Residents of Kiryat Ono were surprised to discover that the Kiryat Ono Youth Department has a special program for training Bar and Bat Mitzvah boys and girls, in cooperation with the “Renewable Judaism” organizations, which cooperate closely with the Reform Movement with the municipal emblem on the flyer and the official Facebook page of the Municipal Youth Wing.

“I’m a secular Jew and I think it’s just a shame that this is what his municipality wants to convey to the youth,” said David, a resident of the city.

This is an “Israeli mitzva” program of the “Yud K Vov K” organization that advocates renewable Judaism, not in accordance with the spirit of halacha, and for example, a Torah aliyah for women. The municipality holds a program of six meetings, which will deal with the theme of “a new angle on the concept of adolescence and the changes that young people are undergoing around the age of mitzva and maturation ceremonies in the world of maturation in Jewish tradition.”

Kikar Shabbos News contacted the rav of the city, HaRav Dr. Ratzon Arussi, who responded, “Naturally, I called the mayor to find out how this happened, and he said that the municipality is not a partner in terms of financing, and regarding the use of the symbol of the municipality, all the organizations receiving city funding use the city symbol.”

Rabbi Arussi added he will be arranging to meet with the mayor and ask why the municipality is turning into a pipeline and a means of financing the program, since the payment for the workshop is made through the municipality’s youth department, which casts doubt on the claims that the municipality is not involved in funding the plan.

“We are doing fine here, among other things, to train the young for bar/bat mitzvahs in line with halacha, and also to reach those far away and have a desire, and we daven that such people will see the true light of the Torah,” added Rabbi Arussi.

The response of the Kiryat Ono Municipality was not available at publishing time.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)