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NEWS
Former Meretz Activist Volunteers to Battle Against
Shabbos Shopping
By Betzalel Kahn
Rami Sadeh, director of Campaigning Communications, used to
be among the heads of Meretz' campaign to promote opening
businesses on Shabbos, but today, surprisingly enough, he has
joined the battle against chilul Shabbos.
In a letter he sent last week to Rabbi Refael Halperin,
chairman of Zaakas HaShabbos, Sadeh revealed he used to
organize activists, place advertisements and assist in
legislation "aimed at allowing businesses to open on Shabbos.
In recent years my conscience has plagued me. I realized
commercial activity on Shabbos is a two-edged sword. Entire
families missed out on the meaning of the seventh day, the
day of rest, and stream out on inexplicable shopping sprees
that do not permit proper family life."
Sadeh writes in favor of closing food markets, electronics
stores and other businesses in the State of Israel and offers
to assist in managing a campaign to persuade the secular and
traditional sectors to avoid stores that open on Shabbos. "In
addition to the blow to the character of Shabbat as a day of
rest, the commercialization of Shabbat causes suffering for
thousands of people who are forced to work on their day of
rest. Those who claim that these workers do so out of free
choice and that they receive handsome compensation for their
work, are lying to themselves."
The former Meretz official writes, "Shabbat can be saved
through a campaign to the correct target group, emphasizing
that purchasing on Shabbat is an act of surrender to the
dictates of capitalists who implant in us habits that serve
them alone. The more Shabbat purchasing acquires a negative
connotation the more people will begin to avoid these
stores."
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