Residents of Petah Tikva and the surrounding area are angry: They claim that they suffer from intentional "ultra-Orthodox discrimination" at the public pool in Givat Hashlosha, after the pool management decided to cancel the separate bathing area there.
For years, the management of the swimming pool complex in Givat HaShlosha allocated separate bathing hours for the Haredi community; 3 hours for men and 3 for women. About two years ago, the separate hours were reduced, and the complex was only open on Thursdays - for only 3 hours.
Religious and ultra-Orthodox residents who used to bathe in the pool claimed in a conversation with Haredim10 Because these are blatant motives and a clear trend of rejecting Haredim. They feel discriminated against because the separate activity they enjoyed for many years was stopped for reasons that they claim stem from discrimination and racism, showing hostility and causing trouble towards the Haredi public, and this is because of their faith.
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According to them, this was preceded by a petition signed by secular residents, in which they threatened to cancel the monthly subscription, claiming that the owners of the place "segregate women during men's bathing hours, and prevent them from working out in the gym and bathing in the pool.".
""Buses with yeshiva students""
According to pool manager Oren Hefetz (who also serves as a member of the Petah Tikva City Council), allocating special hours for bathing for the religious public thwarts the massive marketing of membership cards to the general public. He claims that he is losing a large amount of income from a target audience of the secular stratum, which is valued for its large number of subscribers.
On the other hand, religious bathers claim that they too constitute an attractive target audience and that during the hours allotted for them to bathe separately, the complex was full to capacity. Yehuda Cohen, an ultra-Orthodox who used to come to the pool every week to swim, also refutes this in a conversation with ultra-Orthodox10 The pool owner's claim, and he believes that the Haredim were an inevitable part of the revenue cut: "More than once, several buses were parked in the parking lot bringing yeshiva students from various cities across the country, in addition to dozens of cars of Haredim who came especially to bathe there with full money.".
In a conversation between United Torah Judaism City Council member Eliyahu Baruchi and pool manager Oren Hefetz, it was explained that the membership public as a whole is opposed to the separate activity, and that the separate hours constitute a disruption in everything related to the regularity and consistency of the venue's ongoing activity. According to the residents, attempts to inquire with the club's management regarding the real reason that unilaterally and suddenly led to the cessation of separate activities for religious people received vague answers.
""I have nothing against Haredi""
At the same time, the religious group, through Attorney Haim Kanner, drafted a letter to Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein demanding that an investigation be opened against the club's managers for violating Section 3 of the Anti-Discrimination Law.
Hefetz says in a conversation with Haredim10: "I came to manage the place about six months ago after the place ran into financial difficulties. The decision to end the separate bathing was made purely for financial considerations. I have nothing against religious people or Haredim. I manage a country club, not a public pool. We have about 2,200 members whose activity at the place is intensive, and it is impossible to run a members' club with restrictions at certain times. Even when people ask to rent the place for private events, I refuse. And I really want and hope that I will be able to resume the separate bathing again in the winter months.".
