Ashdod Travelers guide

Ashdod | Sightseeing 162 place here, and many conduct Bar Mitzvahs, circumcisions, and even weddings here. On welcoming the Sabbath they sing songs by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, "the Singing Rabbi" whom everyone remembers from the 1960s and 1970s. The festivities that take place in the synagogue are a great opportunity to sample true Ashkenazi catering and to fondly remember the tastes of yesteryear - from Kugel and Gefilte Fish to Cholent, Herring and P'tcha (organized groups who visit the synagogue can pre-order catering). The regular worshipers pay membership dues and are registered in an independent organization of about 100 members. The tour will now lead you to one of the largest synagogues in the city. Return to Kineret street, turn left on Har Tavor street and right at Alliance Square, to Moshe Dayan Boulevard. At the forth roundabout turn right onto Rogozin street, and again right - onto Haim Moshe Shapira street. Continue straight, turn right at Balfour street, and right at the roundabout onto Moshe Even Ezra street. Turning right will lead you to Moshe Tchernichovsky street. The arched windows of the Yismach Moshe synagogue, together with its exterior stone walls, give the building a Jerusalemite look. The words "Torah, Service and Acts of Lovingkindness" that are fixed on the metal crown in the front, are taken from the phrase attributed to Rabbi Shimon the Righteous, "On three things the world stands, on Torah, Service and Loving kindness". The Torah symbolizes the spiritual side, service - the physical side and lovingkindness - the link between the two. The synagogue is named after the Rabbi Moshe Aharon Pinto. His son, Rabbi Haim Pinto, is the Chief Rabbi of Ashdod, and also serves as the Chief Rabbi of Kiryat Malachi. The prayer style here is Moroccan, and so are the songs, music and liturgical poems sung at the synagogue, which also has a strong connection with the Israel Andalusian Orchestra. Ashdod is perhaps the city with the most diverse number of communities in the country, and although the style of prayer in the synagogue is pure Moroccan, other communities pray here as well, those with knitted Yarmulkes and the secular who come to the synagogue during the holidays. Parking available (Free of charge) 28 Brener Street To arrange a visit: Rabbi Yaakov Biton, Tel: 052-662-1500 The Yismach Moshe Synagogue