Power Outage in Modiin Illit’s Brachfeld Neighborhood Leaves Thousands in Darkness on Friday Evening

On the Friday evening before Shabbat, thousands of residents in the Brachfeld neighborhood of Modiin Illit endured a severe and frustrating power outage lasting approximately five hours. The blackout, reportedly caused by an overload, plunged large parts of the neighborhood into darkness and intense heat just minutes before Shabbat began. This recurring issue on Fridays has become a distressing routine for residents, with last week’s outage reaching unprecedented severity.

The outage disrupted essential Shabbat preparations, as ovens stopped working and those without gas stoves were left unable to heat food. Yitzhak Feldman, a local communications advisor, expressed residents’ anger, calling the Electric Company’s neglect a "dangerous scandal" and criticizing the lack of communication and resolution as Shabbat approached.

Due to the heat and darkness, many synagogues moved their Friday night prayers outdoors to the streets. Power was finally restored shortly after 8 p.m., prompting a spontaneous neighborhood-wide cheer reminiscent of Independence Day fireworks. Following the restoration, residents rushed to assist elderly neighbors and institutions by bringing Shabbat timers to enable lighting and air conditioning.

Interestingly, the next day many synagogues kept their air conditioners running continuously because the non-Jewish technician who restored power on Friday night only turned the electricity back on without adjusting the Shabbat timers. This inadvertently provided a comfortable environment for afternoon Torah study, benefiting those who attend Shabbat sessions then.

The incident highlights ongoing infrastructure challenges in Modiin Illit and the community’s resilience in coping with repeated power failures during critical religious times.