The following item was published in one of the local Bet Shemesh whatsapp news groups I am in.

A delegation of Neturei Karta went to the Palestinian town of Jenin today in a solidarity march, showing solidarity with the residents for supposedly suffering daily Israeli attacks.. ie showing solidarity with terrorists who are searched for by the IDF. 

Now THIS is a great pashkevil on the walls of RBS B (as reported by Behadrei - personally, ever since they built the new road circumventing B I have almost never had a reason to drive through B)...

There was an unfortunate incident in RBS B yesterday evening in which the police, working to enforce the indoor mask rules, stopped a maskless woman in the store (based on the reports in the news). When she refused to cooperate and identify herself, the police decided to detain her, and take her to the station for questioning and for her to eventually identify herself. The situation quickly escalated with people form the neighborhood surrounding the police car and acting in a threatening way. Eventually the police just released the woman to calm the situation.

Earlier today the city adhered to the court order to get rid of the graffiti decorating the streets of RBS B. I saw it happening as I drove by earlier today. 

Just thinking out loud for a moment...

while the police and the army have RBS B under full closure for most of the week, perhaps they can do double duty (or City Hall can bring their people in) and get rid of all the graffiti and clean the place up at the same time...

There is some new fight going on with the extremists in RBS B now.

The extremists are upset about a female psychologist in town that has claimed to have approval for her work from the Eida Hachareidis, and she is treating a yeshiva bochur. To that end they spread pashkevilim around town saying that an open door is an invitation for thieves and they therefore are calling on people to harass her by calling her number, which they published, and if we do not do so, this will be just the beginning of such sins.

In response the psychologist says that they are just extremists and are looking for bad and not to actually help the community and that she consults with a rav at every stage. She claims they took their claims to the local neighborhood rav and insisted he sign a letter against her, which he refused to do. And, if someone wants to come get treated by me, they can/should ask their rav first.
source: Actualic

1. how do they know who is getting treated by this psychologist? This is information that is normally kept confidential.
2. Are they against all psychologists or just this specific one?
3. Are they upset at her because she is treating a yeshiva bochur and there is nothing wrong with yeshiva bochurim?
4. Are they upset because it is a female doctor treating a male yeshiva bochur? Do they protest against every other female doctor who does so?
5. Are they only upset because she isnt Eida approved though they say she claims to be?
6. Maybe the right way to deal with this is this exact issue - they should all get treatment from a psychologist, though perhaps not this one...

the walls of that part of RBS B are so disgusting it makes the area look like a horrible slum...

The Admor of Vizshnitz Bet Shemesh came out harshly criticizing the extremists in RBS B.

Over Pesach, Deputy Minister Meir Porush had been invited to the kehilla and when he arrived he came under attack from hundreds of the extremists.

The rebbe criticized them, said Porush is a welcome guest and is someone who helps anyone who needs help, no matter who they might be, and even invited him again to his grandsons bris. The rebbe said Porush should not be afraid from this minority of people who are regularly destroying the city. He said it is fine and nice that they do not take money from the State but they cannot come out against people. They can debate ideas and argue against opinions and methods, but they cannot go personally against any person.
source: Kikar

I dont know why he waited 3 weeks or so before saying anything, but ok. I am sure he has his reason. What I do find interesting is that he said anything at all. We regularly hear excuses when refusing to condemn the extremists about how we have nothing to do with them, they do not listen to us, we are not them and they are not us, it is insulting to be lumped with them that we have to condemn them, etc etc etc. Sure enough, when someone want to he has no problem condemning them.

Further, this raises the question why only when it affected his small community could he say something, and not when it is more general, when they do things affecting the entire city. He even says in his attack on them now that they are regularly doing things that destroy the city. So why not condemn them at other times? Let them know, and let everyone else know, that what they are doing is wrong. Maybe if important people speak up they will eventually feel pressured to stop.

Paid parking in central shopping areas throughout Bet Shemesh is about a year old. Shortly after implementation the parking areas were so empty there was concern that businesses would have been negatively impacted as people head to the malls with free parking to do their shopping instead.

