Boker Tov Ashdodiot!

This absurd bike path sprouted up in Ashdod. It is kind of pointless as it looks like it is not even 50 meters long. The municipality announced that they have no explanation for how this happened other than maybe the person laying the sidewalk possibly had a sense of humor. They say they will fix it (though I dont know if fixing it means extending the path or getting rid of it)

I would note that I see weird bike paths all the time, in the middle of sidewalks with seemingly no continuation or whatnot, but I have never seen one this short!

With the expansion of many cities, at times halachic questions arise as to which day is the proper day for celebrating Purim. Regular cities celebrate on the 14th of Adar, but cities that used to be walled celebrate on the 15th. That is generally thought of as Jerusalem, as the Old City of Jerusalem is walled and everyone knows about it. The truth is though that numerous cities used to be walled, but today's modern cities are not generally in the same exact place, and the original walls do not generally exist for us all to see and remember. Yet, sometimes a city expands and bumps up to the original location of what used to be the original walled city, and that's when the questions arise.

This has now happened in Ashdod. A delegation went to ask the posek Rav Mordechai Gross if in Ashdod they need to celebrate on the 14th or 15th of Adar. With the expansion of the city and new neighbors built in proximity to the biblical Ashdod, they were unsure what to do.

Rav Gross paskened that while they celebrate on the 14th, they should be careful to also read the megilla, without a bracha, on the 15th, just in case. Rav Gross said the area of some of the new neighborhoods might be not just near the ancient city but right in the same location. Because of the uncertainty, it should be read on the 15th as well.
source: Kikar

I will just point out that Bet Shemesh is in a similar situation. I know some people who have been reading on the 15th for many years already because of the proximity to both Tel Bet Shemesh and to Yarmouth. Now that RBS C (Gimmel) has been built right on Yarmouth, there is an even stronger argument for reading on the 15th.

The next issue in Ashdod is an unexpected one. We have come to expect fights over public Shabbos-observance, over kashrut, over conversion, over allocation of public resources such as buildings for schools and shuls, plots for construction and the like... who knew that wifi in a secular area would be a problem?

Let''s start off like this.. Many many years ago I used to leave my wifi open and available with no password. I was basically leaving it accessible for my neighbors thinking the impact on my usage was nominal at worst and I could easily do a chessed with any neighbors near enough that wanted it (and some did). Eventually I started to see people, often kids but not only, sitting outside for extended periods of time and I realized they were using my wifi. After that I secured it with a password and that was the end of that.

Just the other day someone asked me about his wifi that has no password and the signal reaches outside strong enough for Internet surfing to just one spot - and he often sees people, usually hassidic men, parking their cars right there in his parking spot under his porch and using his wifi. Because of that he decided to secure it with a password.

So, the story, as reported by Actualic, is that the City of Ashdod has decided to install free public wifi along the beachfront for the benefit of the beach-goers.

The free wifi will be available along the entire beachfront by the regular, mixed, secular, beaches, but will not be next to the separate beach that the Haredim use, as the Haredi leadership does not want it available.  can't tell if this was just assumed or if it was requested. Or maybe they just did not want to do it by the Haredi beach.

But no, the complaint is not that wifi is being provided along the entire beach but not by the Haredi/religious beach. The complaint is that free wifi is being provided - by the secular beaches.

Haredi askanim in Ashdod are complaining that the free wifi access will attract Haredim as well to the beach area, to the secular beach area. The free open wifi itself is a problem, as anybody wanting to use internet will just go down to the beach area and immediately have access to unfiltered Internet and be able to access anything they want. In addition, being near the secular beaches will expose them to immodesty and inappropriate views and atmosphere.

The askanim are pushing Haredi leadership to work to thwart the plan as it still needs to pass final approval in City Hall.

A plan for secular residents, to be implemented in secular areas, cannot happen because Haredim might go there to benefit from it as well.
a. maybe let people choose what they want or dont want to do.
b. if it is so bad, educate your people to not partake in it.
c. stop moving to secular areas and then trying to control their lives
d. if you want to move to a secular town, and that is your right, stop complaining how you don't like what they do.

Here is an example of the problem with a neighborhood that is "mitchared" - i.e. when a haredi community starts buying houses in a secular neighborhood and little by little starts moving in and changing the character of the neighborhood.

While everyone has the right to buy anywhere and live wherever they want, one should not buy a home next to, say, an airport and then complain about the noise and traffic. A person should not buy a house next to a shopping center and complain about the dirt, noise, and traffic. A person should not buy a house in a Muslim neighborhood and complain about the mosques or the loud wedding celebrations. and on and on. If you move in on someone else's lifestyle, you have to deal with what they do as well.

