In a meeting at the home of the senior Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, shlita, a number of prominent rabbanim from Teveria consulted the rosh yeshiva about how to respond to the assault on religion which was transpiring in their city.
David Ohana, member of the City Council of Teveria for Degel HaTorah, said, “The new mayor of Teveria, Ron Kubi, has only one agenda: attacking religion—especially charedim. He has declared war on Shabbos, bussing in people from Tel Aviv to participate in chillul Shabbos festivals on the Kinneret. We propose making a massive demonstration by having a citywide kabbalas Shabbos where thousands would come out to daven in the city’s main thoroughfare showing how important Shabbos is to everyone in Teveria, not just to the charedim.”
Rav Gershon responded in his clear, deliberate way, “Demonstrations are not the way to go. You must be mischazek, strengthen yourselves and strengthen others in shmiras Shabbos, in learning the halachos of Shabbos and in raising the level of limud haTorah in town. That is the antidote to a rabidly anti-religious demagogue and rabble rouser like Ron Kubi.”
In light of this advice, Dirshu is planning a large siyum and evening of chizuk this Sunday, 24 Adar II/ March 31 at Mofet Hall in Teveria.
Dirshu representative, Rabbi Nati Weingarten said, “Rav Gershon has declared that the response to attacks on Torah has to be spiritual in nature. Dirshu has dedicated itself to several innovative and exciting ways to enhance the spiritual lives of Teveria’s Jews. The siyum that we will be making on Masechta Chulin is just the beginning of our efforts to spiritually fortify the city as an antidote to the barrage of attacks perpetrated by the anti-Torah mayor. The siyum will be a remarkable demonstration of achdus to celebrate the completion of a masechta but even more so, to accept upon themselves the ol Torah, the yoke of Torah, in the numerous new programs that Dirshu will be promoting in Teveria.”
Ohana gave a bit of background to the upheaval in Teveria. “Teveria has always been a traditional city where the majority of the population was Sephardic. In recent years, the religious presence in the city has grown tremendously. In fact, today 55% of the kindergarten children are religious. Joining the very significant Sephardic religious community, [are] Chassidus [and] Litvish neighborhoods with hundreds of young families combined.”
Ohana continued, “[Ron Kubi merely] rents an apartment in Teveria, his family still resides in Tel Aviv and it is that secular atmosphere that he seeks to bring to Teveria. He has based his candidacy on stoking the fears of an impending charedi ‘takeover’ of the city.
“[Kubi] has threatened store-owners who insist on being closed on Shabbos and has specifically stoked religious tension by making loud, garish and often immoral public festivals on Shabbos to spite the sensitivities of the religious public.”
Rabbi Weingarten said, “The Dirshu siyum is just the beginning of the Torah counter-revolution. “Dirshu has dedicated itself to strengthen the learning of Daf HaYomi in the city and will open a minimum of 10 new Daf HaYomi shiurim for the start of Masechta Bechoros. Dirshu is also in the process of trying to rejuvenate and transform a number of the city’s shuls to make them into Torah centers. Dirshu will be starting new shiurim in many of those shuls in what is hoped will be a harbinger of a Torah revolution.”
In addition, Rav Hofstedter, the nasi of Dirshu has waived the usual six-test threshold required before earning a Dirshu stipend in Eretz Yisrael. Any person from Teveria who joins one of Dirshu’s programs will immediately be included in the program.
“Certainly the light of Torah being learned and taught by lomdei Dirshu will ensure that Teveria remains one of the four holy cities in Eretz Yisrael. “
By Chaim Gold
