Tiberias

The entire city of Tiberias was submerged under 3 meters of water. Fragile homes fell apart, some flattened by rocks tumbling from the mountains. People clung desperately to bars and posts; those who couldn’t were swept away.

After the year 748 CE, Tiberias, once a vibrant center of Jewish scholarship, fell silent. What happened to its sages and rich traditions?

A city council member, journalist, and residents describe Tiberias' low points under Ron Kobi's tenure and the transformation after his dismissal as mayor.

"There was never such a thing as a religious-secular divide in Tiberias," says former MK Zion Pinyan with pain. "We just intensified the issue."

Ron, do you ever listen to yourself? Claiming you love Shabbat more than the religious sounds like a child declaring love for their parents while simultaneously disrespecting them. You trample and desecrate Shabbat, a precious gift given to us by Hashem, and still call yourself 'a lover of Shabbat'? Who needs enemies with 'Shabbat lovers' like you?

The positive coverage received by the public transportation project on Shabbat, at least in some national media outlets, is a symptom of following an unspoken anti-religious line. Fake news creates a reality in which the struggle to preserve Shabbat in Tiberias seems like a fight against personal freedoms - but is that really the case?

MP Kara: "To the dear Yonatan - just as you made aliyah to fulfill the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel, one of the most significant mitzvot in the Torah, I bless you and your partner Sara to build a kosher and faithful home in Israel."