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Following the publication in Hai Pa: the Eliyahu Cave in Haifa is now accessible for people with disabilities

(live here for the community) - A happy update following the exposure in Hai Pa (Monday, 6/3/23): Eliyahu Cave in Haifa is open and accessible for people with disabilities.


After it was revealed in Hai Pa on 1/3/23 that the Eliyahu Cave in Haifa is not properly accessible for people with disabilities, this morning (Sunday) the happy news arrived, according to which the required process has been completed, and now finally people from the general public, including people who have difficulty walking or People in wheelchairs, etc., can visit the cave and move around in it regardless.

As you know, Eliyahu's cave is a holy site for all religions and even underwent an extensive renovation with an investment of millions of shekels and was only recently reopened. Nevertheless, it turned out that the cave was still not properly accessible, as of 1/3/23. Now, as mentioned, after Shai Glick, chairman of the Betzelmo organization, contacted the relevant authorities and after the exposure in Hai Fe, the matter was taken care of and the cave is accessible to everyone's joy.

Shai Shamai Glick (photo: personal album)
Shai Shamai Glick (photo: personal album)

Shay Glick, CEO of Betselmo, told Lahi Pa:

I thank all those involved, led by the Minister of Religion Rabbi Malchiali, Councilor Uri Ozan,Website live here who pushed the issue to the public agenda, to Rabbi Schwinger and Lior Hazan of the Holy Places,
to the Standards Institute and more. I hope that there are more holy places in Haifa, including Yongshu, for people with disabilities. I urge people with disabilities to come and visit the cave, finally in a dignified way. We will continue to act for the benefit of the citizens of Israel.

The confirmation received today 6/3/23 on the completion of the access to the Eliyahu Cave:


The continuation of the hanging - 2/3/23

(haipo) - Last night (Wednesday 1/3/23) it was published as a reminder in Hai Pa as a reminder, the fact that the Eliyahu Cave in Haifa is not accessible for people with disabilities, this is due to a case experienced by the young boy Maor Ben Moyal, who found himself separated from his classmates and had to wait outside the cave , this is because he gets around in a wheelchair and the place, as it turned out, is not properly accessible.

Only recently was the cave re-opened to the general public, after being renovated with an investment of approximately NIS 15 million, a renovation that was supposed to also include the establishment of accessibility for those with disabilities.


Following the unfortunate case of Ben Moyal, as remembered, the CEO of an organization in Tselmo, Shay Glick, wrote an angry letter to the Haifa Municipality and the Minister of Religious Affairs, in which he demands to know why this is the situation in the Eliyahu Cave and what the responsible parties intend to do in order to change it.

In the response that Glick received from the Haifa Municipality and the Ministry of Religion this morning (Thursday), it was claimed that for them everything is already ready and standing, and the thing that is actually delaying the cave's accessibility is the long-awaited approval from the Standards Institute.


Glick turned to the Standards Institute, for which they were outraged at the claim that they are allegedly the ones delaying the cave's accessibility, since it is the institute's responsibility to check and approve the operation of the elevator only And nothing more than that. That is, the other areas of accessibility in the cave are not related to the Standards Institute at all. The operation of the elevator, according to the institute, was already approved over a month ago.

Shai Glick Menchal Betzelmo sent a message to Hai Pa:

"This is a very serious matter. Despite all the approvals, the disabled and the elderly remain outside. I immediately demand from the National Center for Holy Places to immediately open the elevator for people with disabilities. This constitutes a serious violation of freedom of movement and freedom of worship which are part of the basic laws of the State of Israel."


The original article - Wednesday 1/3/23

Shai Glick, CEO of "Bezalmo" (human rights organization in a Jewish spirit) this morning (01.03.23) issued a poignant letter to the mayor - Dr. Einat Kalish Rotem, to the Minister of Religion - Rabbi Michael Michaelali, Yossi Schweinger - CEO of the National Center To holy places, and to the chief rabbi of holy places - Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, in which he protests the lack of accessibility in the place.

