Tel Aviv Municipality Again Bans Gender Segregation at Public Prayers

The Tel Aviv municipality has once again conditioned the holding of public prayers on the prohibition of gender segregation, despite a previous Supreme Court ruling on the matter. The Association of Community Rabbis sought to hold a Selichot prayer service on the beach of Tel Baruch on Saturday night, the last night for reciting these penitential prayers. The municipality granted preliminary approval for the event but stipulated that no physical separation between men and women would be permitted, meaning no partition could be erected.

Morganizers argue that this condition prevents the prayer from being conducted according to religious law and infringes upon the religious freedom of participants. Consequently, they intend to petition the Tel Aviv District Court to compel the municipality to allow the partition.

This issue of segregation in public spaces has been a recurring point of contention. During Yom Kippur last year, secular individuals disrupted a prayer service in Dizengoff Square. The municipality's stance also intensified discussions surrounding the Simchat Torah prayer gatherings, which were ultimately canceled due to the Hamas attack.

Two years prior, the 'Rosh Yehudi' organization sought to hold a segregated prayer service. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that segregated prayers were permissible, suggesting a compromise to move the service from Dizengoff Square to Meir Park. Despite this ruling, the municipality continues to enforce its ban on partitions as a prerequisite for public prayer events.

The article claims that the prohibition on erecting partitions in public spaces is an arbitrary invention by former Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber, not based on any existing law or court decision. The Tel Aviv municipality has zealously adopted this stance, previously banning Selichot performances in Rabin Square and Yom Kippur prayers in Dizengoff Square.