It was during the Mandatory period that a public correctness emerged after thousands of years of Israel`s exile and wandering, far from Home. In actuality, questions regarding accepted, public religious norms became relevant, as never before. The varied human mosaic included divergent groups with differing opinions and positions. On the one side, were the religious Jews who adhered to ancient traditions and were in favor of public Sabbath observance. On the other side stood the secularists, who by and large neglected the religious rituals, without formulating an antagonistic ideology.
Historiographic research studies posited that during the Mandatory period conflicts, between religious and secular, were resolved on the basis of consideration and mutual respect. The political-ideological conflict found its expression, solely, within the Zionist institutions. However, historical-cultural research exposes a more complex picture.
This study reinforces the thesis of complexity. It discusses the nature of the Sabbath day during the Mandatory period, in Tel Aviv, the first Hebrew city, as reflected in the Hebrew press. By analyzing articles published in various Hebrew newspapers during this period, I attempt to discern the nature of the conflict regarding Sabbath atmosphere, identifying those that took an active part in the conflict and in clarifying their stands and opinions. This study is designed to shed light on the source of the intra-Jewish conflict regarding the Sabbath and hence to give new meaning to the conflict regarding the image of Shabbat, in the state of Israel, in vogue, today.