Synagogue built on Highway 6

Portable shul inaugurated on Israel's electronic toll highway 
aims to put an end to dangerous prayers by side of road. 
'There is no doubt that this synagogue will protect and 
shelter the road and those traveling on it,' says rabbi who 
initiated project

Kobi Nachshoni
June 19, 2013
Ynet

End to dangerous prayers by side of road: The Derech Eretz 
company, which operates Highway 6, Israel's electronic toll highway, 
has assigned a portable structure to be used as a synagogue 
by drivers seeking to stop and pray during their journey.

Initiated by Migdal Haemek's Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, 
the new synagogue was inaugurated last week by rabbis and company 
representatives in a festive afternoon prayer.

Anyone driving on Israel's highways is familiar with the phenomenon: 
While the morning prayer is usually held before drivers leave the house, 
and the evening prayer can also take place late at night, 
the afternoon prayer is limited in time and often must be conducted 
as the driver is on his way home in the middle of a traffic jam.

As a result, many stop to pray alone by the side of the road, 
which is both dangerous - especially on Highway 6, and does not 
allow for a public prayer.

In recent months, Rabbi Shmuel Rosenberg set up two Chabad 
centers in northern intersections for that purpose, but no solution 
was found for Highway 6 drivers.

Rabbi Grossman approached Derech Eretz CEO Udi Savion 
several months ago and asked him for permission to set up 
a portable synagogue on a parking lot between the Baqa and 
Iron intersections on the northbound side of the road.

Coming soon: Synagogue on opposite side

The initiative hit the road, got the required approvals (from the 
company's security officer, for instance), and the building was 
inaugurated last week.

Rabbi Rosenberg, who will run the place, promised that within 
a short while the synagogue would operate 24 hours a day 
and would include a library of Holy Scriptures so that it could 
also serve as a place for people to stop and study Torah midway 
and not just for prayer.

In addition, the company operating the road will place signs 
directing drivers to the synagogue.

Derech Eretz CEO Savion expressed his satisfaction over the 
spiritual contribution to the road's drivers. "I promised Rabbi Grossman 
that we would build such a synagogue on the opposite side of the road 
as well, and we will try to do that as soon as possible," he said.

The rabbi said, "Passengers travelling on these roads need so many prayers 
in order to reach their destination safely. There is no doubt that this synagogue 
will protect and shelter the road and those traveling on it."