Ramot Becomes Battleground in War Against Torah Education
Large posters can be seen throughout Jerusalem’s Ramot neighborhood with strident calls by maranan verabbonon gedolei Yisroel shlita and local rabbonim urging the public to step up the battle against the dangerous new breach in the form of a “nationalist chareidi” school, Ahavat Yisrael-Rapaport, which the Jerusalem Municipality hopes to transfer from Talpiot, on the southwest end of the city, to Ramot in the north. So-called nationalist chareidi schools have been banned by all gedolei Yisroel, a form of “shatnez” that stands in stark contrast to the age-old Jewish educational legacy.
All of the neighborhood’s rabbonim have issued an appeal to uphold “the walls of Jerusalem,” calling for a struggle to stave off the effort to import the foreign, unsuccessful form of education into the heart of the neighborhood.
The campaign to buttress the foundations of untainted education got under way in recent weeks when court records from a hearing were discovered, revealing that the explicit aim of moving the school is to introduce new educational models to the chareidi community, inculcate foreign values in the children and channel them to yeshiva high schools and IDF service. Ramot was specifically chosen for its high concentration of children, but maranan verabbonon have declared a holy war under the battle cry, “Al tig’u bemeshichoi.”
The campaign to uphold educational values received a strong tailwind in the form of the illogical, rankling attempt to transplant a school into the neighborhood when Ramot’s thousands of school children already face an acute overcrowding problem.
Local rabbonim even signed an impassioned plea to the parents of Rapaport students, noting that the Alef National-Religious School building “was promised to over 1,700 neighborhood children suffering from a severe lack of classrooms who have already occupied eight classrooms.” The Jerusalem Municipality’s efforts to bring the Rapaport School into this building “flies in the face of all logic, is inconceivable and is akin `stealing from the poor,’” they added. “As such, the Rapaport School should relinquish this building and ask the government authorities to provide an alternative solution that is not at the expense of the neighborhood’s children.”
HaRav Shlomo Neiman, the rov of Ramot, noted in a conversation with Yated Ne’eman that “thousands of our boys and girls have no proper place to study. The chareidi population has grown significantly, bechasdei Hashem, but the judge before whom the neighborhood’s petition was brought said explicitly that the state does not have as much of an obligation to Chinuch Atzmai as it does to schools that belong to the official school system, like Rapaport. Where is the logic here?!”
“We have had the merit of building a very special place,” said HaRav Yisroel Goelman, the rov of Kehillas Shaarei Tevuna in Ramot Alef. “The neighborhood is home to hundreds of cherished avreichim absorbed in Torah in sanctity and purity. This is a place where the children receive the purest education. A different form of education cannot be brought into such a place.”
In their call, the rabbonim wrote that they attest that the neighborhood of Ramot, which [has the status of] a major Jewish city, is run in holy purity by a group of avreichim who have a fear of Heaven and are of thoroughly upright standing, under the guidance of maranan gedolei Yisroel ztvk”l v’ybdlct”a, as a city filled with scholars imbued with a fear of Heaven and fully engaged in the pursuit of Divine service and acts of kindness.
Now “a spiritual threat hangs over the neighborhood due to the municipality’s intentions to house, in one of the neighborhood’s buildings, the “chareidi nationalist” institution, Ahavat Yisrael-Rapaport, with its emphasis on [secular] studies, which runs counter to the spirit of the age-old form of education handed down to us through our rabbonim. They also intend to add a chareidi “yeshiva high school,” which all gedolei Yisroel have opposed in the past, publishing their view, daas Torah, against these institutions, where foreign winds from within blow into the midst of the camp [of the faithful]. They are [now] scheming to come to the Ramot neighborhood, and to Ramot Alef in particularly, to ensnare the children of Ramot neighborhoods and turn them into victims.
“Now it has come to light that the administration of the institution also plans to prepare young Jewish men for induction into the army.
“And therefore, upon seeing the holiness under the threat of destruction, we hereby issue a holy call not to lend a hand in this matter, chas vesholom, and every individual has an obligation to strongly voice opposition to this before all of the entities involved in the matter.
“Activists and public representatives must stand up to this breach, waging a holy war for pure education, and parents are warned in accordance with the Torah not to enroll their children at these institutions.
“We pray that Hashem bring a spirit of purity from the Upper Realms to educate the offspring of the holy nation, in the way of the Torah and in the spirit of the age-old Jewish tradition, and in this merit may we soon merit the redemption and salvation of the Jewish people.”
