separate swimming pilot in nature begins next week

As announced a few months ago, Minister Idit Silman has decided to run a pilot arranging separate swimming hours at some springs around Israel, to be more accessible to the religious public, the religious hikers. I guess depending on the results of the pilot the program will either be expanded or cut...

Anyway, that pilot is starting next week after a couple months of planning.

Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman that as of next week two springs will be designated for separate swimming, but it will not affect the general public, as it will be after the official access hours have finished for the day.

The two springs where the pilot will be running are Ein Hanya, located in the Judean Hills outside of Jerusalem, and Einot Tzukim, located in the northwestern area of the Dead Sea.

I think we only have partial information, as far as I can find from the information publicized, but here is what we know so far as to how this will work.

These two springs have normal operating hours of 8am until 5pm, after which they officially close. So as not to affect the general public, those hours will continue to be open to the general public. Two days a week, after those hours, the springs will be open to the religious public with separate swimming. 

On Thursdays Ein Hanya hours will be expanded for the general public until 7:30pm (during the month of August) and on Sundays and Wednesdays Ein Hanya will be open from 5-8pm only to separate swimming.

Einot Tzukim seems to have a different issue with the wildlife of the area enjoying the spring in the evening, so separate hours there will be available early in the morning instead. On Wednesday and Thursday mornings, during the month of August, the spring will be open for separate swimming between the hours of 6:30-8am.

What we dont know, or what I dont know, and dont see specified in the information provided, is how the separate swimming will work. Will half the time be allocated for men and half the time for women? Will it be one day for men and one day for women? Will it be enforced somehow with someone official there making sure people dont make trouble and women swim when it is set for women and men when set for men or will it be an honor system of sorts?

I have no problem with this if they can make it work without being a disturbance. As I said, I dont get how the separate swimming will work, and I dont see how a religious family out for a trip can benefit much from this. Of course if it is a group of just men or just women going out to enjoy the spring that will work, but a religious family out hiking and only the men or only the women being allowed to go in does not seem like much of a benefit or much of an attraction.

According to Israel Hayom, some organizations have already sent warning letters and are saying they will petition the Supreme Court over this...we'll see what happens with that as it progresses...

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