Jerusalem's Bikur Cholim hospital battle puts city's pluralism to the test

Jerusalem's Deputy Mayor Yosef Havilio secured a partial victory in his fight against Mayor Moshe Lion over the fate of the historic Bikur Cholim hospital building. The battle centers on whether the eastern wing of the 1925-founded institution, which closed in 2020, will remain accessible to the public or be repurposed for a Haredi seminary.

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If the hassidim take control of the eastern building, it will no longer be open to the public, and the gate will be locked.

Havilio, a liberal-minded lawyer and member of the ruling coalition, opposed the mayor's plan to allocate the eastern building for a seminary for 1,000 Haredi teenage girls run by the Slonim Hassidic community. He argued the plan was illegal and would shift the border between Haredi and non-Haredi areas, potentially restricting secular projects like entertainment venues and cafes from operating on Shabbat.

While the mayor's plan was modified to house 250-300 Haredi girls in the western building instead, Havilio expressed concern that the eastern building's fate remains uncertain. "If the hassidim take control of the eastern building, it will no longer be open to the public, and the gate will be locked," Havilio warned, emphasizing that the structure should serve the broader public.

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This is a historic mistake.

The dispute underscores the ongoing tension in Jerusalem between its growing Haredi population and the city's traditional, secular, and pluralistic communities. Havilio, who has long represented the latter, views the hospital's future as a determinant of downtown Jerusalem's accessibility for all residents.

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There are other places in Jerusalem where the seminary could be located.