A Final Pre-Election Message from TOV

This Tuesday, from 7AM until 10PM, you will have the opportunity to have your say in what the face and character of Bet Shemesh will look like for the next five years.
As you can probably tell from all the speechs, papers, fliers, ads, booklets, other "stuff" in the street, passions are high and people feel that this election cycle is very important.
Everyone has their strong opinion about the Mayoral candidates and everyone has a passionate opinion about which party to vote for.

The most important thing is TO GET OUT AND VOTE.
Do not sit home. PLEASE.

Find your voting station, bring your Teudat Zehut and go vote.
If you are not sure where to vote, or if you need transportation, please call the TOV headquarters at 077-300-9641 and we will be happy to help.

PLEASE.
Its your right and your z'chut to have a say.

I was on Har Hazeisim today. I had a levaya to attend. While waiting for the levaya to begin, we met at the parking lot of the Intercontinental Hotel.

I realized I am in the wrong business. I am working too hard, for too little. Out of this car came an Arab fellow selling these posters for a few shekels each. There were not a lot of people in the area - just a few. If that business of selling these posters for pennies can earn him enough to buy a nice car like that, I must be in the wrong business.


While waiting, I saw the following election sign on a poll. It is a sign for a Shas candidate, in Arabic. I asked an Arab guy there if he was going to be voting for that guy. He said yes. I asked why? Isn't there an Arab candidate to vote for? He said they don't care who any of them are - whoever helps them, they will vote for him.

The following is a bit long, but is well-thought out and well-written. A friend of mine sent me his thoughts from the debate....and who he thinks should be supported for mayor

Impressions from the debate


Like (almost) all the people that attended the debate last night at Beis Tefilah between two of the mayoral candidates, Shalom Lerner (SL) and Moshe Abutbul (MA), I also came with a pre-defined decision about who I would vote for (SL) and the debate did not change my mind, but rather only strengthened my view (not to vote for MA).

With that disclaimer in mind, I would like to share some of my impressions from the debate (also based a bit on the candidates' election material as well as discussions I had with other participants after the event).

I think that the issues can be divided into three topics: Blah-blah, irrelevant issues and the main issues.

1. Regular Election blah-blah.

Each candidate promised that, if elected, he will clean up the city, solve all the problems with the youth, the education system, the parking, Kvish 10, Olim, Vatikim, old BS, RBS, English, Hebrew, Hilonim, Datiyim, Haredim, the budget, the environment, etc., etc., etc.

There is not much difference between the candidates in these issues.

I do believe that both the candidates have good qualities, much experience and many accomplishments, and will actually improve the city services for the good of the residents.

2. Issues that differentiate the candidates (that I think are irrelevant)

There are a number of issues that were mentioned (by the candidates, in their literature, etc.) that are totally irrelevant to the suitability of the candidate to function as a good mayor.

- English – I don't think that SL's English (or MA's lack of) will make either one a better or worse mayor. It may be more convenient for an Anglo new Oleh to speak to SL, but in Israel the language is Hebrew. Both agree that there is a need for some English speaking customer service in the Iriyah.

- Similarly, MA's being a "native" Israeli doesn't make him any better at dealing with the "Israelis" in the Iriyah. SL has been in Israel 2 decades also "speaks the language" just as well.

- MA's background in education, as well as SL's background in finance, are both fine qualities that will help them both in their jobs, and I'm sure they will have a slightly different way of working because of their different professional backgrounds, but once again, it is an issue that is not relevant in differentiating a mayor with a staff of professionals that will deal with the various departments. (Although I do feel that SL's financial understanding is more important to run a big organization than MA's background in education – as our incumbent mayor Danny Vaknin who also was a teacher and principal proves.)

- MA's big plan to make a "Minhelet" in RBS (some sort of mini city hall department specifically run by RBS residents) is also nonsense. If the sewer in front of my house is overflowing, what difference does it make if I call the maintenance department in the Iriyah in "old BS" who sends someone to fix it, or if I call the RBS-resident secretary in the RBS minhelet offices in RBS, who will then call the maintenance department in the Iriyah in "old BS" who sends someone to fix it? I do not understand what the minhelet will accomplish? The Iriyah can (and should) upkeep RBS, as well as all neighborhoods in the city, without having to open new offices. It won't give RBS any bigger budget and definitely not (and shouldn't) give preference to one part of the city over another. In today's day of telephones and automobiles, there should be no difference where the offices are physically situated. (Also, I understand that there was one some sort of similar Vaad Shechunah years ago which was similar to MA's minhelet which actually didn't do much and was disbanded after realizing that it was not needed.)

