Haifa: Religious life
Haifa has a wide variety of religious communities ranging from Hassidic
(Vishnitz, Habad), Haredi, Religious Zionists, Masorati,and all other shades. In
most neighborhoods the population is mixed but there are a number of areas in
Haifa where there are religious communities with a concentration of English
speaking olim. These communities are interspersed within the non-religious
population and are well integrated, as individuals and as communities, within
the general population. For those seeking the services needed to conduct a full
religious life at their own level and are also interested in all the amenities
which a big city can offer, Ahuza and Neve Shaanan are excellent choices.
The Ahuza area runs from the Central Carmel to Denya the up-scale villa
neighborhood near Haifa University. Neve Shaanan is the large area facing the
Haifa Bay near the Technion. Also Kiryat Shmuel, a largely religious suburb in
the Haifa Bay area, is a viable alternative. Generally speaking, English
speaking olim are spread out all over metropolitan Haifa and can be found in
every neighborhood, but for those seeking religious community life the above
three areas provide the best alternatives.
Ahuza has over twenty orthodox synagogues, as well as active conservative and
reform congregations. There is an excellent local municipal religious
elementary school for boys and girls. There are four first-rate religious high
schools in Haifa, two for boys and two for girls, and even more in the greater
Haifa area. There is an active, bustling Bnai Akiva snif in the neighborhood,
with children from fourth grade through senior high school, and it provides
them with a strong and binding social, educational and ideological framework .
The Ahuza synagogues sponsor joint holiday celebrations and events and
publish a bimonthly community journal. There is a rich variety of shiurim on
offer, including several Daf Yomi groups.
The English-speaking religious community in Ahuza is very involved in local
activities and holds leadership positions in many synagogues and other
institutions. They are warm and welcoming to newcomers.
Neve Shaanan has a large, vibrant religious community which boasts a
community center with round the clock activities. The large local Bnai Akiva
snif meets there. Neve Shaanan has a large religious elementary school for
girls and boys, and many synagogues. The municipal religious girls high
school is located in Neve Shaanan, and the community also boasts a haredi
mini-market. The religious population of Neve Shaanan is concentrated around
ages.
Kiryat Shmuel is a largely religious neighborhood where secular people are a
definite minority. Some streets are closed on Shabbat.
Education:
Haifa has a wide range of educational institutions, from nursery to university,
including programs for special needs children, and many choices are available
both in the secular and the religious streams. There are too many secular
options to list here but a variety of religious educational institutions in Ahuza
and Neve Shaanan are available as follows:
Ganim: there are excellent religious creches (maonot) and kindergarten
(ganim) available in both neighborhoods and some of the secular gamin have
rich traditional programs.
Elementary Schools: the Carmel School (Netiv Eliezer) in Ahuza, and the
Rambam School in Neve Shaanan, are state religious elementary schools for
boys and girls with a religious Zionist orientation. Some of the elementary
school age children in Haifa attend the Barkai school (run by a national
religious school organization) with separate classes for boys and girls which is
located in Kiryat Eliezer - about 15 minutes away from Ahuza and Neve
Shaanan. Another alternative is Beyachad.
High Schools: for girls ֲ– Ironi Vav is the municipal religious girl's high school
located in Neve Shaanan. There is also a Tzvia High School (run by a national
religious school organization) for girls, located in the Hadar. For boys, Yavne
is the state religious Yeshiva High School and it is relatively close to both
neighborhoods, and theBranco-Weiss Torah High School is close by on the
Carmel.In addition, there are a number of outstanding secular high schools (
Reali, Hugim and Leo Beck) nearby as well as municipal high schools.
Other communities:
Catholic church
Melkite church
Christian communities
Islam
Ahmedist cult
Bahai religion
Buddhism
ֲ« We, Abraham's children, must open our hearts and minds to the call of peace and
love, must bless and be blessed in the name of G-d: SHALOM-PEACEֲ».
Haifa's chief rabbi , Sha'ar-Yeshuv Hacohen
Preparations for Passover:
The Moatsa Datit Haifa asks you to bring only clean
ustensils that have not been used for at least 24 hours
You can bring them next to the following synagogues:
Haifa main synagogue (Herzl street)
Ramot Sapir (Gutlewin),
Ahuzah, Elyahu Hanavi Synagogue,
Kyriat Shmuel, Central Synagogue (Torah vAvodah),
Ramot Remez, Main Synagogue,
Wiznitz, Central square,
Hadar Elion, Main synagogue, (Rashi1 ),Wednesday,
Neweh Shaanan, Rambam Center, Sunday,
Hametz must be sold (you can consult the rabbi of your
district or the Haifa Rabbinate (Kibbutz Galuyoth 62)
Holidays in Haifa
Av 9 : sunset , end of the fast
Sukkot Hag Sameach!
As every year you can build your sukkah on the pavement, provided you
leave some space for pedestrians
Pourim some special events
click to enlarge the invitations
HappyHannukah
Rosh HaShana
Nous vous souhaitons une douce et heureuse annee
Yom Kippur
Gmar Hatima Tova
Conferences
Life of communities
Invitations, Shabbat and holidays
Tu B'Shvat
Practical informations
Judaism in Haifa
Judaism
Neve Sheanan:
Synagogues
-the main original synagogue,
-three modern orthodox synagogues in the
religious community center
-two more synagogues in the school
buildings + one Sephardic minyan in a
separate small building.
- another synagogue accross the street
Women’s classes
-midrasha for women and a kollel for men at
Technion
-community center:activities as well as
lectures open to all. On Tuesday mornings
three different classes’ only for women given
by three different teachers.
- women’s group on Shabbat that has
lectures on Parshat Hashavua in Hebrew in
the center. There is also a small English
speaking group of women who learn
together on Shabbat afternoon.
Haifa Great Synagogue
Herzl, Hadar
Ohel Bracha
Shimkin, Ahuza
Neve Sheanan Religious Cultural Center
HaTichon
Ohel Aaaron
Einstein, Ahuza
Ohel Aaron
Technion
Dome, Central Carmel synagogue
Derech HaYam
Neve Sheanan Ramot Remez
Borochov
Some beautiful synagogues
Meir
Old Romemma
New Israel
Oren, Romemma Ramat Ben Gurion
Or Hadash
HaPrachim, Romema, Ramat Ben Gurion
Ahuza main synagogue
Sinai
Ohel Shem
Heine Carmelyia
Yeshiva
Arlosorov, Hadar
Rabbi Akiva
Rabbi Akiva, Hadar
Hadar
The Haifa Great Synagogue is undergoing renovation. The project aims to
restore this magnificent urban synagogue built at the time of the british Mandate
and return it to a place of centrality in the spiritual and cultural life of Haifa and
the North.
The Haifa fundation is also renovating the Yeshiva Hassidei Gur courtyard
Vishnitz district
Moriah Congregation, Horev street
Heichal Elyahu, HaTamar
The four species market, (citron, myrtles, palm, willow)
Between Yom Kippour and Sukkoth, mornings before 8:00-9:00, afternoons after 17:00
At the corner of Bezalel and HaShiloach (Hadar), in front of the Rambam synagogue
(Neve Sheanan, HaTichon) and Kyriat Shmuel great synagogue
The municipality does not give greenery for the Sukkah this year
בְּראשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יִכָּתֵבוּן . וּבְיום צום כִּפּוּר יֵחָתֵמוּ
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