Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight

A Window into the Charedi World

05 Iyar 5759 - April 21, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
NEWS

OPINION
& COMMENT

HOME
& FAMILY

IN-DEPTH
FEATURES

VAAD HORABBONIM HAOLAMI LEINYONEI GIYUR

TOPICS IN THE NEWS

HOMEPAGE

News
Mikveh Dedicated in Peki'in

by Betzalel Kahn and Y. Ariel

The week before Pesach, a large gathering of residents of Peki'in and the Upper Galilee, headed by rabbonim, public figures and prominent guests, participated in an impressive ceremony dedicating the new mikveh built in Peki'in by the Mercaz Haartzi LeMaan Taharas Hamishpocho.

The dedication of the mikveh marks an additional phase in the building of a series of mikvaos in the country's north by the Mercaz. Their aim is to meet the demands of the region's residents and to guarantee a maximal number of mikvaos in the area's settlements.

As spring approaches, Peki'in, a picturesque settlement not far from the Lebanese border, is awash in lavish verdure and vegetation, even in this year of drought. This settlement is situated in the Upper Galilee, southeast of Maalot Tarshicha, near the ancient city of Peki'in. The residents of the settlement are religious immigrants from North Africa who founded the settlement in 5715, and plan to celebrate its 45th anniversary soon. The 300 members of the settlement earn their livelihood mainly from agriculture, and participate in the prayer services and Torah shiurim of the local synagogue.

When they first asked the Mercaz Haartzi LeMaan Taharas Hamishpocho to help them establish a mikveh, they didn't believe how quickly their request would be answered. The Mercaz accorded special attention to the establishment of the mikveh in Peki'in, which is mentioned in Chazal, and is a city where a number of great tanno'im and amora'im lived, the most famous being the saintly tanno, R' Shimon Bar-Yochai and his son, the tanno R' Elozor.

The tremendous efforts invested in building the new mikveh are evident. The structure is luxurious and modern, both outside and inside. With the completion of the work on the mikveh, it was decided to hold a large event to encourage the residents of the Galil to strengthen Torah observance in the region.

Hundreds or area residents came for the dedication ceremony. Seated beside tastefully set tables, they delighted in music played by a special ensemble.

Chairman of the regional religious council of Maaleh-Yosef, Rav Shimon Gueta, moderated the event, and blessed the administration of the Mercaz Haartzi which had gone to great lengths to build the mikveh. Speeches were delivered by Rav M. Auerbach, Rav E. Shlesinger, the rav of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Giloh, Rav B. Auerbach and other rabbonim as well as prominent public figures of the region.

A special letter from the Admor of Boyan was read. The ceremony closed with the remarks of Rabbi Avrohom Buch, the director of the Mikveh Department of the Religious Affairs Ministry, who stressed the importance of the dedication of the mikveh in Peki'in.

All of the speakers blessed the heads and directors of the Mercaz Haartzi LeMaan Taharas Hamishpocho, who continue to build mikvaos throughout the country with untold energy and zeal. At the close of the uplifting event, various public figures stressed the tremendous impetus the establishment of the mikveh will give to the religious life of the entire region.


All material on this site is copyrighted and its use is restricted.
Click here for conditions of use.