In Ashdod the Haredim of Rova Vav neighborhood are upset. The neighborhood has been undergoing "haredization" in the past few years, as Haredi families have been buying homes in that secular neighborhood and moving in. Now hundreds of Haredi families live there among the secular.

The neighborhood will be hosting a hip hop festival this week. Not even on Shabbos - just three days mid-week, from May 28 through May 30.

The Haredi neighbors are upset, calling this a "Pritzus Festival". They are upset that this festival will harm their education and our children and those of us living nearby will have to close the trissim, the blinds, to avoid hearing the abominable sounds and will be prevented from walking in the streets. They call for the festival to be cancelled due to how it will affect their sensibilities and ability to live their lives the way they want.
source: Kikar

So, a few hundred families move into a secular neighborhood, and are not yet even a majority, but insist the local secular, who have been there far longer than them, change their lifestyle to accommodate.

A little humility, and patience, would not hurt. This is why in so many places mayors are refusing to build large housing projects for the Haredi community - because they come in and insist on everyone around them changing for them. Perhaps they should also consider the live and let live approach and wait it out quietly, at least until they take over almost the entire neighborhood.

The best thing about the start of round 2 of the Shabbos fights in Ashdod, upon notice of kiosks opening on Shabbos and now approval by the City for a new theater that will operate on Shabbos, is the possible return of the "Shabbat Hayom" guy.. we have not seen him in a while...

this campaign video for someone campaigning for city council in Ashdod is ridiculously, awesomely, insanely, stereotypically anti-semitic... besides for using the blood of secular kids for matza baking I am not sure if they left anything else out of the list!

The candidate using this video in his material should be banned from running for office

Meir Cohen, a Haredi yeshiva bochur who recently became an Internet star when a video of him csreaming at shoppers at BIG mall in Ashdod that it is Shabbos, was arrested.



When I saw the headline that he was arrested, I assumed he was arrested for his screaming. I did not understand why that would get him arrested. Maybe some harassment charges, but nothing serious - he did not really do anything, and I could not see him being held for a serious amount of time over this..  Maybe he would get a restraining order to stay away from the BIG mall, but I can't really see more than that happening.

By the way, many people in the Haredi community, including askanim involved in trying to get the BIG mall closed on Shabbos, have criticized him for screaming like that, even calling it a chilul hashem. Also, they say he might have good intentions, but they say he is harming their efforts to get the mall closed.

It turns out that his appearance and approach was not a one time thing, but he has gone to BIG on Shabbos repeatedly in recent weeks, and has approached people with the same style over and over again.

That could get annoying.

Walla and Ladaat are reporting that he has been arrested for disturbing public order. Supposedly, according to the charges, besides for being a creep and a pest, he also threatened people, attacked people (whatever that means), and disturbed a policeman trying to keep order.

It is amazing what a war can do..

Historically, wars were often used as a means of spurring a stagnant economy. Going to war meant production of weapons and ammunition and armaments and all sorts of other things required for the army. Obviously they were also used to achieve political goals, settle feuds and disputes, for personal reasons, to plunder other cities or countries and whatnot, but an important factor was always the effect it would have on the economy.

Recent reports have shown the effect of last summer's war in Gaza, Defensive Edge, has had on the State of Israel.

One report shows that as a result of the war, donations to Barzilai Hospital in Ashqelon have hit record highs.

According to the report, in 2014 Barzilai Hospital brought in 26 million NIS in donation, far surpassing Hadassah (4.7) and Sheba (8.1).

מי כעמך ישראל!!

According to the second report, there is a baby boom going on in Ashdod and the surrounding areas. 9 months after Defensive Edge, they are setting records for births in the area of Ashdod and Ashqelon. During a time of distress, with people spending more time than usual closed up int ehir homes, nature takes its course...

כן ירבו!!

AM:PM, the famous supermarket chain in Tel Aviv that has caused many fights for flaunting the law and being open on Shabbos, wants to open its first branch in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod.

AM:PM operations on Shabbos in Tel Aviv has led to lawsuits by the small markets associations for unfair competition, as they cannot afford the fines, yet are being forced to work on Shabbos just to compete and they therefore lose their day off. AM:PM operations also led to a Haredi [sort of, never actually official] ban on other supermarkets owned by the same owner, Shefa Shuk.

Now AM:PM wants to open in Ashdod, on Shabbos. The local Haredim are upset, understandably. I am sure the other small market owners are also upset.

