The Renanim Mall in Ra'anana has agreed not to open its doors on the Sabbath, in response to a request by the area's newly formed Committee for Shabbat. This, despite the fact that other nearby malls - Arim in neighboring Kfar Saba and Seven Stars in Herzliya - are open on the Sabbath.
HaTzofeh reports that the committee agreed to encourage religious consumers to patronize the Renanim Mall, as well as other Sabbath-observant establishments, in order to compensate for possible losses. The group is also organizing a boycott of Sabbath-desecrating malls. The committee is specifically protesting the opening of Arim - not only on behalf of the religious public, but also for other Kfar Saba storeowners, and neighbors who will suffer from the noise on their day of rest. Protestors will set up tables with literature explaining the damage caused by having the businesses operate on the Sabbath.
At the same time, Yaakov Ginzberg of one of Israel's leading supermarket chains, ClubMarket, warns that leading chains may be "forced" to begin opening their stores on the Sabbath. He said that the stores are currently Sabbath-closed for fear of a religious-sector boycott, "but if all three leading chains - ClubMarket, Supersol, and Blue Square Co-op - open on Saturday, this will hurt the effectiveness of a boycott." Ginzberg said that growing strength of a new chain, Tiv Taam, which is open on the Sabbath and sells many non-Kosher items, might be the catalyst for a non-Jewish schedule in the other stores as well.
HaTzofeh reports that the committee agreed to encourage religious consumers to patronize the Renanim Mall, as well as other Sabbath-observant establishments, in order to compensate for possible losses. The group is also organizing a boycott of Sabbath-desecrating malls. The committee is specifically protesting the opening of Arim - not only on behalf of the religious public, but also for other Kfar Saba storeowners, and neighbors who will suffer from the noise on their day of rest. Protestors will set up tables with literature explaining the damage caused by having the businesses operate on the Sabbath.
At the same time, Yaakov Ginzberg of one of Israel's leading supermarket chains, ClubMarket, warns that leading chains may be "forced" to begin opening their stores on the Sabbath. He said that the stores are currently Sabbath-closed for fear of a religious-sector boycott, "but if all three leading chains - ClubMarket, Supersol, and Blue Square Co-op - open on Saturday, this will hurt the effectiveness of a boycott." Ginzberg said that growing strength of a new chain, Tiv Taam, which is open on the Sabbath and sells many non-Kosher items, might be the catalyst for a non-Jewish schedule in the other stores as well.