Ashdod, Israel – Negotiations for a Strictly Kosher Beach to Serve the Charedi Community

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    file photoAshdod, Israel – Will a significant part of Ashdod’s beach be open to the ultra-Orthodox community only?

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    The Minrav Group is holding negotiations with the Ashdod Municipality’s economic company ahead of the establishment of a strictly kosher resort village, at a total investment of NIS 160 million (about $42 million).

    The compound will be located about 100 meters (328 feet) from the Riviera Beach, in the southern part of the city.

    The Minrav Group has confirmed that a resort village with 220 summer cottages and 80 hotel rooms, stretching over 13 acres, would be build in the area together with haredi entrepreneurs from New York.

    The project will also include a synagogue, a mikveh (ritual bath), swimming pools, a spa and strictly kosher restaurants.

    In a document obtained by Yedioth Ahronoth’s economic supplement, the head of the real estate division at Minrav, Chanan Bartal, writes to the manager of the economic company in Ashdod, “Following our discussion with haredi entrepreneurs and several meetings in your office, it is clear that they are interested in building a haredi resort village, but a precondition is a municipal arrangement for restricting bathing to the haredi public in the piece of shore adjacent to their plot.”

    The municipality’s economic company said in response, “Closing the beach off to haredim is being examined, but a decision has yet to be made. This is one of the company’s demands for setting up a resort village.”


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    61 Comments
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    yank
    yank
    14 years ago

    so, now lets hear from the eirev rav, torah umitzvah haters …’taliban, taliban’

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    They should be flexible about accomodating the religious needs for a few hours per week as they do at other beaches in EY but it would be unthinkable to permanently close the beach to the public. Ashdod would be better off putting a landfill on the site than denying the public access because some hareidi investors from new york want to make a few bucks in a land deal. What an embarrassment to even consider such a proposal.

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #1i assume your an ehrlicher yid ,shomer torah umitzvos that wants to spread kedusha and taharah accross the land of israel, so please explain what the embarassment is about?

    SimchaB
    SimchaB
    14 years ago

    Reply to #1 : Why such venom about a landfill? They aren’t talking about restricting the entire beach, only “the piece of shore adjacent to their plot.” All you seculars, mixed bathers, avizrayu d’giluy arayosniks have nothing to fear, you can continue to be mored b’paltin shel melech!

    BEREL
    BEREL
    14 years ago

    #3 the term is not ‘unintelligent’, its ‘ gedoleh sinas am huaretz letalmud chakum yoser…’ a gentile would not object. they respect.. as i’ve seen with eiruv issues in us and yiroel its the sone torah who object

    AuthenticSatmar
    AuthenticSatmar
    14 years ago

    Exclusive beachfronts for developments is common and normal. But when its a chareidi project, everyone screams. I’m sure if it was a gay resort with a nude gay beach requested, there would be an outporing of support. And then you wonder why don’t the chareidim “follow the rules”. Its because you don’t give them the right too.

    ......unenformed
    ......unenformed
    14 years ago

    ..is that picture of beachwear for hasid boys/men?

    joel rich
    joel rich
    14 years ago

    Who will define charedi? Will ID cards be issued?
    KT

    formally
    formally
    14 years ago

    why are they wearing their cloths to swimming. I do not get it.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    i don’t see how this stops the public from using it. if a secular woman wants to use it during women’s only hours (or a secular man during men’s only hours) they can.

    MS
    MS
    14 years ago

    I can see it now…..kicking out anyone who is not “charedi enough”!
    They will start to make rules on what considers you “frum” and how modest you have to be. (woman must be fully clothed even in the water, and men can not wear shirts with pictures or words on them when walking on premesis…..) lol!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Consider me un-cultured, but why are they swimming in business suites? Is that normal? How uncomfortable!

    The Truth
    The Truth
    14 years ago

    I am sure that there already is a separate beach in Ashdod.
    What this seems to be is a Beach Resort that is catering to the Charadi market. Its seems like an excellent idea to me. When will someone try to do this in New York?

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #13 oy vey, ‘terrible, terrible’ …what is so terrible.you can say its not right, discrimination, but why this overdramatizing with the word ‘terrible’.why would a shomer torah be against this, after all there’s a issur of ‘gilu aroyous’ involved with mixed swimming. isnt that whats really ‘terrible’ in the holtyland the house of g-d. oh, you dont believe in all this hogwash.so why comment on torah oriented site?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Well said #10 .

    This is simply a wonderful idea. It’s so sad that frum yidden all over Eretz Yisroel cannot enjoy bein hazmanim in surroundings they are comfortable in. This is after all the land of yidden. This is long overdue.

    What are they wearing?
    What are they wearing?
    14 years ago

    Why are they wearing those coats for swimming? That’s dangerous and it has nothing to do with Tznius, rediculous!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    the picture sums up everything that is wrong with this religion. It has been completely hijacked by the religous right. Oh well, I hope they have fun swimming in all their clothes.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    “It’s so sad that frum yidden all over Eretz Yisroel cannot enjoy bein hazmanim in surroundings they are comfortable in”

    They are free to go to any of the many private beaches up and down the coast where they have separate swimming areas. However, don’t ask the citizens of Ashdod to sign a non-competitive deal with a group of real estate speculators from New York who are using this “tzinus issue” as an excuse to close off the beach for some exclusive spa and resort. I’m not sure if giving some heimeshe ba’ala bustas special “bein hazmanim massage, mineral baths and facials” is really somthing that warrants this land grab.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Just like most healthy people are uncomfortable around nude sun bathers, Chareidim are uncomfortable and even more so, are forbidden by the Torah to mix with the opposite gender. I think separate beaches should be the norm in our holy land.
    Barring that, the least they can do is provide some private beach site for Torah observant Yidden.

    And by the way, it’s good for the economy too.

    Dov
    Dov
    14 years ago

    Who says they have to go to the beach? There are more appropriate activities for them

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This picture looks like the Chinese in the Yellow River. Looks absolutely dangerous and polluted!! Is anyone familiar with water safety that has a problem here with the heavy clothing?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    “is really somthing that warrants this land grab”

    They are not grabbing land. They are going through the legal channels and are requesting approval for this project. The residents of Ashdod will decide whether it makes economic and social sense to them. I am just amazed at the hatred some people have for “NY Developers” who are trying to make a living catering to a niche market they beleive would be profitable.

    “Who says they have to go to the beach?”

    Hashem created the world to be enjoyed. There is nothing wrong going to a beach and enjoying it. I am unsure what the more appropriate activities you would rather have them do. The Charedim do have an issue with mixed beaches and they are trying to address their concerns in a public manner and not some shady side deal that goes behind the back of the public.

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #33 see #20 ..unless your not of the jewish faith or renegade aginst the torah

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    “If these chareidim want a private beach, buy it from some other private party.”

    According to you noone can ever buy the rights to a beach from the public so how is it possible to buy the beach from some private party as you propose?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    CUTE PICTURE!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Be Mentchen! It’s ok to appeal to the government when you need their help for a separate beach. How about not rioting and creating a total chilul hashem to the government (and world) on Shabbos. Yes, I understand, the riots are for a “holy cause”. There are much holier (and effective ways) to teach people to truly honor Shabbos. And —- if you are soooo holy that you need to riot to protect Yiddishkeit, maybe you’re too holy to be bathing in the beach. In that case, the lack of a Chareidi beach should be no problem to you.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I’m not particularly sympathetic to Haredi politics, but it’s quite simple. Anyone should be able to do what they want with a private beach. Just as some in Israel are using private properties for nude beaches (of which I do not personally approve), a private owner should be equally allowed to have a beach suited to his Haredi clientelle.

    OMG
    OMG
    14 years ago

    Why can’t they request a private access area only, and thereby give passes only to people who are paying customers of the resort. The same as you have in Jamaica with various resorts and not request an “ultra-Orthodox area”

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    this picture is caricature and unreal. Nobody and especially these who are not athletic would never be able to swim in a suit, with a tallis katan and shoes. I like to know what is or was the purpose of this fassade

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    To use the venacular , why cannot the chareidim quietly go to either end of the public beach and swim separately rather than further seeking to wall themselves off from the rest of klal yisroel. Anyone familiar with the beach knows that at either end, away from the two parking areas, there are areas almost always empty even in the summer.

    yank
    yank
    14 years ago

    #42 , #42 ….your statements are retty wierd

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    due to the clothing and their shoes nobody should swim in a contaminated area like this

    formally
    formally
    14 years ago

    as long as they are going through the proper channel what do people care.

    They are not doing it in an underhanded way, the city will decide if they want to do it. They could stick to their guns and and no, or they could say yes because yes because of tyhe extra tax base. I would put a clause in that it will always be a for profit area, and rescind anything if they decide to pass it of to a yeshiva or something.

    Or, why not make it private just one section for men and one section for woman regardless if the person is frum or not. would that solve the problem?

    berel
    berel
    14 years ago

    #5 with all due respect, its because of the torah that mixed swimming is assur,and its because of the torah that yidden have a cliam to eretz hakdoshe and if one disegards the torah and says this is not for me etc so then the claim th the land has no authenticy.

    Avremele
    Avremele
    14 years ago

    I dont understand what the problem is. Tel Aviv, Netanya, & Benai Berak have a beach for Charadim. I beleive they will get there wish. And yes non Frum are allowed

    An arab
    An arab
    14 years ago

    I say burkahs for all the women