Beitar Illit Rabbis have prohibited the publication of spa site advertisements in local newspapers due to allegations of impropriety in some such establishments.
The decision comes against the backdrop of the growth of spa and sauna facilities in Haredi cities in recent years.
In a letter first published on the B'Hadrei Haredim website and addressed to local newspapers, the Rabbis wrote, "After several serious breaches of propriety were created in the operation of spas here in our city, and after the Rabbinical court met under the leadership of the great Rabbis to discuss this, it was decided that it is forbidden to publish advertisements about spa sites in any form in all the newspapers."
However, the Rabbis left a door open for approval, "A person who operates a spa can appeal to the Rabbinical court, and insofar as he accepts rules of use at the site with supervision, there is a possibility that the Rabbinical court will approve him to publish his site."
The letter is signed by the city Rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Weiss, the head of the Rabbinical court, Rabbi Zvi Braverman, and other city Rabbis.
Spa and sauna facilities have become a popular trend in the Haredi sector in recent years. The facilities serve as entertainment venues for groups and couples.
The background to the decision was a series of advertisements aimed at couples, which, according to sources in the city, indicated practices forbidden under Jewish law. This led the city's Rabbis to take a stricter line on the matter and publish the new directive.