Rabbi Elyashiv: Jews in Eilat must hold two Seder nights

Eilat chief rabbi Yosef Hecht: The town’s residents and hotels hold only one Seder night.

Religious and haredi (ultra-orthodox) Jews who travel to Antalya, Turkey, or Eilat for Passover must hold two Seder nights, the same as Jews in the Diaspora ever since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Bnei Brak local paper “Kol Ha’Ir” quotes Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv as saying. Eilat is included in the rabbi’s ruling because it is not part of the Land of Israel.

The rabbi made the ruling at the initiative of several haredi travel agencies that rent hotels in Antalya, render the kosher with the assistance of the rabbinate, and offer rooms to religious families on vacation for the Seder night and the Passover holiday. In recent years, Antalya has become a popular Israeli tourist destination because of the discounts by haredi sources. Since there is no local Jewish community, visiting Israelis are not required to hold two Seder nights.

Elyashiv’s ruling annuls this practice. He said that it is not possible to know where any Jews reside in Antalya or not.

Eilat chief rabbi, Yosef Hecht says that the town’s residents and hotels hold only one Seder night. Rabbi Elyashiv’s ruling is therefore obscure.

Israel Tourist and Travel Agents Association director Yosef Fattal said the ruling was a matter for customers’ discretion and not of fair disclosure by travel agents. Customers should decide whether the deal suits them or not.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 25, 2007

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2007

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