The Tel Aviv Administrative Court ruled Sunday that the Holon Municipality acted improperly by canceling the land allocation for the city’s first Reform synagogue, violating principles of equality, religious pluralism and the rights of the Reform community.
The decision followed a petition filed by the Reform Movement and Holon’s Reform congregation Kodesh VeChol. The court found that the municipality’s decision, made after Mayor Shai Keinan took office, was based on political and discriminatory motives rather than legitimate considerations.
Judge Kobi Vardi said the municipality “grossly exceeded the bounds of reasonableness” and that the cancellation aimed solely to harm the Reform community’s rights. He noted the flawed hearing process was used only to fulfill procedural requirements as the outcome was predetermined.
The court ordered Holon to immediately resume and complete the land allocation process for the Reform synagogue and to actively promote the project. It also ruled the municipality must pay 30,000 shekels in legal fees to the Reform Movement and community.
The ruling comes after more than a decade of efforts by the Reform community, active in Holon since 2010, to establish an egalitarian community center and synagogue. Despite earlier approvals by city committees and council, the process stalled after the current mayor, who publicly opposed Reform Judaism and promised the Shas party no Reform synagogue would be built, assumed office.
Deputy Mayor Chaim Zavrelov of Shas previously said the Reform community seeks “to uproot Judaism and do something different from the holy Torah” and vowed to block land allocations for the Reform congregation.
A recent survey by the Midgam Institute showed 58% of Holon residents support establishing an egalitarian synagogue and 59% see room for Reform community activity in the city. While Holon has 77 Orthodox synagogues, it still lacks a Reform synagogue.
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Attorneys for the Reform Movement called the ruling a clear affirmation that the municipality acted on improper grounds and emphasized the mayor’s duty to serve all residents regardless of religious views.
Rabbi Galit Cohen Kaddam, leader of Kodesh VeChol, said the ruling ensures Holon will remain pluralistic and called the timing of the decision on Tisha B’Av “not a coincidence.”
The court said it will continue to oversee the case to ensure compliance.