After 76 Years, Beit Elazari Opens First Ritual Bath Following Court Battle

Beit Elazari this week inaugurated the first ritual bath, or mikveh, ever built in the Brenner Regional Council, ending a legal and public fight that began three years ago. Residents had long pushed for a mikveh inside the council area, but opponents argued it would change the character of the secular community, and the dispute ultimately went to court.

A precedent-setting ruling in 2023 by Central District Court Judge Rami Amir cleared the project. He said religious freedom is a constitutional basic right and that building a mikveh does not amount to religious coercion. The court also rejected the claim that the project would harm the settlement’s secular identity, saying it was part of enabling shared life that respects the needs of residents who want to live according to their faith.

The ruling paved the way for the project, which was built at a cost of about 3 million shekels with funding from the Ministry of Religious Services, the regional council, and the local committee. Officials described the opening as historic, because no public mikveh had operated in the council until now.

The dedication ceremony was attended by local rabbis, representatives of the council, and officials from the Ministry of Religious Services. Ministry director-general Yehuda Avidan said, “This is evidence that every Jew’s right to live according to their faith is an undeniable right.”