Student Neighborhood in Haifa on the Brink: "We Have Stopped Being Silent in the Face of Haredi Bullying"

Shabbat reception songs played every Friday via a high-power amplification system have become a point of contention in the Neve Sha'anan neighborhood in Haifa. While some residents see this as a legitimate expression of Jewish tradition, others claim it is a noise nuisance and a symbol of the changing character of the neighborhood, which they say is becoming increasingly Haredi. On the other hand, some believe the uproar is exaggerated and that the Shabbat songs are no different from any other religious expression in the public sphere.

Every Friday, about 20 minutes before the onset of Shabbat, Shabbat reception songs and prayers are heard on certain streets in Neve Sha'anan via an amplification system. For some residents, this is a tradition that brings in the Shabbat atmosphere, but for others, especially those living in the area of Trumpeldor, Hanita, and HaGalil streets, it is a persistent noise nuisance that, according to them, adds to the significant changes the neighborhood has been undergoing in recent years.

Orit, who lives on Trumpeldor Street, says the phenomenon has been going on for a long time. "At the top of their lungs, with loud speakers. You can hear it loudly inside the house," she says. "There was a period when it stopped, but in the last year it returned again. It's not a day or two." According to her, she and her family members have turned to the Haifa Municipality again and again. "We turned to them at least five times. Once my son called the 106 hotline when the music started. They said they would send a patrol, but it arrived only after everything was over."

Orit says she also complained about other events at a religious complex near her home, which she says are accompanied by amplification systems. "Even with the windows closed, I can't hear the TV. They asked me to measure decibels myself and send recordings. I don't understand why residents have to do the authorities' work."

However, she wishes to emphasize that her opposition does not stem from the religious content. "The noise bothers me, not the songs. Let everyone listen to what they want in their own home. I too could put a speaker on the balcony and play music for the whole neighborhood, but that is not acceptable." According to her, beyond the noise, many of the neighborhood's residents feel that the character of Neve Sha'anan is changing. "Once this was a neighborhood of secular, traditional, and Religious Zionist people. Today there are many more Haredim and many more Haredi institutions. I have no problem with them living here, but they shouldn't force their lifestyle on me."

"The neighborhood is changing its face"

Esti, a resident of the nearby Yizre'elia neighborhood, says that at her home the announcements are heard at a lower volume, but during her visits to her friend who lives at the corner of Hanita and Trumpeldor streets, she was exposed to the intensity of the noise. "In the winter, Shabbat comes in early and people want to rest in the afternoon. The whole area fills with tremendous singing," she says. "I am secular, and in my home I like to sing Shabbat songs. In the past, I also heard people singing from inside the houses and it was pleasant. But here it is a public address system intended for the whole neighborhood to hear."

According to her, the noise is only part of the story. "I have lived in the area for almost 30 years. Once Neve Sha'anan was a mixed neighborhood of secular, traditional, and Religious Zionist people. There were good neighborly relations and mutual respect. In recent years, more and more yeshivas, kollels, and Haredi educational institutions have opened in buildings that were previously used for other purposes, and the feeling is that the neighborhood is changing its face."

Esti also mentions the cases of stone-throwing at the "Zanzara" restaurant, which is open on Shabbat. "This is something that wasn't here before. The feeling of some of the residents is that everything connects to one picture of change." She claims the fear is already affecting residents' decisions. "There are people who are already considering leaving. Just yesterday a neighbor told me she had enough, and when her rental contract ends, she will leave. People are afraid of the Haredization of the neighborhood, especially when large urban renewal projects are being promoted at the same time."

According to her, the fear is not directed at the Haredi neighbors themselves, but at the change in the neighborhood's character. "If they sang from inside the synagogue, I wouldn't have any problem. But why via a public address system? In the end, people want quiet in their home."

The "Secular Zionism" organization also announced that it intends to assist the neighborhood's residents. The organization stated: "Secular Zionism has finished being silent in the face of the bullying and provocations of the Haredi public. It is unacceptable that music is played intentionally at crazy volumes on Friday specifically towards a secular neighborhood, with the goal of showing control and presence, without any religious logic. We intend to assist the residents of Neve Sha'anan before the authorities, and if that doesn't help, we will play women's singing and lectures on the importance of service in the IDF in Haredi neighborhoods."

"Doesn't the noise of the muezzin coming from Halisa bother them?"

On the other hand, not all residents see the phenomenon as a problem. One of them said that the Shabbat reception songs actually remind him of the onset of Shabbat and add to the atmosphere.

Another veteran resident, Yossi, rejects the claims of religious coercion. "Does only Judaism bother them? Doesn't the noise of the muezzin coming from Halisa bother them? Very interesting. I am interested in living in peace with my neighbors, even if some of them are Haredi or religious."

The Haifa Municipality stated: "The issue is under review by the Haifa Municipality, among other things through noise measurement being carried out these days by the Haifa Association of Towns for the Environment. If a violation is found, the Haifa Municipality will act accordingly."

The Israel Police stated: "Every incident received by the Israel Police is examined and handled according to its circumstances and within the framework of the powers established by law, as is the case in the aforementioned incident where a police patrol arrived. For any matter that is considered an environmental noise nuisance alongside professional measurement for the purpose of determining the noise intensity according to the criteria established by law, one should contact the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which is the professional body authorized in the field."

The Ministry of Environmental Protection stated: "The Ministry of Environmental Protection together with the Israel Police are responsible for enforcing the Prevention of Nuisances Law and its regulations to deal with noise nuisances, and within this framework, thousands of fines are imposed for noise offenses. The phenomenon of noise nuisances from music in the heart of neighborhoods in the city of Haifa is known to the ministry. When a request on the subject is received, it is handled immediately by the ministry's district representatives or by the representatives of the Association of Towns. In the described case, no request regarding the Ziv neighborhood was received by the ministry. As soon as a request is received, the ministry will examine the case and act according to the findings on the ground and its powers. The public is invited to report environmental hazards, including noise, to the environmental hotline of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, which operates 24 hours a day at *6911."