Rabbis file petition after Tel Aviv bans gender-segregated selichot service on beach

A petition has been filed against the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality after it refused to allow a large selichot prayer service with gender separation at Tel Baruch Beach.

The Association of Community Rabbis says the event, scheduled for Saturday night, received preliminary approval from the municipality, but organizers were told they could not use physical barriers to separate the genders.

The association says the restriction prevents the service from being held according to Jewish religious practice and infringes on participants’ freedom of religion. The municipality has not commented on the petition.

The event was expected to include appearances from Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Zavadia Cohen, Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, and several neighborhood rabbis.

The dispute comes amid a broader debate in Tel Aviv over gender-separated prayer in public spaces. The issue drew widespread attention after confrontations over an outdoor Yom Kippur service in Dizengoff Square in 2023.

The municipality has opposed the use of physical partitions and gender separation at public events, saying such restrictions should be limited to synagogues.