Chabad Synagogue Controversy Erupts at Rehovot Elementary School
A dispute has erupted in Rehovot over the alleged clandestine establishment of a Chabad synagogue within the premises of the Zohar Elementary School. Parents discovered in October that a large mobile structure, initially presented as an "annex classroom," was being used as a synagogue by the "Chabad Makov-HaYovel" association during afternoons and weekends, with the apparent backing of the Rehovot Municipality and Mayor Matan Dila. Parents were informed the structure would serve students during the day and the synagogue in the afternoons, but soon realized the mobile unit was entirely dedicated to religious services, featuring an Ark, holy books, and prayer areas unsuitable for children's education. Furthermore, the structure reportedly lacked proper permits and insurance, barring student access.
This incident is framed as part of a broader pattern of alleged preferential treatment and "religious coercion" towards the secular population in Rehovot over the past two decades, with synagogues, study halls, and ritual baths reportedly receiving advantages in land and public building allocations. The article claims that the municipality has bent rules and laws to accommodate religious institutions, often without public transparency. The Zohar school itself has reportedly hosted four unofficial prayer groups for years, operating without formal approval.
In response to the situation, a group of residents filed a petition with the District Court demanding the removal of the "pirate synagogue." The municipality subsequently initiated a process to formally allocate the space to Chabad, a move the residents view as an attempt to legitimize a fait accompli. The municipality's legal responses have been contradictory, with Mayor Dila offering shifting explanations, including claiming the structure was a "blessed initiative" to solve a problem inherited from his predecessor, and later admitting to a "glitch" in informing parents.
Adding to the complexity, the municipality presented several "use agreements" to the court, allegedly dating back years and retroactively legitimizing the synagogue's use of the school grounds. However, these agreements are described as vague, inconsistently dated, and lacking the mayor's signature, leading the residents to label them "fictitious, retroactive, improper, illegal, void, unsigned agreements made for appearance's sake only." The legal department has also reportedly refrained from signing these agreements. The municipality stated it would provide its response within the legal proceedings.
