The City of Haifa gave notice that it permitted the building
of succas after avreichim representing the local
kehilloh asked the municipality to issue a written
notice of its approval in accordance with the halachic ruling
by Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita, who says one needs
prior permission to build a succah on public property.
Three years ago Jerusalem Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, who
grew up in Haifa, contacted Rabbi Aryeh Blitenthal, who was
serving on the city council at the time to direct his
attention to the halachic stumbling block for city residents
with nowhere to build their succah other than on the
sidewalk.
Rabbi Lupoliansky noted that according to certain
poskim a brochoh should not be recited in such
a succah, which might even fall under the rubric of a
succah gezuloh. He said a few years ago after Maran
HaRav Eliashiv advised him to take action to rectify the
situation he had a decision passed in the Municipal Council
to grant residents permission to build a succah on city
property.
As such, the Jerusalem Mayor suggested that his UTJ colleague
in Haifa follow a similar course of action. Rabbi Blitenthal
then worked to pass a decision permitting succas to be
erected on city grounds for up to 12 days. The decision
requires the succah owner to leave at least 1.2 meters (4
feet) of the width of the sidewalk unobstructed to allow free
passage for pedestrians and strollers.
This year avreichim in Haifa again asked chareidi city
councilmen to have the municipality issue a written notice to
allow owners of sidewalk succos to recite the brochoh
unhesitatingly. The official notice stated that permission
was granted "in accordance with the ruling of Maran HaRav
Eliashiv shlita, who requires prior permission from the head
of the local authority for the erection of a succah on public
property."
In chareidi cities as well, the respective mayors and council
heads issued similar notices. Modi'in Illit Council Head
Rabbi Yaakov Guterman said he received numerous requests from
local residents and he issued permission based on HaRav
Eliashiv's ruling.
