Carmei Gat's Jewish life is young and mostly run by residents, so many minyanim meet in homes or building party rooms and have no website. What follows comes mainly from the community site (community site (opens in a new tab)), Chabad of Carmei Gat (Chabad (opens in a new tab)) and the Kipa directory. I couldn't confirm addresses for several of them, which I say below. See all shuls in the directory.
The shuls and minyanim English speakers use
The community site lists seven:
- Carmei Zion: Ashkenazi, National Religious, 250+ families, the largest English-speaking community. Its English site gives 74 Sderot Avnei HaChoshen and weekday times of Shacharit 6:10 and 8:15, Mincha 13:30 and Arvit 19:00 (Carmei Zion (opens in a new tab)). It broke ground on a permanent building in 03 in September 2025; the Jewish Link reported a planned 1,680 m² building with a 9M NIS budget (Jewish Link (opens in a new tab)). As of mid 2026 it had no rabbi, with a search under way, and membership was about 1,000 NIS a year according to the community site. Listing.
- Nechalim: Ashkenazi, mostly English-speaking families, in 01. Friday night and Shabbat morning in building party rooms.
- Yachad: Ashkenazi and Sephardi, more Israeli, with a permanent building in 01.
- Classic Ashkenazi minyan: 03, Shabbat only, often in the Bnei Akiva caravan.
- Minyan Meshulav: combined nusach, in homes in 07.
- Happy Clappy: Carlebach-style, Friday night, 02.
- Snappy Zappy: quick, mostly English-speaking, Friday night, 02.
I couldn't find public pages with addresses or times for Yachad, Nechalim or the Friday-night minyanim; the community site and its Facebook groups are the way in.
Other shuls
Chabad of Carmei Gat (46 Sderot Carmei Gat) opened in 2018 with the first residents and is one of 12 Chabad houses in the city; the chairman of Chabad's institutions is the city's chief rabbi, Rabbi Moshe Havlin (Chabad (opens in a new tab)). Chabad and Kipa also list Nedivei Am HaChaim (21 Nofech St), Halichot Olam (in the Shabazi school, Henrietta Szold St) and the Central Synagogue of Carmei Gat (2 Nofech St, Edot HaMizrach). Chabad's own address is given differently in some places, so check before you walk over.
Candle lighting
This site shows candle lighting 20 minutes before sunset, Hebcal's standard for Israel. I looked for a local custom: the Kiryat Gat Religious Council's calendar uses Hebcal's default times, and Carmei Zion's site doesn't print a candle-lighting minute count. If your shul uses a different time, follow your shul, and please tell me. See the Shabbat times page.
Eruv, kashrut and the rabbinate
Shabbat and eruv questions go to the Religious Council and Rabbanut, 11 Sderot Lachish, 08-6881691 (municipality (opens in a new tab)). Kiryat Gat has two chief rabbis, Rabbi Shlomo Ben Hamo and Rabbi Moshe Havlin. The council's site has a Shabbat and eruv page with a map (Religious Council (opens in a new tab)). I haven't checked the eruv's boundary on the ground, so ask your rav.
Mikvaot
Chabad and the community site list a women's mikveh at 21 Nofech St (separate entrance, across from Cramim school), a men's mikveh and tevilat kelim at 2 HaAdmor MiChabad St, and another women's mikveh on Henrietta Szold St. For hours, contact the balaniyot (Chabad (opens in a new tab)). The mikveh pages are in the mikvaot listing.
Shabbat afternoon
English speakers gather at the Makolet park (across from Gat Market, near Carmei Zion) around mincha time (community site (opens in a new tab)). The municipal Sportek is free and open on Shabbat 08:00-23:00 (on Friday it closes an hour before Shabbat); the paid climbing park inside it is run separately (matnas (opens in a new tab)).
If you daven at one of these minyanim and can share times or an address, please send them through the About page.
