Tel Aviv Rabbis Campaign for Sabbath Observance

As municipal leaders in Tel Aviv debate whether to allow public bus service in Israel’s second most-populous city to operate on the Sabbath, pulpit rabbis launched a massive campaign to encourage residents to observe the Jewish holy day.

Every family in the city will receive a flyer describing the need for a day of rest, especially in today’s hectic world. Rabbi Yossi Gerlitzky, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Tel Aviv, is among the signatories.

“Only Shabbat… is capable to make our lives tranquil, to give us back our strength, and fill the soul with amazing spirituality,” began the letter, which went on to quote the commandment to honor the Sabbath.

The flyer calls on Jewish residents “to unplug from the pressures and worries, to welcome in the Sabbath with candles on time, to gather in synagogue for Friday night services, to make Kiddush and share a festive meal with family, to spend quality time with family members, your soul, your Jewish spiritual lives… and to rest.”