No Shabbat in Mamilla Mall ?

B"H

Just recently, the new Mamilla shopping mall outside Jaffa Gate opened its gates to the public. Not, that we really need this new ugly concrete mall right across the Tower of King David. However, approx. in the year 2009, a tram is going to connect the most important places in Jerusalem with each other. Then local buses won't go through the city center any more because we Jerusalemites are sick of any further pollution.

In order to make Jerusalem more attractive, the main roads such as Jaffa Road, are going to be closed for the traffic, as soon as we have the tram. Then Jaffa Road is going to turn into a nice shopping mall without traffic but with many trees and plants. No more noise and smelly air.

One of the last stops of the tram will be at Jaffa Gate, and in order to make the whole area more attractive, the new mall was built. But honestly, who needs a mall at Jaffa Gate, if not the tourists ? Jerusalemites have enough shopping centers which are, by the way, much cheaper. The new Mamilla Mall is expensive and only tourists who have no idea about Israeli prices, are prepared to buy anything. We inhabitants know our cheap places where we get the same quality for less money.

The new mall was opened a few months ago and hasn't seen too many customers since. Restaurants, shops and cafes are mostly empty and people prefer going to the nearby Jaffa Road. The owners of the mall want to make profits and are desperate. Now the latest rumour says that the owners decided to keep the mall open on Shabbat. Especially the inhabitants of the Jewish Quarter in the Old City are upset. An open mall on Shabbat would mean many people walking around with their shopping bags through the Jewish Quarter and disturbing the locals keeping Shabbat. Additionally, loud music will be heard near Jaffa Gate and disturbing the religious population passing by on their way to the Kotel, and more Jewish workers would be forced to break Shabbat in order to keep their jobs.

The Haredim are planning to establish a committee and send representatives talking to the owners in order to change their minds. But the greatest fear of all is that other malls might follow suit and open up on Shabbat.


The ugly mall before the opening. Anyway, today it doesn't look much different.