Tel Aviv District Court Judge Uzi Fogelman issued a temporary
injunction to prevent the construction of new botei
knesses in the Tal neighborhood of Rosh HaAyin in
response to a request by local residents after the plan
received City Council approval.
The injunction came as a shock to hundreds of religious and
traditional families living in the Tal neighborhood, which
does not have a single permanent beis knesses
standing. They have had to organize makeshift minyanim
in bomb shelters and during the Yomim Noraim were forced to
organize additional minyanim at schools and
kindergartens in order to accommodate local shul-goers,
the majority of whom are traditional Jews.
To deal with the shortage the City Council, backed by Deputy
Mayor Chananya Tzafar, decided to designate an area for the
construction of three botei knesses-- Nusach Ashkenaz,
Nusach Sephard and Nusach Teiman. Meanwhile the
opposition group is insisting the area be zoned for any
purpose other than botei knesses.
Residents of the new neighborhood who filed the request to
block the construction of the complex, maintain that the
neighborhood is predominantly secular and the decision did
not properly consider the local demographic composition and
residents' needs. They further claimed the decision was an
act of "minority exploitation," by veteran residents
controlling the City Council and said the City lacks
sufficient funding to complete construction. The City
allocated NIS 1.26 million ($285,000) in special funds while
estimated costs are expected to total NIS 6 million
($1,360,000).
Appearing in court, the Interior Minister recommended issuing
the injunction, saying construction should not commence at
this stage unless further funds are allocated or national
funds are provided from the development budget for the
support of local authorities.
Tzafar told Yated Ne'eman he was stunned to hear that
in Eretz Hakodesh Jews would rise up to oppose the
construction of a beis knesses. He said upon the
completion of the Tal and Neve Afek neighborhoods, which
brought two thousand new families, some residents began to
wage a culture war over the future face of the city. A
McDonald's outlet, open on Shabbos, was opened in the area
and Reform Movement figures are trying to open a nursery
school and kindergarten.
Local residents say they plan to gather signatures for a
petition to demonstrate to the court that the majority of
local residents support the construction of botei
knesses in the neighborhood.
"Both the Interior Minister and the Judge are making every
effort to extinguish every spark of Judaism in this country,"
said MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni."It is not the Interior Minister's
task to interfere in this matter and the City has the
authority to decide on the provision of services to city
residents. Rosh HaAyin residents would like to build a
beis knesses at this location and eventually a beis
knesses will be built there be'ezras Hashem
Yisborach. The Interior Minister is conducting himself as
if he is above the law, and thinks he can do whatever he
wants. Very quickly he will see his ridiculous deeds turn
into a sad joke."
