“The Municipality Protects the Arab Protest and Attacks Us”

AFTER AROUND 100 PEOPLE SPENT SHABBAT VAYEITZEI IN RAMLA BY OUR REBBE, RAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A, THIS IS THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROTEST IN FRONT OF AYALON PRISON.

IN AN INTERVIEW ON THE KAV HATZADDIK (02-532-6502), RAV AHARON SHWARTZ TELLS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TALMIDIM AND BRESLOV CHASIDIM OF SHUVU BANIM, ALONG WITH SUPPORTERS AND FOLLOWERS OF RAV BERLAND SHLIT”A — THE FIERY COAL ONLY GETS STRONGER IN AWAITING THE TZADDIK.

“In spite of the Ramla municipality waging war against us and sending agents who every day take down our tent again, we aren’t giving up, and every time from scratch we’re putting it all up again.”

Rav Aharon Shwartz describes the trials which are the lot of the Talmidim of Rav Berland shlit”a, who in spite of all the difficult years of persecution, continue to believe and cling to their Rav, the true Tzaddik.

“In the merit of the donations, we succeeded before the beginning of Shabbat to acquire cooked food for Shabbat, and we acquired large water containers.  This was the first Shabbat in Ramla since the entry of our Rebbe, Rav Berland shlit”a, into prison.  We put up tents there.  Even entire families came with the children to spend Shabbat by the Tzaddik.  The pinnacle was the image of an 80-year-old grandmother who spent the Shabbat in a tent along with her family.

“Many people forewent themselves and forfeited the conditions which they’re used to, and sacrificed themselves [for] Shabbat by the Tzaddik.

“It was a wondrous Shabbat.  The evening prayer went on for some 3 hours with songs, and dancing, and the morning prayer [was] around 5 hours.  The Torah scroll which wandered with our Rebbe Rav Berland in exile was with us.

“The surrounding residents and even the people of the prison service mamash showed appreciation for all our activities.  Really on Shabbat there are more people, but through the entire week there are people in the complex — young people and Kollel students.

“The most bizarre [thing is that] they are harassing our [protest] without end, but on Saturday night, when Arabs with Palestinian flags arrived -- singing songs of hatred for the state and people of Israel -- the police protected them.

“Most important is that the public participate in the prayer gatherings for our Rebbe Rav Berland shlit”a.  It’s important to come and pray for our Rav.  Every day, there is a gathering in front of the prison in Ramla on Rechov Lochmei Beitar, on the corner of Lochmei Beitar, between the hours of 7 and 9.