A year later, I would say that the stores look pretty busy, mostly normal, on a regular basis, especially later in the week as Shabbos approaches. There is just about always available parking, as people park a bit further away for free, the rental companies are not using the spots and other reasons.

The "Salvation Committee of Merchants" has put out a notice on behalf of business owners in RBS A and RBS B about how the paid park is destroying the local businesses and should be canceled. They call it a "fine". They also only refer to businesses in these Haredi neighborhoods and do not coordinate and cooperate with businesses around the rest of the city.



So, perhaps my impression of the businesses largely doing ok is wrong. Maybe only a few are struggling, and maybe some are struggling for reasons not related to the parking. As well, many people will prefer indoor air conditioned malls anyway, regardless of the parking, over an outdoor shopping center where one must maneuver in the heat or rain between shops.

Either way, I hope they find a solution, as nobody wants the local businesses to be hurt. I do think trying to get paid parking canceled is basically futile and they should put their efforts elsewhere.

as seen in RBS B - changed Chardak graffiti to "Chayal Charedi Kadosh"

for a long time already residents of a certain section of RBS B have been attacking people walking through the main road on Shabbos afternoon, but recently it has escalated.

The problem is that the city planner built RBS B, a neighborhood that was marketed for more extreme elements of Haredi society right on the main road between older Bet Shemesh and newer Bet Shemesh, including RBS A, and C (and future neighborhoods). The only way to walk from RBS A to a neighborhood in older Bet Shemesh is via the main drag of RBS B, which goes right through the heart of the neighborhood of the violent extremists.

While individuals walk for many reasons (i.e. a simcha, visit friends, or whatnot), they specifically target the Bnei Akiva youth group counselors that walk from RBS A to Bet Shemesh and back to lead their groups on Shabbos afternoon. Recently it has gotten so bad that parents and adults have been volunteering to walk and accompany these teens. That has not helped, and the level of the attacks has continuously increased.


Somebody has decided to hit back at the extremists. According to an anonymous pashkevil put up around RBS B a few days ago, a group of residents is threatening the extremists that if their violence continues they will report the illegal businesses of the extremists to the tax authorities, along with reporting their illegal construction and if any are US citizens, to also report them to the tax authorities there.

Nobody really knows, at least not publicly, who is behind this. The two theories are either the DL community, that is regularly attacked the most with the violence, or other local residents (non-extremist Haredim) of RBS B who are simply fed up with what is going on.

The pashkevil itself is designed and worded exactly like a Haredi pashkevil, so either the DL really upped their game this time, or else it really does come out of the Haredi community. As well, the people who would best know about the local illegal businesses and construction would be the local neighbors and not others fro other communities and sectors in other neighborhoods. It makes most sense (to me) that it is from local residents rather than from the DL community, but either way is fine.

Now we have to see if whoever this is actually follows through with the threats and hits them where it hurts - in the pocketbooks.

This past Shabbos yesterday, it did not help. Reports from people who were present say the violence continued with screaming and things being thrown from windows and porches at the people passing through and this time there was even fishing wire strung across the street in a way that was meant to hurt people.

this video is a resident of RBS B complaining about service by the people at the Bet Shemesh Water Authority, Mei Shemesh.

The content of the complaint does not interest me. It is a dispute. They charged an outrageous amount, he complained, they responded, they argue some more, blah blah blah... I dont know if there is corruption or just plain old bad service or if the residents are at fault, and I dont really care.

What I find interesting is that residents in RBS B, Haredi residents, are using "new media", Facebook and YouTube, to complain and get action....

The various reports have slightly different details on this, but they all get the main point the same - a soldier (or maybe two) went to daven in the Rama shul (aka "the shteiblach") in RBS B last night and were attacked by local extremist thugs. They verbally attacked him and his sons outside of the shul and then smashed the windows of his car.

The soldier is a fellow from Netivot on reserve duty. When called up to service he brought his two boys to his parents in Bet Shemesh. When he was given a break for a few hours, he traveled to Bet Shemesh to see his family, and when he went to the shul to daven, the incident happened.

source: Bechadrei, Kikar

The mayor of Bet Shemesh, Moshe Abutbol, posted a condemnation pretty quickly. Abubtol spoke with the soldier and said he was shocked to hear of the serious incident and that he condemns it strongly, especially during this period where everybody, including the people of Bet Shemesh are united in support of the soldiers. Abubtol also said that in the Iryah they say tehillim every day for the soldiers, along with the "mi she'beirach" for their success, along with establishing a prayer hotline. Abutbol also added that such behavior is both illegal and against halacha, and he called upon the police to deal harshly with them.

