At a meeting between mayor of Bnei Brak Rabbi Mordechai
Karelitz, and Herzliya mayor Mrs. Yael Gorman it was agreed
that the beach in Herzliya for separate swimming will soon
open under their joint auspices.
Secretary and Spokesman of Bnei Brak, Avraham Tannenbaum,
relates that the plan arose following complaints by local
rabbonim and the Mishmeres Tsnius regarding problems in the
partition between Tel Aviv's Sheraton separate beach and the
adjacent mixed one. Criticism was also voiced about the
access route to the beach: it does not meet the standards of
the Torah-observant community.
Until five years ago, Bnei Brak residents -- who did not use
the Sheraton beach -- used the separate beach in Herzliya.
Located far from other beaches, it was constructed and
operated according to the highest standards of tsnius
and did not suffer from the problems associated with the
Sheraton beach in Tel Aviv which is in the middle of the
regular beaches.
By law, every local authority near the sea with a religious
representative in the council must operate a separate beach.
As a result, the Bnei Brak and Herzliya municipalities agreed
upon joint operation of the beach, thus benefiting Bnei Brak
residents while providing Herzliya with a partner in the
beach's operating expenses.
When the Appointed Committee was placed in charge of the Bnei
Brak Municipality about five years ago, it stopped
participation in the operation of the Herzliya beach.
Attempts were made to find alternate beaches, such as that of
Bat Yam, but all such attempts proved fruitless. When Bnei
Brak elected a mayor more than two years ago, mayor Rabbi
Mordechai Karelitz and Council Member Rabbi Yisroel Moshe
Friedman wanted to renew the association with Herzliya and to
appoint a professional staff to deal with the issue.
The sides agreed that because the total costs to Herzliya of
operating the beach in 1999 came to NIS 954,000, the relative
cost for the period in which Bnei Brak residents frequent the
beach was NIS 694,000. Because of the delay in carrying out
the agreement, the Bnei Brak Municipality will receive a
12.5% reduction in this payment. The Bnei Brak Municipality
will produce "residents cards" for presentation at the
entrance to the beach to enable reduced entrance fees for
Bnei Brak residents. The sides have also agreed to pave a
special approach to the beach by way of the marina, thus
bypassing the old approach which was problematic in terms of
tsnius.
Bnei Brak Municipal officials met with representatives of the
Dan Bus Cooperative and it was agreed that Dan would operate
Line 98 on the days designated for men's swimming: Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday mornings and Monday, Wednesday and
Friday afternoons. The fare for the trip to and from the
beach and Bnei Brak will be reduced to NIS 4.70.
