MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Rav Uri Maklev sent a letter to Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan in an effort to thwart a planned increase in mikve prices in Israel. Barring a change in the ministry’s decision, the price for using a mikve will be going up considerably in the coming days.
In the MK’s letter to Rabbi Ben-Dahan he writes “it is prohibited to balance the ministry’s budget on the backs of those who will have a hard time paying, but nevertheless will continue using the mikve.”
The planned 40% increase Maklev feels is outrageous and he cites many people who toivel daily and/or weekly simply cannot afford yet another increase in their lives.
Maklev calls on Ben-Dahan to come to the realization that the tzibur simply cannot afford another increase and it is in his hands to prevent this one before it is implemented.
Maklev has been dealing with the issue for quite some time, as prices continue to increase in Yerushalayim and around the country.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
The increase in prices is needed in part to cover the costs of upkeep and maintenance and to complete some long overdue repairs at several of the most heavily used mikvos. If the higher prices pose a burden for some users than consider not being toivel every day but knowing that when you go erev shabbos or yom tov, it will be a much nicer and cleaner experience with fewer health risks.
Does anyone know what the current or proposed price is?
To quote the cited article:
For erev shabbos/YT (I guess it’s lower during the week?)
Y-m 14 NIS
Bnei Brak 8
Modiin Illit 5
So it’s between $1.50 and $4. Peanuts compared with US.
And why is this the business of the government? They set the prices for the Mikva?