Shabbat and shuls in Hashmonaim

This is the guide where I most need local help, so I'll say up front what I could and couldn't confirm. The basics (candle lighting, the rav, the mikvaot, a list of shuls) are sourced below. Which shuls daven in English, minyan times, the eruv and mikveh hours are not published anywhere I could find. If you know, please send a correction and I'll add it with your source.

Candle lighting

The yishuv's own website lists candle lighting in its weekly box. For Shabbat Bereshit 5787 it gave 17:55, when sunset in Hashmonaim was 18:15, so this site uses 20 minutes before sunset. The Shabbat page shows this week's times and has a calendar feed. If your shul keeps a different custom, follow your shul.

The rav

The council's list of yishuv rabbis names Rav Shlomo Glicksberg as rav of Hashmonaim; he succeeded Rav Itamar Orbach at the end of 5782 (October 2022). The rabbi's office publishes halachot for the chagim in Hebrew and English in the weekly newsletter.

The shuls

The counts disagree. English Wikipedia (citing Haaretz, 2010) says ten synagogues: four Ashkenazi, three Sephardi, two Yemenite and one Chabad. Hebrew Wikipedia says seven, including a central complex with the three main ones. Kipa's directory lists 12 under "Hashmonaim", but four of those are on Ganei Modiin streets. The main cluster is at the HaMoriya-Etz Hadar corner. In Hashmonaim I've listed:

• Ramat Modi'im Synagogue ("Glenwood"), Ashkenazi, which has hosted lectures in Hebrew and English and a welcome night for new olim
• HaRimon and Shaarei Yedidya, unified nusach
• Yad Moshe, nusach Sefard
• The Central Sephardi synagogue, Ohel Mina (Edot HaMizrach), Tzemach Yeshua (Tunisian) and the Yemenite (Baladi) shul
• Chabad House Hashmonaim, 2 Arvei Nachal

Glenwood is the likeliest English-speaking shul, but no source says so, so I haven't marked any shul as English-speaking. See them all in the shuls section.

Mikvaot

The Mateh Binyamin Religious Council lists the Hashmonaim women's mikveh on HaDekel St (02-5913925) and the Ganei Modiin mikveh at 15 Mahari Kapach St (02-5770249), both with a protected space. Times are arranged with the balanit; no hours are published. On 07.09.2026 the va'ad decided to renovate the mikveh together with the Religious Council. I found no men's mikveh in the yishuv.

Eruv

The council publishes eruv maps for its yishuvim, but its folder had no map for Hashmonaim when I checked on 5 October 2026, and I found no eruv rav or status line. Ask your shul's rav, and tell me what you learn so I can add it.

Techum Shabbat

The 2,000-amah techum lines of Modiin Illit and Hashmonaim come close. A reprint on the community website (from a Modiin Illit publication, Pesach 5778/2018) describes where the line runs, past streets including Har Nevo, Atzmon, HaTavor, HaHermon, Etz Hadar, HaTamar, HaGefen, HaZayit and HaYitzhar, and says an eruv techumin is set up by the Modiin Illit eruv committee. Opinions differ, so follow your rav.

Learning and Chabad

• Matan Hashmonaim meets Tuesday mornings at HaRimon shul, with an English track (5786 programme).
• Midreshet HaDerech Elayich runs evening classes for women in the library.
• Chabad House offers kashering of utensils and tefillin and mezuzah checking.

Around the chagim

Before Sukkot the secretariat sells s'chach in its courtyard (20 units per family, 2 NIS each in 5787). The Religious Council (02-5913900, Sha'ar Binyamin) handles marriage registration, kashrut certificates, mikvaot and burial; couples can register with the yishuv rabbi as the registering rabbi.