The objection of the representatives of the residents of the
secular neighborhood of Kiryat Yovel to the transferring of
the ownership of the local swimming pool to a private
chareidi investor, who wants to it to be exclusively for
chareidi use, is continuing. This does not mean that only
chareidim will be allowed entry, but that it will operated in
a way in which there will be no hours in which chareidim
cannot come. Many existing pools in areas such as
Yerushalayim have hours when their pools are run according to
the principles of tsnius and other hours when these
principles are not observed. Recently, these efforts have
gained new support from Leftist representatives to City Hall,
who use very sharp language against the chareidim.
The residents have recruited the help of two of the anti-
religious Leftist members of the Jerusalem City Council: Roni
Aloni from Jerusalem Now, and Pappa Allalo from Meretz.
In a letter which the two sent to Mayor Olmert, the most
acrimonious expressions possible are used against the
chareidi community. In the letter they say that limiting a
public place to one type of community and noting that it is
"only for chareidim" constitutes an outright breach of the
government laws of equal rights, and contains an element of
racism. Classing swimming pools as "chareidi" means that they
will be closed on Shabbosim, thereby depriving the
neighborhood's children who like to swim their on Shabbos, of
their rights, according to them.
