worst, and good ole boy at best.

Update as of the wee hours of 31-8-11... The police are under instructions from the Ministry of Education and the Minister of Internal Security to open the school building for Orot Banot. On Thursday there will be a regular school day. MAZAL TOV!

Part of the problem is that apparently realtors did tell people buying apartments that until the Ramat Neria traffic circle would be Chareidi. Of course, realtors are realtors, they're not concerned with reality, rather with making the sale. But the people buying may have been told that, and don't distinguish based on where they heard it.

Of course, it doesn't matter what they were told, it doesn't justify this kind of divisive garbage.

Yeah, we were told by real estate agents that the back road will be opening within a year and it's 20 minutes to Yerushalayim :)

We also were shown Resido once, back when it was known as Green Valley and was being marketed as connected to Sheinfeld and not Bet or the Kiryah...

Here's some solid advice to all our neighbors - the next time anyone hareidi shows up to collect tzedaka, make a sad face as you dig into your empty pockets and say that you are dal vareik; that might solve the problem quick.

Tammany Hall....

Did anyone notice that none of the names on the pashkevil are preceded by "Rav"?

they are clearly humble