- There were also a number of other small issues that many of the participants noted that seem to may make one candidate better/worse than the other, that also may or may not be too relevant to running a city, and is more a matter of "style".

Many participants seem to think that MA was a better speaker than SL. (although there were some of the women that were quite upset that MA did not even once look towards the women during the entire speech – that may or may not show something about his personality).

I also was impressed by his method of speaking and his use of rhetoric and also think that he is a better public speaker than SL, but I also think that it is not so much of an important issue. You shouldn't elect a mayor (or a US president for that matter) just because he is a better public speaker than his opponent. Everyone will agree that Danny Vaknin is a speaker that would have outdone both of them – and we see what type of mayor he has been.

MA started the evening with the fact that it was the "yarzeit" of the murder of Yitzchak Rabin (as well as Rachel Imeinu) and mentioned 3 times! during the debate that "words can kill". Some people felt that saying that was very inappropriate. I also am not sure what he was insinuating and do think that it was a very stupid and inappropriate comment.

3. With keeping in mind that both SL and MA are good, qualified, dedicated and competent candidates for mayor, and either one will, as mayor, work hard to fix up the city for the benefit of the residents – as should be – there are a few issues that differentiate them and that should be that main issues when deciding who to vote for and what type of city you want for the future. In most of these crucial issues, I must admit that I was very disturbed by what I heard from MA and will therefore vote, and urge you all to vote, for SL.

- When SL brought up the issue of the Kanayim (the flag-burning, rock-throwing, women-assaulting anti-state neturei karta etc. residents of RBS B) creating a chilul hashem and that have made Bet Shemesh infamous (rightfully or not) in the "outside" world, and that MA has sided himself many times with these kanoyim, MA's response was some ambiguous statement that he is "for" everybody and that we "can't fight violence with violence" etc.
I do not know if MA has any back-room deal with these kanoyim or what his opinion is about the state or segregated busses etc. But I was fittingly upset with his response.

- MA made coalition agreements wit many of the non-religious (anti-Vaknin) parties in BS. In all the non-Hareidi newspapers (i.e. Temurah) MA is shown as the one single religious person surrounded by all the Hiloni leaders of BS. The promises (i.e. to give place of "biluy" for the youth etc) seem to me that he is trying to show himself as a big supporter of a non-religious BS. He of course doesn't mention that he is of the Shas party, and of course has very, very different ads in the religious RBS advertisements. This is in addition to the "rumor" that there is an "understanding" between them that he will let BS be "taken" by the non-religious and RBS by the hareidim.
In addition, MA has been known to say (refer to the "famous" resido video) that each "group" should have their own area. The hilonim should not come into the hareidi area and the hareidim should not have to go to the hilonin area (this was in reference that the government offices (i.e bituach leumi) should be separated fro hilonim and hareidim). Is this the way he plans on running the pluralistic, mixed city?
Any religious non-hareidi (and I do also include American yeshivish who are significantly different than Israeli hareidi) should be worried about this.

- Another point that bothered me is when SL talked about that after he becomes mayor to work with "everyone" and to give out jobs, resources, etc to every group fairly, (while MA already gave out all the jobs to the parties that signed with him already and has nothing left to offer anyone else). MA answered (to me it seemed like a very condescending way) that whoever joined him now will get "rewarded" and whoever did not join him will not ("will have to take the bus" were his words.) What bothered me more that MA's remarks were the "hooting" of the crowd who seem to like what he said (or really hate Gur).
I don't think that the purpose of this election is just to change the city government with a similar model that rewards his friends and punished those that didn't vote for him!

