Town Petitions Against Prospective Shul

Nestled between the cities of Modiin and Modiin Ilit (Kiryat Sefer) is the town of Re’ut. When residents of Re’ut wish to go to shul they must attend one in either of their big-city neighbors, because Re’ut has no shul – and many residents hope to keep it that way.

The local authority, in cooperation with the Maccabeem municipality of which Reut is a part, is planning to set aside land for construction of a shul, according to a local report. But residents who are opposed have organized a petition against the proposed construction. So far the petition has been signed by over 500 families.

According to the petition, the residents “oppose allocating land to a shul. The land is public and belongs to the municipality, and that includes all residents, so the municipality is obligated to use the land in an equitable manner, and in a way that will benefit the residents of the area.” The signers maintain that since they are opposed to the construction of a shul, the land would not be serving the needs of all residents. They suggest that a community center be built instead.

In response to media requests for comments, the municipality and local authority replied that they were “examining the issue.”