In addition to Abutbol's comments, MK Aryeh Dery (Shas) also publicized a condemnation of the attack. Dery wrote that they have crossed all lines, this is an act of terror and they must be dealt with the same way we deal with terrorists. The hand that is raised against a soldier should be cut off!

Other responses to the incident include MK Litzman (UTJ) who said that no person in a right mind wouldn't condemn such an attack. It is a serious incident, it is a public crime and is a terrible injustice that is meant to blacken the reputation of an entire sector. The police should deal with them seriously.
MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) said it is a serious incident both for the actual act and also the chillul hashem it causes. These people put the entire Haredi community in danger and cause tremendous amount of damage.
source: Bechadrei







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this past week has seen the arrest of a couple of yeshiva bochurim who are officially AWOL from the army. While technically all bochurim are AWOL, since the Tal Law was rescinded and no new system has yet been put in place to replace it to allow yeshiva bochurim to continue learning instead of army service, , most bochurim at least have followed the guidance of Rav Shteinman who says bochurim should show up to the army draft board and go through the process, until the last stage of being drafted. These students just arrested followed Rav Shmuel Auerbach's guidance that bochurim should not appear before the draft board at all and should ignore all notices to that effect. Hence, the arrest of a couple of yeshiva bochurim, and we will probably see more...

The arrests sparked protests in various Haredi areas around the country, including RBS... here is some video from local photographer Yaakov Lederman



and some of his images..
















(same comment for all the pictures - at least their hats are safe..)

Wow! This is one of the latest pashkevils up in RBS B... against Superbus for the evil crime of operating a bus line (bus #17) through the neighborhood that also goes to the secular parts of the city. In the words of the pashkevil author, Superbus by doing so has opened up the gates of the lewdness of the streets into the neighborhood!

I would note that bus #14 has always operated on the route from RBS A through RBS B and into all areas of Bet Shemesh, so the presence of a bus from RBS B to the secular areas is really nothing new.

They threaten that if the bus line is not canceled, the battle will be brought back to them and the good relations from which both sides have benefited will come to an end, that Superbus will be responsible for!

is this not a hole in the wall?

There is a little falafel shop in RBS B that always makes me laugh. The place is a "hole in the wall", literally. It's a little shop, with no seating, and it is pretty decrepit. They make me laugh because they advertise with signs on buses calling themselves the best falafel in the country.

I don't know how to rate that, and even someone who does know how to make such comparisons would have to eat at an awful lot of falafel stands around the country to be able to make such a definitive statement. But that is marketing. They have to sell themselves, and if they won't be self-aggrandizing in selling themselves, nobody else will be. it always just strikes up a funny image in my head that this little hole in the wall in RBS B could possibly be the best falafel in the country. I don't deny it, as the falafel is good, I just find the definitiveness of the statement to be striking, especially coming from such an unexpected place.

now I am hungry for a falafel

It turns out they might not be so far off from the truth. The Walla news food page has reviewed this little falafel shop and gives it rave reviews. the piece is written by someone who claims to be a taxi driver and regularly writes food reviews about "street food". He came to Bet Shemesh to try this falafel, as Bar Shalom advertises their falafel as consisting of 17 spices, which is unusual for falafel. he explains that the hechsher they use for certification does not allow coriander (cuzbara) to be used, so Bar Shalom had to discover a combination of 17 spices to work around the lack of coriander and still produce a tasty falafel ball.

The taxi driver does not mention it, but I will point out that Bar Shalom makes a note in his advertisements that they fry the falafel balls in fresh oil, as they change the oil every day. I don't know how common that is, but if they waste advertising space to mention it, perhaps it is uncommon and has what to do with the taste as well.

Bet Shemesh, it seems, has what to be proud of, even coming out of RBS B. I don't know if it is actually the best falafel in the country, but it has received a great review at a national level.



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