Finally, and not the least important, has nothing to do with MA or SL as individuals. It is not an issue of which candidate will be a better manager of the city departments. BS/RBS is at a point in the road which may decide the "style" of the city for many years to come. Shas is poring millions of shekels into MA's campaign. It is very, very important to Shas (i.e. for the national Shas party, not important to BS) that BS gets a Shas mayor. Also, all of the more right-wing hareidi leaders and Rabbis (i.e. national Agudah/UJT/Gimel) are pushing MA since it is very important to them also that BS gets a hareidi mayor.

Many dati-leumi, as well as American and more modern, working hareidim (see the TOV party) are worried that RBS will become a "ultra-Hareidi" city following the path of Beitar (which also was once a "mixed" city) Telshe Stone and Kiryat Sefer. Some people may surely think that that may be a good thing and vote accordingly. I myself do actually prefer to live in a religious neighborhood and think that it is very beneficial to me and my family (that being one of the main reasons that I moved here), but I am worried that in the current political situation (in BS and the entire country) that (with all due respect for MA) if Bet Shemesh gets a Shas, hareidi mayor (with connections to the most right-wing ultra-hareidi and kanoyim groups) it will not have a good impact on the future of the city.

Shalom Lerner, whom there is absolutely no disagreement that he is fine, bright, dedicated, accomplished, and honest, as well as religious and learned, and knowing the importance of keeping and helping RBS as a strong Torah-focused neighborhood will be a much better mayor for Bet Shemesh.

Vote accordingly.

The following contains information I have not verified, but I know the source of it is generally reliable....

A Guest Post by Don't Vote Abutbol

Dear Readers of Lifeinisrael,

When I spoke to Rafi about this post, I mentioned the idea of writing it with my name attached. Out of fear for possible repercussions, I decided to post it anonymously, even though my anonymity might take away from the effect my post will have. In any event, many of you will be able guess who I am.

Moshe Abutbul is a good person. He is not a monster. In his own personal life, he is no extremist.

However -- and this is a big however.

The people backing Moshe Abutbul are extremists and "kanoim" (I put that word in quotation marks in deference to Rav Malinowitz, who opposes using that expression for Charedi hooligans). I can provide names and details upon request, in the comments. For the first time in the history of the State of Israel, these kanoim are planning on going to the polls.

And for good reason.

Abutbul has made a number of promises to these extremists, including specific land allocations to their insitutions and an overall promise to follow the Edah Hacharedis's rabonim.

This would explain the following fact: the Edah Hacharedis has been relatively silent on the local elections (they usually put out 10 times as much anti-voting propoganda).

The mayoral election is more than a question of official party platforms. It's about how this city will look over the next five years. Which rabbonim will be consulted? Which community leaders will have a say?

Will our rabbonim (and Rebbes) be heard? Or will those who insult our rabbonim be the ones determining city policy?

A Guest Post by Shalom Lerner for Mayor (a.k.a. David Morris)

Hizballah fired over four thousand rockets and missiles, raining death & destruction upon the whole North of Israel.

It was the summer of 2006.

Danny Vaknin, the Mayor of Bet Shemesh, was on a city-sponsored trip in China.

I was in the Mayor’s office, with Shalom Lerner, Deputy Mayor, who was at the head of a table of distinguished council members and community leaders.

“What can we do,” Shalom asked us, “to best help our brothers from the North of Israel?”

The team of the Bet Shemesh Municipality, together with Lema’an Achai, which spearheaded a group of local and national charities, put together and implemented an emergency “City of Refuge” program, which successfully housed, fed and even entertained Over A Thousand Refugees from the devastated cities and towns of Northern Israel.

What is more, Shalom successfully united all those people around that table, representatives from chiloni, dati, chareidi, sephardi, Ashkenazi, Russian, left wing and right wing – to roll up their sleeves to help a similarly cross-spectrum population of refugees – so that each group, family and individual were given the care and support they desperately needed – even to the level of numerous special hechsherim on the food, to providing facilities for the Russians to watch cable TV and play chess!

Bet Shemesh was the ONLY city which responded at this level to the refugee problem of the Lebanon War. The City of Bet Shemesh and Lema’an Achai were spotlighted & commended in the post-war Ben Gurion University Report on “The Response of the Non-Profit Sector to the 2nd Lebanon War”.

