The Battle of Supermarkets on Shabbat: Tel Aviv Grocery Union Chairman Faces Slander

Kobi Bremer is the owner of a grocery store located on Shenkin Street in Tel Aviv and the chairman of the Grocery Association. He is married and a father of two daughters, coming from a traditional family. Though Bremer does not consider himself a religious person, when he realized that most of the business owners in the area open their businesses on Shabbat (with no law to enforce otherwise), he decided to take matters into his own hands and fight for Shabbat. "I am not a religious person, and my struggle was not conducted in the name of religion," he notes, "For me, Shabbat laws are purely social. I am a Jew who is not ashamed to be a Jew."

Thus, with few words and many actions, Bremer (44) led his struggle with greater intensity, even reaching the High Court and the Supreme Court. To his (partial) delight, the struggle was recently concluded by Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who decided that the supermarkets should indeed close on Shabbat.

Kobi Bremer. Fighting for Shabbat

However, according to Bremer, the reality on the ground is still far from reflecting the minister's decision. "It's true that some business owners now rest on Shabbat following the decision, but many disregard it. If anyone sues them for this, they already have the answer ready: religious coercion, which is absolutely incorrect."

Indeed, many business owners rebelled, claiming it was religious coercion and incited a regional boycott of Bremer's store. "Some people living in the area see me as the leader of a fight that symbolizes religious coercion, so they no longer buy from me. But it doesn't matter. The fact that there's a boycott against me won't deter me from doing what's right."

But even doing what is right, it seems, comes at a cost. In Bremer's case, the cost is not simple. He receives numerous threats from people seeking to end his 'coercive' activities, endures demonstrations in front of his store, and is forced to witness various boycott groups against him on Facebook, without being able to do anything about it.

Where do you get the strength to face all these challenges?

"Not mine. I attribute everything to Rebbetzin Kanievsky, of blessed memory, who gave me her blessing seven years ago. To this day, her words ring in my ears, when I started the struggle: 'He who keeps Shabbat – Shabbat keeps him.' So the strength to face this isn't really mine; it comes from the Creator of the world. I am just a vessel, and Hashem gives me the merit.

"Moreover, I'll tell you this: In that session with Rebbetzin Kanievsky, right after blessing me, she told me something: 'Every time you open a door – check very carefully what's around.' Since then, I've been trying to follow her advice, and guess what? After Minister Gideon Sa'ar's decision not to approve the opening of supermarkets on Shabbat – one evening I went outside to get into my car.

Former Minister Gideon Sa'ar visiting Beitar Illit. Approved closing supermarkets on Shabbat (photo: Flash 90)

"Suddenly, I noticed an unidentified object attached to it. Only when I got closer did I realize the absurdity: a grenade was attached to my car, and had I not adhered to Rebbetzin Kanievsky's advice, I don't want to imagine how this story would have ended."

"My only pain is that Shabbat's honor is being trampled"

What immense faith must a person have who invested his best time, fortune, and efforts in establishing a good and successful business, but has to watch before his eyes how a large number of customers simply left one by one. To the question of whether he is not worried about his livelihood, Bremer answers that "a person's livelihood is decreed from Rosh Hashanah to Rosh Hashanah, so I'm not worried. Livelihood is from Hashem and more than I fear losing it, I fear the day I ascend to heaven and am asked why I didn't do more for Shabbat. So while the profits are currently lower, my only sadness is seeing Shabbat being trampled and disrespected.

"I received offers with a lot of money to give up the Shabbat struggle and bring back the 'false' calm to the streets. And though I owe hundreds of thousands to others, I am calm – I've given everything I have, and I know Shabbat pays. We are strong people, blessed be Hashem. We don't break so easily and certainly don't stop believing," he says.

On the other hand, wouldn't it have been simpler to close the shop on Shenkin and open in Bnei Brak?

Bremer shakes his head firmly, signaling a negative. "Heaven forbid and may it not occur."

Why not, actually?

"Can you even imagine what kind of privilege a simple shopkeeper like me has to fight for Shabbat? I grant merit to the public, remove their barriers. Anyone who comes to curse – leaves only blessed by me. I have nothing against anyone; I love everyone. But we must understand that there's a spiritual battle here – for the Jewish soul and identity. I will fight for this, as long as my spirit is within me. And you know what, I don't believe the situation will be resolved soon, but it doesn't matter. Because everyone has their own mission, and I definitely feel that this is my mission: to protect Shabbat as much as I can."