Glick's letter came following an incident that happened this week, when the 12-year-old boy Maor Ben Moyal, who gets around in a wheelchair, arrived with his classmates at the Eliyahu Cave, but to his great disappointment had to stay outside due to the poor accessibility.

Eliyahu Cave reopened after renovations (Photo: Adir Yizirf)

Renovation with an investment of about NIS 15 million

As a reminder, Eliyahu's cave was opened on 14/7/2022 with much fanfare and pomp, after about 15 million shekels were invested in the renovation. A significant part of the extensive renovation carried out at the site, alongside the strengthening of the existing buildings and the restoration of the original facades, was supposed to include the establishment of an accessibility system for the benefit of people with disabilities.

Eliyahu Cave reopened after renovations (Photo: Adir Yizirf)

11-year-old Maor stayed outside

But this week, 11-year-old Maor Ben Moyal arrived at the place with his classmates, and unfortunately he found that he was prevented from entering the cave like the rest of his classmates, since he gets around in a wheelchair with which it is not possible to enter the cave.

"This week I received a request from a sweet student named Maor Haim Ben Moyal, an 11-year-old Hasidic boy who gets around in a wheelchair," Glick wrote, "The boy arrived at the place with all the members of his class, but everyone entered to pray with joy and reverence, while he remained outside due to the fact that the place is not accessible ".

Glick also stated in the letter:
"By definition The law of accessibility, accessibility means - the possibility of reaching a place, movement and orientation in it, use and enjoyment of a service, receiving information provided or produced as part of a place or service or in connection with them, use of their facilities and participation in the programs and activities that take place there, and all in an equal, respectful, independent and safe manner."

Maor Ben Moyal and his father (private album)

Glick added: "Holy places are public places, and as such they must be accessible to people with disabilities. This obligation applies to any site to which people go on pilgrimage due to a created custom, and no formal declaration of the place or its sanctity is required... Opening the site without making the place accessible and giving a Form 4 permit To open the place without access is a very serious offense. Apart from the serious offense, advertising in the public streets that the place is open and accessible causes a terrible injustice to people who come from far away and are amazed to see that the place is closed." 

The Eliyahu Cave refused to comment.


The full letter - for your reference:


contact: At watsapBy email

Articles related to this topic

9 תגובות

  1. I visited the cave three weeks ago. Accessibility is only partial and most are stairs.

  2. You have to sit on their heads and not let go until the elevator starts working.

  3. Sue the city engineer.
    His job was to check that the renovation was in line with the current accessibility regulations.
    He receives NIS 50 a month in salary and fails the city again and again. And they didn't check the renovation plan before??

  4. Before the renovation was carried out, you wrote - "From the presentation presented by the Haifa city engineer, Mr. Ariel Waterman, there is a difficult accessibility problem to the Eliyahu Cave. Those of you who visited the cave recently must have noticed the fact that the access is problematic and not suitable for wheelchair users and those who have difficulty walking. In addition, there are three buildings on the site separate, that do not connect together. The goal of the project is to improve accessibility and create a connection between the buildings."
    It turns out that the great architects Wertman, Kalish and Eshkolot failed to carry out a simple task of making the cave accessible, despite a financial investment of tens of millions.

  5. The insolence of the city's mayor, Haifa, who does not see the rain hitting and beating old and elderly people, has no respect for humanity that is inferior to her.

  6. h h h
    Since when is the Ministry of Religion subject to state laws?
    NIS 15 million was not enough to comply with the law, which requires compliance with accessibility regulations?
    And where is the municipality, which approved the completion of the project, without checking/addressing the issue of accessibility?
    And the rivers of budgets were at the expense of the state!
    Ministry of Religions and Co.!
    Who visited the budget on behalf of the state?
    the Holy Spirit ?

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