Tel Aviv and Community Rabbis Reach Court-Backed Selichot Agreement (Updated)

Original report Tel Aviv-Jaffa declined to approve the gender-separated format sought for a central Selichot gathering planned for Saturday night at Tel Baruch Beach. The Association of Community Rabbis and media figure Irit Linor filed a petition in Tel Aviv District Court seeking permission to hold the event in that format. Organizers said Rabbis Shmuel Eliyahu and Zevadia Cohen, neighborhood rabbis and a large public audience are expected to attend. Petitioners argue the condition conflicts with religious freedom and halakhic practice; the city had not published a response when the filing was reported. Update • September 18, 2026: Tel Aviv-Yafo’s municipal administration and the Community Rabbis Association reached an agreement that the Tel Aviv District Court gave the force of a judgment, allowing a disputed Selichot gathering to proceed at Tel Baruch Beach.