Segregated buses and carloads of Orthodox households flock toward Israel’s separate seashores throughout the summer time. Believe it or no longer, swimming lovers can discover a frum seaside in every primary metropolis along the Holy Land’s lengthy shoreline. There are even separate seashores in Eilat and along the Dead Sea.
While no longer every seashore is hermetically protected against occasional breaches in modesty, the situation at the entire is sufficiently mehadrin to draw hundreds of hundreds of G-d-fearing Jews to Israel’s seashores every yr.
As an avid beachgoer myself, let me provide an explanation for how it works. Usually half of of the day is allotted to women, and the other half of to guys. The shifts switch on alternating days to find the money for extra flexibility. But there are also seashores wherein women and men can readily enjoy separate seashores at the same time.
The seashores are run with the aid of the municipalities and are remarkably maintained and free of muddle. There are sufficient trash packing containers for Coke cans and dirty diapers, and town people smooth up at the quit of the day. The seashores additionally have water faucets and seaside showers that are almost as a laugh as the ocean itself. By pulling a sequence, an invigorating stream of bloodless water splashes over your head, causing your muscular tissues to shiver.
Religious households with a pioneering spirit who want to experience a family day out collectively by the ocean can discover many stunning strips of isolated beaches along the coastline with no one in sight, but those dreamy stretches don’t have lifeguard stations and may be risky due to strong undercurrents. (Every 12 months, there are tragic drownings.) The separate seashores operated by the municipalities have experienced lifeguards and submit black flags to warn bathers while turbulent currents and tidewaters make swimming risky.
What about the trouble of male lifeguards scanning the waters throughout the hours designated for girls? While halachic authorities agree that a girl lifeguard is premier, maximum poskim allow girls to visit a separate seashore if the lifeguards are men, including that women bathers need to dress modestly and wear seashore robes while now not in the water.
The long timber mechitzot that separate frum beaches from neighboring blended seashores are available extraordinary lengths. The ones that make bigger the full width of the seashore all of the way into the ocean offer for a total department. Others go away the beachfront adjacent the water open so that secular joggers or leisurely strollers can transverse the frum seaside as properly.
While non-non secular beachgoers commonly recognize the privacy of their Orthodox brothers and sisters, I were at the seaside when an immodest women or have jogged throughout the seashore, whether purposefully or now not, inflicting a minor commotion. But for a devoutly non secular Jew, venturing onto the road or travelling a shopping mall is frequently no less risky.
If you are making plans a journey to the Holy Land, here’s a brief rundown of some of Israel’s separate seashores in numerous towns:
Tel Aviv: The Nordau Beach has all of the centers you may ask for besides a kosher MacDonald’s. The separation between males and females is up to par, and the beach became offered global “Blue Flag” popularity for meeting top standards. Parking costs cash, however the seaside itself is free.
Bat Yam: The mechitza is hermetic, with out a manner of walking from the separate beach to the mixed seashore. You technique the beach through a paved pathway, and the seaside’s upkeep is deserving of reward.
Herzliya: The seaside is lovely and smooth, attracting many traffic from close by Bnei Brak. The seashore is prompt in a secluded cove, but it lacks a mechitza and an occasional woman can be seen.
Rishon L’Zion: This separate beach has grow to be very popular, boasting renovated paths with smooth accessibility, a playground for youngsters, seashore chairs for lease, and a mechitza extending into the sea.
Netanya: The frum beach is just throughout the road from the Sanz chassidic network. Nonetheless, it’s far a shlep descending the slope and lengthy stairway to the shore, and even as the secular seashores of the metropolis are pristine, this one is sadly unkempt. As some distance as modesty goes, it’s far glatt kosher.
Haifa: If you need to go to a person in the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, the nearby frum seaside has calm, serene waters due to its lengthy breakwater. The seashore is remoted from different seashores and from the busy Haifa port.
Tiberias: If you’re travelling the Tomb of Rebbe Meir Baal HaNess, you can take a refreshing dip in the Kinneret simply across the road. There is an entrance fee, but the facilities are tremendous, with shaded areas and living room chairs, and a complete mechitza. It is ideal for families, on account that men and women can revel in the mystical waters of the Galilee Sea at the very same time at contrary aspects of the cove without having to watch for alternating hours. The beach itself is a bit stony, so bring tongs when you have delicate feet.
The Dead Sea: Men and girls can revel in complete separation on the identical time on the easy and properly-saved seaside among the Nirvana and Moriah Hotels. The seashore has a complete range of facilities, but it’s far regularly crowded with busloads of day vacationers.