Seeing Shalom in action – his immediate and unwavering desire to help Am Yisrael, and his efficient and deeply sensitive management, helping to get the job done quickly and efficiently, cutting through any obstacles, even in a National Emergency (read: “National balagan”) environment – made a deep impression upon me.

If he cares this much about the residents of Kireat Shmona, Naharia, Safad, and Tiberius, I reckoned, how much more so he must care about his neighbors and constituents from here in Bet Shemesh.

I have since worked with Shalom on several other projects, in my role as Chairman of Lema’an Achai.
He has always been there for us as an organization, and for the many individual families we help, who have also needed his help. From helping us to obtain a site for Lema’an Achai’s new building, to helpling a poor family, who can’t pay their bills, to immediately get their water switched back on.

I will be voting Shalom Lerner for Mayor of Bet Shemesh – because he cares, he’s capable, he’s straight.

Shalom will clean up our city (physically and politically), and propel it, from being stuck somewhere in the 1950’s, to being the cream of Israel’s cities. Shalom will preserve & encourage the very best from our rainbow populations, creating a better, more prosperous & united city for all of us.

I know, because I have seen with my own eyes how, given the reins, Shalom can achieve what no other mayor in Israel can do.

I have posted for and about various parties and candidates. Now it is Degel HaTorah (and UTJ)'s turn...

so here is a guest post from UTJ... Why to vote UTJ in the upcoming elections (tomorrow)

UTJ (Gimmel) has a philosophy of "emor me'at v'asei harbei" - say a little
and do a lot. That's why people keep asking "What has UTJ done for us over
the past 5 years?"

For those who faced problems with the Iriya and called a UTJ rep, they found
a listening ear but even more than that - someone who took action. But more
than the tens of families that UTJ privately helped, UTJ represented the
broader community. UTJ was involved with helping local businesses - from
the RBS Shopping Center to BIG. It brought Matrix, a hi-tech company to the
community, which provided lots of jobs. UTJ also helped a lot of small
businesses having issues with City Hall. In addition, it helped shuls and
schools get property, or get rights to expand
their buildings.

These are only a few of the areas in which UTJ played a leading role. While
we may complain that life is not perfect-that we need more parking in the
shopping center, or youth centers, or a legal back road to the Bet Shemesh
Industrial Zone, UTJ knows this and will continue working. Progress doesn't
happen overnight. But our community is on the right path. It's not change
that we need as much as continued progress and a united effort.

Most local residents don't realize that UTJ's representatives on the City
Council work pro-bono, night and day, and they make changes and achieve
great things for the city. Because for 5 years they worked without fanfare,
without recognition. Life wasn't perfect but it continues to improve. Now
UTJ wants to go back to City Hall and make it even better.

Before you start to look around at other newer parties, talk to some of the
UTJ reps and activists and learn a little more about what they did behind
the scene for you and your family. Even more important, talk about what you
want them to do in the next 5 years. Because they want to listen and they
want to help.

Tonight was an historic night. For the first time that I can remember, Israeli politics experienced a debate. A real debate. CNN - Wolf Blitzer style. I thought Blitzer might even show up to be the moderator!

Israeli politicians never debate each other, and when they do it is never in a formal debate setting. This was a great experience to be able to hear the candidates thoughts on various issues, with rebuttals and commentary, and not just read it in flyers strewn all over the street.

I support Shalom Lerner for mayor. I have had my questions and my doubts. But I have kept my support for Shalom Lerner throughout because I think he is the best choice. I think that most people who went to the debate already know who they are supporting and were not planning on being open to changing to the other side. There were probably a few undecideds who were looking to see who to support, and I hope they resolved their issues.

I personally went for two reasons:

1. How could you miss such an historic experience. I hope this becomes the norm, and instead of having it one day before the elections, hopefully next time this will happen a month before, and maybe a few times.
2. I did have questions and doubts, and I wanted to see how Lerner matches up against Abutbol and hear things directly and not just via the paperwork.

In brief, I am not going to review the gamut of topics discussed and the various opinions. I am happy to say that I am comfortable continuing t support Shalom Lerner and I think he will be a successful mayor. Should he lose, I will not be discouraged. While I think Moshe Abutbol has made campaign promises that border on the ridiculous (such as bring back thousands of residents who have left for other cities, and others), I do not think he will be a bad mayor. His relationship with the kannoim and his giving in to them concerns me, but that is not the only issue, and on many other issues he also has positive opinions.