(signed)
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
A.L. Shteinman
Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz
Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg
Nissim Karelitz
Chaim Kanievsky
Shmuel Auerbach
Gershon Edelstein
Boruch Shmuel Hakohen Deutsch
Tzvi Friedman
Nosson Zochovsky
Yosef Chaim Kopshitz
{Deiah veDibur/Matzav.com}
18 Responses to “Ramot Becomes Battleground in War Against Torah Education”
2. Comment from bad boy
Time August 23, 2010 at 5:14 PM
I might also point out that the greater Ramot is actually run by two chiloni Matnasim ( community centers)
3. Comment from Ben Torah
Time August 23, 2010 at 5:37 PM
Gedolei Yisroel has spoken!
4. Comment from Nuriel zargari
Time August 23, 2010 at 5:56 PM
Amen
5. Comment from catherine.garson@free.fr
Time August 23, 2010 at 6:02 PM
Maybe you should read the following
To All Those involved in the campaign against Rapaport,
I am a parent of a son who is studying at Ahavas Yisroel (Rapaport). We are happy with the school and also are happy with the students who graduate Rapaport and continue from there to various yeshivot High School and then end up learning in what would be considered the top yeshivot in Israel.
On Tuesday the Yated Naman is distributed for free and we receive it in our mail box. Although my kids attend so called non charedi schools, they read the Yated when it comes. My daughter asked me, and I still have not given her an answer, why do they write that if the school moves into the neighborhood it will be spirital danger to the neighborhood. And, why it also does not like the school logo. I myself can’t recall seeing it - supposedly they have a one boy in a kippah serugah and another one in a balck kippah shaking hands or talking together. She says this is a nice thing and can’t understand why someone would be opposed to this.
Please tell me how do I address these things? Maybe I should tell them that the Yated should no longer be read in our house then they might want to read it more.
Lets say that a number of parents now say that everything being said is right (by the way, despite the yated saying many parents are upset about the building being used like this against the charedi community and are taking their kids out because of it, I am not aware of anyone leaving the school on account of everything except maybe the people that live in Har Homa and the school is quite a distance for them now). Who is going to take students now after the school year has started?
I feel there is no purpose in raging a campaign against Rapaport. In fact, I believe it is only helping the school by giving it exposure and now many people know about it and will be interested in sending their children there to get a good education.
It seems to me the reason for the protests is the people behind the protests feel threaten that they are losing their power and therefore feel they must react this way. This behavior leaves much to be desired. I can write more but I think I have said enough.
Ksiva vchasima tova
6. Comment from me
Time August 23, 2010 at 7:19 PM
Gedolei Yisroel say us what to do !!
7. Comment from Sheldon
Time August 23, 2010 at 7:52 PM
Can’t you all learn to get along and respect eachother’s similarities and differences. That is what makes people special. If we were all alike, it would be a very boring world.
8. Comment from Phil
Time August 23, 2010 at 7:55 PM
Please note that the American Yated has nothing to do with this
9. Comment from dovid
Time August 23, 2010 at 8:23 PM
Dear Ms. Catherine Garson, your questions are fair questions that deserve correct answers. Address your questions politely to any of those who signed the proclamation quoted above, or to any competent Charedi rabbi. We readers of Matzav are thousands of miles removed from Ramot and have no knowledge and little understanding of the various educational institutions functioning in Eretz Israel. I for one never heard of Ahavat Yisrael-Rapaport school. Neither did the majority of the Matzav readers. I wish you and your family kesiva vechasima tova.
10. Comment from Chaim Dovber
Time August 23, 2010 at 10:58 PM
we give kvod to many doctors in the wider community, there are many ehrliche professionals who gained their degrees from universities.
11. Comment from Barzilai
Time August 23, 2010 at 11:13 PM
I wonder if Ahmadinejad is reading this and smiling….He probably knows that the Jews have a special relationship with the Ribono shel Olam. But he probably also knows that that he has nothing to worry about, since we can’t get our act together. And so he gets closer and closer to the bomb, and he has no compunctions about chas veshalom using it.
12. Comment from truth be told
Time August 24, 2010 at 12:02 AM
#9 I have heard of Rebbetzin Rapporport school (she happens to be the granddaughter of reb moshe feinstein). Her school is well run and can be compared to any frum community school in America. The schools are either for boys or girls, there are two large schools, one in Yerushayalim & one in Ramat Bet Shemesh. Anything “new” takes time to get used to in eretz yisroel.
