About UsIn the early fall of 2004 a small group of residents from the new neighborhoods of Rosh Ha'ayin decided it was time to transport progressive Judaism to their city of 40,000. They sought a framework in which they would feel comfortable expressing their Jewish identity and that they could not find at any one of the over 300 Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox synagogues officially listed at the Rosh Ha'ayin Municipality.
On Friday evening September 3, 2004 over 40 people gathered in a private home for the community's first Kabbalat Shabbat. Though there was no advertising, people heard about the service from word of mouth. Three weeks later 60 people came together for Yom Kippur services.
As the congregation is starting its third year, members are now gathering together every Friday in a place recently allocated to the congregation by the local Matnas (Community Center). Besides getting together for Shabbat, the congregation gathers for holidays and special events during the year. Since spring of 2005, an adult study is meeting with Rabbi Ayala Miron every two weeks. Eight active members make up the congregation's planning committee; they meet on a regular basis to discuss both present-day concerns and future plans.
The High Holidays of 2005-2006 provided excellent opportunities to expose the non-Orthodox residents of Rosh Ha'ayin to this new Reform community. Led by Rabbi Miron and an in-house Shelihat Tzibur, the thought-provoking and spiritually moving services were attended by community members as well as a large group of residents from different neighborhoods in the city. Over 250 people gathered in a local gym at Yom Kippur closing service, Neila, last September.
During the month of Nissan (April 2006) the first three Bar Mitzvah boys held their Bar Mitzvah ceremonies in the Kehilah. A second group of nine Bat and Bar Mitzvah children started a class in June 2006. The two girls who have joined the group chose to celebrate their Bat Mitzvahs with a Torah service, marking the first liberal Bat Mitzvah ceremonies in Rosh Ha'ayin.
The initiative for a progressive Kehilah in Rosh Ha'ayin was supported from its first steps by the fellowship program of Rikma (Spirit, Community and Leadership), and received a formal status as a member of the IMPJ, Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, in October 2005.
Bavat Ayin community is growing steadily. During the year of 2007 we celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of twenty four children, five of which were girls. More families have joined Kabbalot Shabbat as the effort continues to experiment with many new programs both for Kehila members and the general public of Rosh HaAyin. In the course of the municipal elections taking place last November, our community has once more suffered a loud and cloudy wave of opposition from the Ultra-Orthodox parties. These manifestations have subdued without leaving a trace, but at the same time made it clear that Bavat Ayin have become an integral part of the city's cultural and religious landscape, and it is here to stay.
Contact Us
Rabbi: Ayala Miron, Chair: Joel Rosenfeld
Mailing address: Bavat Ayin Congregation, P.O..Box 6981, Rosh HaAyin 48630 Israel
Phone: #972-52-6048448 (Joel) E-mail:
