won national attention when it lost a battle to remove the photos of women candidates from Likud election ads. Orly Erez-Likhovski, legal advisor of the Israel Religious Action Center declared it a victory for gender equality: Notable people Baruch Ashlag, kabbalist Elazar Menachem Man Shach, leader of the ultra orthodox Lithuanian Jews Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz, worldwide posek Chaim Kanievsky, leader of the ultra orthodox Lithuanian Jews Simon Leviev, conman Sesto Pals, writer Shuli Rand, actor, writer, singer Mary Schaps, mathematical scholar Dovid Shmidel, rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman, rabbi Motty Steinmetz, singer Tuvia Tenenbom, theater director and writer Michal Waldiger, Knesset Member in the Religious Zionist Party Ariel Ze'evi (born 1977), Olympic judoka International relations Twin towns – sister cities Bnei Brak is twinned with: Lakewood, New Jersey, United States, since 2011 Gallery References Bibliography External links 1924 establishments in Mandatory Palestine Cities in Tel Aviv District Orthodox Jewish communities Populated places established in 1924 Religious Israeli communities