Members of the religious moshav Nehalim are saying that the local rabbi and other senior members of the community are stopping them from opening a synagogue in which they would pray according to the Sephardi tradition. Essentially, these residents say, they are forced to pray in the moshav's only synagogue, Ashkenazi style.

According to the Sephardic residents of Nehalim, the community has striven for a single prayer format that would unite all the Diaspora traditions, but in practice has adopted the Ashkenazi prayer style as a default.

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Nearly 300 families live on the moshav near Petah Tikva. The lone synagogue was built by the founders, who were of European descent. In recent years, a number of young Sephardic families have moved in and expressed interest in founding another synagogue in which they would pray in their ancestral formula.

The idea, however, was reportedly roundly rejected by Rabbi David Greenwald, who declared that no such synagogue would ever be built.

Ynet has learned that new members of the moshav are required to sign a contract that includes a "synagogue" clause that stipulates: "There is one synagogue for everyone, in which all members of the moshav pray in a single formula that has been in use on the moshav since it was founded."

Another clause, "Moshav Rabbi," states that "All moshav residents will accept the authority of the (moshav) rabbi."

During the High Holidays, the Sephardic residents were permitted to pray separately in a building allotted for their use. However, they also sought to use it for Shabbat "Shuva" – which this year fell close to Rosh Hashana – but were denied on the ground that the Sabbath wasn't a holiday.

"This perception that the terms 'Jewish' and 'Ashkenazi' are the same and that anything not Ashkenazi is not Jewish, is passé," say the heads of the struggle, who prefer not to reveal their names. "This old-fashioned approach of ignoring anyone different not only doesn't help – it leads to real social damage. The enlightened, right way is to allow a place for the traditions of all the tribes of Israel."

"Most organizations have dropped the old approach, but unfortunately there are those who carry it on. It is unacceptable that in Moshav Nehalim, where a third of the families are of Oriental descent and want to pray according to the tradition of their fathers – the management and the local rabbi don't back them up and won't give them the help they need."

Rabbi Greenwald said in response: "I don't know what (they) are talking about. I do oppose opening another synagogue, but the claims that the objection is based on ethnicity are wrong. There's no reason to open another synagogue when Ashkenazim, Sephardim, and Yemenites all pray together. Everyone is allowed to pray in the tradition that is right for him."