The owner of the property is himself a religious Jew who keeps Shabbos. His response to the complaints against him is that he is against chilul shabbat, but he is against coercion

It seems just a few hundred meters away there are other businesses open on Shabbos. The Haredim say there are businesses open downtown, but not in this area, which is right opposite City Hall.

The mayor says he is looking into the issue.
source: Mynet

Personally, I am just going to wait for the first Kassam or Grad rocket to hit the new AM:PM building so we can hear about how it was hit due to its chilul shabbos.

Kooker reports on an interesting story - this past Friday a newly married young man, in the middle of his week of sheva brachos, went to Rav Chaim Kanievsky and asked an important question. His mother, living in Ashdod, is making the sheva brachos on Shabbos. They wanted to know if they should not go because of the danger. On the other hand, not going would hurt his mother. What should they do?

Rav Chaim Kanievsky refused to answer them but instead sent them to ask Rav Shteinman.

Rav Shteinman heard the question and told them they should go to Ashdod for the sheva brachos, and they should make sure to take all safety measures and follow the instructions of Pikud Haoref - the Home Front Command.

and, more on Bnei Braq and the promise of the Chazon Ish -

Kooker adds that Rav Nissim Karelitz was asked by one his grandchildren this week regarding the famous promise of the Chazon Ish. Rav Nissim Kaarelizt is the nephew of the Chazon Ish. The grandchild asked what to do if the siren blares in Bnei Braq. Rav Karelitz told him to go into the secure room, the bomb shelter.

What about the promise of the Chazon Ish?

Rav Nissim Karelitz answered that it is true, the Chazon Ish did make the famous promise that missiles wont fall in Bnei Braq, and he heard it from the Chazon Ish with his own ears. However, he said, despite the promise, the obligation of hishtadlus one must take all precautions and follow safety instructions.

Penina Rosenblum, former Israeli actress, fashion model, politician, media personality and always a businesswoman, sells a line of hair products - shampoos and conditioner - under her name.



Upon hearing that in the Haredi neighborhood in Ashdod stickers were being affixed to the bottles of her product to cover up her image, Rosenblum gave one of the smartest responses I have heard.


Many would be insulted and threaten to remove the product from the area if the locals continue to deface it.. Rosenblum said, "I am selling this shampoo all around the country for 25 years already and haven't had a problem anywhere. Machsanei HaShuk is a chain of stores we work with a lot, and is a chain that hasn't had a problem in any of its stores. Maybe n the area of this specific store there are some more religious people, even though I am not exposed in the picture, it is only my face. But what is most important to me is that they buy the shampoo. Wherever there are religious people who want to put a sticker on the shampoo, I have no problem. The main thing is that they buy my shampoo."





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Ladaat.net is reporting that Ashdod is the front-line of a new "mehadrin bus" battle. Not the type of mehadrin fight we have become accustomed to with men in front and women in back of the bus, but a whole new issue.

Egged has decided to install in their buses in Ashdod special informational screens that will help the deaf passengers get necessary information. Egged has decided that the screens would not be used just for passing on info to passengers, but also to run advertising.

The local haredim are upset about the advertising, calling it secular coercion. They agree that the screens are a blessing in regards to the help provided to the deaf population, but the advertising, they claim, is completely unnecessary. There are screens used in buses in other cities with no advertising, and they say there is no need for it in Ashdod, and there is no need for the advertising revenue.

According to Ladaat, the haredi community has decided to boycott Egged in Ashdod and use the local "tender" services instead. As well, they will only use the taxi services when there is a sticker in the windshield saying the taxi is shomer shabbat and will charge no more than 4NIS per ride.

Consumer boycotts rarely work, but they have the right to do it. I am not sure why the advertising is "secular coercion - perhaps there are immodest images being displayed. It seems out of place for them to decide that Egged has no need for advertising revenue - how do they know how much it pulls in and how much Egged needs for whatever?

And lastly, to set the price for using taxis seems unfair and inappropriate. Perhaps it should depend on the distance being traveled. I would have thought that 4 NIS in Ashdod must be the normal price, but if it is being declared as part of the set of rules, that must not be the case, and they are trying to force the taxi drivers to lower their fares.

If the haredi consumer power gets them to lower their fares, more power to them! We all hate advertising and try to avoid it whenever possible (I know based on how few clicks the advertising on this site get.. :-) )

On the one hand it is simply consumer advocacy. On the other hand , I dislike it all the appearance of trying to take over and run things, especially in the name of religion, even though as consumers they have a right to make requests and see if their muscle flexing works.
If Egged does not cave, and the taxi drivers do not cave, then the local haredim will have to make a choice as they will see they do not have as much influence as they thought they did. If one or the other, or both, do cave, then it is simply consumer advocacy at its best/worst.