Also, the two of them are friends, and no matter which wins (hopefully Shalom!), I am confident they will be able to work together.

So I support Shalom Lerner, but we really have two very good candidates, and as long as one of them wins, we are in a good position (though if Shalom Lerner wins I think we will be better off).

I will take this opportunity to say that despite peoples claims of corruption against the current mayor, Danny Vaknin, I did consider supporting him. He has had plenty of success he can show from his 15 years as mayor, and he deserves a lot of credit for taking Bet Shemesh from a city of 15,000-20,000 residents and turning it into a city of close to 100,000 residents. So there are problems, but he still deserves a lot of credit. Still, I think it is time for him to step aside and hand the reins over to some new blood who can energize City Hall and make the system work better and more efficiently.

I am proud to say it was a well done evening. The room was packed (at least the men's side was), and people from all over the neighborhood came to listen - from the most extreme haredi to the most extreme Dati Leumi, and everything in between.

Kol Hakavod to the organizers and those involved who really put together a good program, and to the candidates who stuck to the timetables - nobody's words had to be cut off because they were talking for too long. Everybody stuck to the program.

The Degel party is still attacking TOV, but at least now the attacks are less vicious and more humorous...

I don't know how a guy with a kipa got invited to perform at the annual Rabinfest, but Ovadia Hamama is a great musician and his song Ana B'Koach is a tremendous song.



(HatTip: LOR)

Today is the day considered Mamma Rachel's yahrtzeit. Thousands are going to Kever Rachel to daven by her kever. Akiva went last night and posted a video...

A Guest Post by B'Yachad

Why Vote BeYachad?

The difficulties for any mayor (or even any Prime Minister in Israel) in achieving real progress, are largely due to the constant need to deal with disparate coalition partners and pander to their narrow partisan agendas.

Shalom Lerner therefore created a new party “BeYachad” to run for the mandates for city council.

“BeYachad” means Together – and it’s not just a name, but it describes our philosophy and agenda.

When forming BeYachad Shalom Lerner decided to forgo the standard practice of simply listing "old boy" politicians.

The BeYachad List include a refreshing & inspiring range of folks, each with an impressive CV of successfully, and selflessly, serving the population of Bet Shemesh – both men & women (yes, how many women do you see on other lists?), including from Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Ethiopian, Russian, French, British (me!), and American backgrounds.

BeYachad is a party consisting of individuals who are not only accomplished people but people who have accomplished much for our community.

All BeYachad members are shomrei mitzvot whose lives are guided by Torah. This influence enables BeYachad members to remain steadfast to their own ideals while recognizing, respecting and working together with the wonderfully diverse nature of our city's populace.

BeYachad members have enhanced the education of our city. BeYachad will enable every child to have an equal opportunity to receive a first rate education.

BeYachad members are innovators and pioneers in tzedaka and chesed. BeYachad will create win-win partnerships between the Municipality and the charitable sector, and focus on improving the Municipal Welfare Services.

BeYachad members have spearheaded city building and expansion. BeYachad will continue to make sure the city’s limited land and infrastructure are distributed fairly and (solely) according to community needs.

BeYachad members have successful business and industry experience. BeYachad will actively attract businesses to Bet Shemesh, increasing local employment and wherewithal.

Let's join BeYachad to helpBet Shemesh flourish beyond its humble beginnings of the 1950’s and to join the ranks of other cities.

If you’re comfortable with the current rainbow nature of our city’s population and wish to live harmoniously with all of its inhabitants, then Shalom Lerner MUST be your choice for Mayor.

And if you want Shalom to be EFFECTIVE to implement change & progress as our Mayor, you MUST vote his party “BeYachad”!!

BeYachad, Together, For Bet Shemesh – A City We Can All Be Proud Of!!

Voting your Conscience.

I am a believer in voting your conscience. If there is a party that closest resembles your ideals or your culture/style/beliefs, and that is the party you wish to vote for, I believe you should vote for it.

