Jerusalem deputy mayor Adir Schwartz, head of the Hitorerut city council faction, has made it his goal to expose irregularities in municipal affairs, at taxpayer expense.
Schwartz went to court over a 12-year municipal process enabling the municipality to undertake projects and organize major events, some of which were allegedly political, without issuing a call for tenders. The High Court of Justice found this practice to be illegal, especially as the government had in previous years declared it to be illegal.
The municipality appealed, lost the case, and was ordered to pay NIS 20,000 in court costs. Other municipalities may be impacted by the court’s decision.
Schwartz, who was pleased with the court’s verdict, said he would continue to protect public interests.
■ A YEAR has passed since the death on Shmini Atzeret of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the Orthodox Union’s well-liked, influential executive director. Born in Canada, he served as a leading community rabbi in Baltimore for 26 years prior to his OU appointment. Hauer is buried in Jerusalem’s Har Hamenuchot.
His mother, Rabbanit Miriam Hauer, a highly respected lifelong Bible teacher, and a longtime member of Hazvi Yisrael Congregation in Talbiyeh, hosted a memorial evening at the synagogue Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of his passing.
■ THE NUMBER of foreign embassies in Jerusalem is on the rise – a near-miraculous development in view of surging global anti-Israel sentiment. If all goes according to plan, the number will increase from nine to 11 by the end of the year.
Colombia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have indicated they will move their embassies to Israel’s capital within coming weeks. They will be joining embassies of the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Fiji, Nauru, and Somaliland.
Most of the embassies are located in the Har Hotzvim and Malha technological parks, and ambassadors make no secret of the fact that studying and importing Israel’s technological achievements are high on their agendas.
Panama has not yet stated it will move its embassy to Jerusalem, but regardless, Ambassador Ezra Cohen has chosen to live with his family in Jerusalem. This was a very convenient place for him to be during Sukkot, as he is religiously observant and could join other members of the priestly tribe at the Western Wall.
■ SHIRA BANKI’S WAY will mark the 10th anniversary of its founding at a special gala evening at the Khan Theater on Tuesday, October 13. The organization was founded in memory of teenager Shira Banki, who was fatally stabbed by a mentally unbalanced religious zealot during the July 2015 Gay Pride Parade. She had joined the event to show her solidarity with her gay friends.
Her parents, Ori and Mika Banki, sought a lasting way to honor her memory, and established the Shira Banki Way, which promotes tolerance, dialogue, and mutual respect among all sectors of Israeli society.
“We wanted to turn our pain into positive action. We believe that the principles we espouse in Shira’s memory are now more important than ever,” say the parents.
The evening will include a performance in Hebrew of The Servant to Two Masters.
■ THE PAST week was a tough period for all Israelis, but particularly for those who lost loved ones in the Israel-Hamas War, which is commemorated on the same day as the state ceremony for the Oct. 7 Hamas-led invasion and massacres. Both were held at Mount Herzl on Monday, albeit at different times.
For President Isaac Herzog, it was a particularly grueling week, starting Sunday with the premiere of the documentary The Shift (Hamishmeret). The film explores insights of those on the medical frontlines of Oct. 7 and during the ensuing war.
Monday was another difficult day for him. He rose early to witness the lowering of the national flag at the President’s Residence at 6:29 a.m., in memory of all those murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and thereafter.
He spoke at the state ceremonies on Mount Herzl at 11 a.m., and again at 2 p.m. At 5 p.m., he hosted Salon Otef (the salon of the Gaza border communities), based on the format of the Zikaron Basalon (Memory in the Living Room) meetings on Holocaust Memorial Day.
At the President’s Residence, the focus was on the family of Omri and Lishay Moran from Kibbutz Nahal Oz, who were reunited after Omri’s release after 738 days in Hamas captivity.
On Tuesday, Herzog hosted morning and evening events related to Oct. 7. In the morning, he hosted a book project under the title of Coming Home Soon, in which more than 220 books, each dedicated to a hostage, were presented to survivors who returned from captivity in Gaza, and to bereaved families.
In the evening, in partnership with the Next October organization, Herzog addressed yet another Oct. 7 ceremony.
On Wednesday, the actual third anniversary of the Hamas attacks, Herzog attended the memorial exhibition at Netiv Ha’asara, and met with families. From there, he proceeded to the Re’im memorial site of the Supernova music festival, where he was the keynote speaker.
For Herzog, the commemorations didn’t end there, because every week he meets with bereaved families of Oct. 7 victims and fallen soldiers, former hostages, and wounded soldiers. Several hostages are talented musicians who perform at events at the President’s Residence.
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