Some residents of Ashdod are less than pleased with the city’s mehadrin beach, which provides for separate swimming and a mechitza between men and women them and around them to prevent outsiders to view the swimmers. They feel the mehadrin beach it taking too much space at the expense of the majority of city residents.
It appears that the actual separate swimming beach is less of an issue than the ‘buffer zone’ created between the mehadrin and regular beaches, the area that is closed to all bathers but it provides sufficient distance between the secular and frum simmers to ensure the privacy on the mehadrin side.
Some residents are quoted as calling the move “religious coercion” and they may take their case to court, unwilling to accept a smaller beach at the expense of permitting the frum bathers to have their separate swimming.
When asked to comment on the report, Ashdod City Hall is quoted as saying the mehadrin beach was expanded by 80 meters on its southern side due to the dangerous terrain and strong current on the northern side, Ynet reports.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
It is religious coercion when one group suffers financially, physically, or emotionally …..to accomodate a group’s religious needs. Seems that the Mehadrin beaches should be reduced in size or eliminate the buffer zone.
Theres always going to be chiloni complainers whenever the frum try
to do something which promotes kedusha. They cant contain their sinah.
Is it taking up too much space in comparison to the mixed beaches? A question that should be investigated.
I wish this were the case at other Mehadrin beaches. I was at the Sheraton Mehadrin beach this summer and unfortunately, I had to pass a number of ill-clad women to get to the beach and both beaches are in full view of anyone upon approaching the beach. True, when on the beach itself and in the water, there is a high wall separating the beaches. But the Ashdod beach is much better, from that standpoint.
I wonder if Uri Regev is involve with this. He is the head of the reform movement and he just loves to do these things
Instead of municipal authorities, they should ask their rebbe if he thinks lounging at the beach is an appropriate activity for avreichim.