I am not much of a pragmatist when it comes to elections. I believe that even if it is not clear that a party is not going to pass the minimum threshold, even if there are reasons to vote for a party that is less representative of you but overall might accomplish more if they had more power, you should still vote for the party you most believe in.

When the national elections were last looming, I had friends who wanted to vote for Baruch Marzel's party, but were nervous to because they thought their vote would be wasted. I told them to vote anyway for him, even knowing it would likely be wasted. because it is not really a waste. Everyone sees that 30,000 people voted for him. If his platform is one you believe in, that is whom you should vote for.

I am not one to try to convince people to vote against their conscience. I am not going to vote Mafdal/B'Yachad. The party does not "speak" to me. It does not appeal to me, for various reasons. The Mafdal platform never appealed to me. But I know there are plenty of people for whom the Mafdal is their preference. I also know that there are many readers here who will be voting, or at least considering voting for, B'Yachad/Mafdal.

As well, there are plenty of people who are wavering between parties, undecided which to vote for. I have written plenty about TOV. I have written about CHEN. I have now asked David Morris, from the lineup of B'Yachad, to present B'Yachad to my readers. Maybe B'Yachad appeals to you, and I offered David the chance to reach out.

If you have any questions about B'Yachad, as always leave them in the comments. Either I will try to get answers or I will hopefully be able to get David or someone else from B'Yachad to answer them directly...

It will be the post directly above this one...

(and if anybody from Gimmel wants to send me something similar, why vote Gimmel?, I would be happy to post it as well...)

If you thought the hysterics were coming to an end, and that they were only being directed at TOV, it seems we were wrong. Degel is now shooting in all directions.

The name "United Torah Judaism" never seemed so far removed from reality as it does today.

Gur and Degel went different ways in their support of the mayoral candidate. Degel chose to support Moshe Abutbol, and Gur chose to support Shalom Lerner. Why they made their choices that way I don't know, but each had its reasons, and they included national party considerations and not just local Bet Shemesh considerations.

Degel seems to think everybody needs to listen to the rabbonim of Degel, even if you have your own rav, and even if your rav also carries the status and title of gadol.

The Gerrer Rebbe and his men support Shalom Lerner. Degel is now condemning Gur for supporting Lerner instead of supporting the candidate, Abutbol, that Degel and their rabbonim support. That is in addition to the sin of splitting the haredim and defiling our holy city.

The Frum Punk has a funny post defining categories of j-bloggers and what you need to write about if you decide to become one.

I would like to take this opportunity to make a recommendation to the management of UTJ Bet Shemesh. I do not know if anybody there is reading this (from their numbers in the poll in the sidebar I would say very few are, but maybe they just don't like to make themselves known), but if you are out there, please take this recommendation under your consideration.

The past few days we have seen UTJ (Degel specifically) get a bit hysterical in their campaign. They have focused on extremely negative advertising against TOV. They held a "Kenes for the honor of Torah" in which the focus was how evil TOV is, how they go against the gedolim, how people who vote for TOV cannot be called frum and more.

We have yet to hear why we should vote UTJ, aside for the fact that the gedolim say so.

The gedolim saying to vote UTJ might be good enough for some of us and cause us to vote Gimmel, but perhaps other people want more concrete reasons.

If you want to turn to the public for whom "the gedolim say so" is just not quite enough of a reason, perhaps you should be telling us why we should vote for you? What has Gimmel accomplished? What do they hope to accomplish? Who are their representatives and what experience do they bring?

We have not heard any of that. I see a lot fo advertisements for parlor meetings for Abutbol, Lerner and Vaknin. I see ads for meetings with parties like Byachad, Chen and Tov and others. I have yet to see a parlor meeting called for coming to hear why to vote for UTJ. I even told someone on the UTJ list this very same thing. I told him that he should be doing "chug bayit"s telling us why to vote Gimmel. He kind of nodded his head and moved on.

I am sure Gimmel has accomplished things they can be proud of. I am sure Gimmel has goals they hope to work towards accomplishing. Instead of being so negative, why not come to the public and tell us about your good? Tell us about your achievements and successes.

You will get far more voters like that than what you will get with the negative stuff...

A friend took this picture and shared it with me... sorry for the bluriness..

Pay attention to the image of the snowflake, and see how funny Christmas advertising can be...