Tel Aviv officials rejected a compromise offer proposed by the Supreme Court that would allow the Rosh Yehudi Orthodox Jewish outreach movement to hold a gender-separated Yom Kippur tefillos in an outdoor space. The proposal, discussed during a court hearing, suggested moving the service from Dizengoff Square to Meir Park, but the city’s legal representative firmly opposed the idea. Thankfully, the Supreme Court – not exactly friends of the Orthodox themselves – stepped in to force Tel Aviv to accept it.
Tel Aviv’s municipality has taken a clear stance against gender separation in all outdoor public spaces. According to Ynet, the city’s legal team argued that allowing gender-separated prayer would violate its policy, which only permits non-Orthodox, mixed-gender prayers in public areas.
The rejection drew sharp criticism from the Supreme Court justices, who expressed frustration with the city’s position. Justice Yechiel Kasher questioned whether the municipality’s stance was discriminatory against Orthodox worshippers, particularly when other forms of prayer are permitted in public.
“I don’t understand, the municipality cannot allow prayer according to traditional practices in the public space?” asked liberal Justice Ofer Grosskopf. He continued, “You are saying that in a closed space like a shul, gender separation is possible, but outdoors it’s forbidden? Those who want Orthodox prayer have to go, and those who don’t, don’t have to go? Why does the municipality need to prevent this kind of prayer?”
Later, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ordered the Tel Aviv Municipal Authority to permit the gender-separated outdoor Yom Kippur tefillos in Meir Park. The ruling allows for the first and tefillos to include a mechitza between men’s and women’s sections, despite the city’s initial refusal to allow such practices in public spaces.
“Tel Aviv is part of the Jewish state, and those who want to pray with gender separation and a divider are able to do so also there,” Rosh Yehudi said in response to the ruling, welcoming the court’s decision.
The dispute centers on an appeal filed by Rosh Yehudi after the Tel Aviv District Court upheld the municipality’s decision to ban the gender-separated Yom Kippur service in Dizengoff Square. Last year, a similar event organized by Rosh Yehudi led to public clashes, igniting a national debate.
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4 Responses
For RH these, רשעים גימורים עד מאוד got their wish and did not have separate tfilos. The problem is they weren’t counting on how they got their wish. They got their wish because HKBH caused Lebanon and Iran to rain missiles down on EY thus canceling all outdoor tfilos.
I would really appreciate if all the self-righteous armchair-warriors commenting on YWN would please explain why the Tel Aviv Municipality are “Sonei Torah UMitzvos” or “self-hating Jews” or some other choice epithet because they actually have rules regarding use of public spaces. Just because prayer is a mitzvah, that doesn’t mean it should take place wherever its organizers want it to, just like they wouldn’t be allowed to hold a minyan in the middle of a busy highway intersection or on the driveway of a fire station.
I’m not saying that I agree with the Tel Aviv municipality, but there is a concept of היזק הרבים. As the elected representatives of the residents of Tel Aviv, they have a right to decide what public activities are contrary to the character of the city or to the will of most of its residents, just like my heroes from Neturei Karta can decide that public displays of the Zionist avodah zara are forbidden in Meah Shearim.
If anyone is offended by my purely logical arguments, I highly recommend you read the works of Prof. Yeshayahu Leibowitz z”l. Trust me, you’ll see things more clearly – just the way I do 🙂
Have they not learned from the terrible Simchas Torah massacre what happens if secularists tear down mechitzas so did the terrorists? ה’ ישמור – ה’ ירחם
@Yossi you’re the GOAT, I was not prepared for that ending