13. Comment from shlomo zalman
Time August 24, 2010 at 12:58 AM
I doubt Rav Elyashiv would sign such a letter. He was obviously fed wrong information.
For those who may not know, the head of the school (Rapaport) is R’ Moshe Feinstein’s grandaughter. Not exactly someone to fear will ruin the spirituality of a neighborhood. She and her husband, a godol b’torah, need no one’s haskamah.
14. Comment from education
Time August 24, 2010 at 3:37 AM
What chuzpah! I just sent my 3 yo to his first week of gan. There was so much balagan 30-32 kids per class. 2 toilets for the children and the teachers! The government should be ashamed of its actions and they will pay a heavy price for their insensitivity.
15. Comment from b”h my children learn in Rapaport
Time August 24, 2010 at 5:37 AM
Three of my children are currently learning in Rapaport, two boys and one girl. I am extremely happy with the level of Torah learning and especially the yiras shomayim of the Rabayim and the principle. What is so beautiful about the school is the great emphasis on good midos,menschlichkeit and ahavas yisroel. My children have no hatred for other Jews and they b”h have to idea of all the politics.
Believe me that R’ Elyashiv did not know the contents of the letter which was signed in his name as well as many of the other Gedoilim signed there. All I can ask is to please stop this hatred and stop spreading moitsi shem ra on a wonderful school that is bringing up a generation of mentschim, yirei shomayim and talmidei chachamim.
May all Klal Yisrael have a k’siva vachashima toiva!
16. Comment from 5 and 12-13
Time August 24, 2010 at 6:56 AM
The point of the battle is not that Rapaport (the way/where it is, and the parents) is bad… there are two issues here — 1. That Ramot wanted the building that was empty in their backyard, instead of it being given to a faraway school. 2. Then, it came to light that the mayor (this does NOT sound like a scheme of rappaport’s… they just need a building… they don’t seem to care to “missionize” or rather “change” anyone!!!!) et al are moving Rapaport b’davka because they want to influence more chareidim away from the chinuch atzmai way of life to become more “integrated” to what THEY (the secular) can relate to… army, secular studies, universities, etc.
So the Yated’s writing about the logo and all kinds of things is not coming from R’ Elyashiv… that’s journalism. The idea is that the plan to bring a school that is not for/by these Gedolim for the Chinuch-Atzmai-Chareidi crowd, davka to a neighborhood that is, as an attempt to change the neighborhood people… that’s what the Gedolim are giving a scream about. The mayor et al should not be mixing in to where and when ppl send their kids, by putting a school he thinks you should be sending to, in front of your face, so maybe you’ll start sending…
Again, parents and Rapaport are seemingly just shlepped in here… they’re fine catering to who they are, they’re just not wanted to be USED by the mayor to move demographics around to his liking.
17. Comment from American mom at Rappaport
Time August 24, 2010 at 9:49 PM
We placed our boys in Ahavat Yisrael after attending one of the most prominent yeshivish elementary schools in the U.S. The vision, methodology, and much of the parent body is very similar to most yeshivish schools in U.S. (If anything, there’s less gashmiyus challenging kids Torah aspirations and better midos.) Most Americans do not understand the nuances of different segments of Israeli society. Israeli chareidi is vastly different from American yeshivish. Strong dati leumi has no parallel in American society. This is a group where halacha, Torah, tsniyus reigns supreme and following the ideology of Rav A.I. Kook, part of the adherence to yishuv haaretz and kedushas haaretz requires participation in the very sacred job of defending the land. My friend once questioned her friend, the daughter of an American gadol, regarding his signature on a letter posted all over town. He said he never signed it. Don’t believe every signature without questioning its true origin.
18. Comment from Yeshoua
Time August 25, 2010 at 11:35 AM
http://lifeinisrael.blogspot.com/2010/08/rapaport-responds-to-attacks.html#links
1. Comment from bad boy
Time August 23, 2010 at 5:06 PM
This started as a plea for justice. The demographics changed, and the local children are using caravans and other substandard facilities while an empty large purpose built structure is denied them. Behind this is the political failure of the Hareidim to build bridges with the new mayor, who found an easier alliance with D.L. factions. The jihad like calls of “spriritual dangers and foreign winds” and “ensnaring children of Ramot” not only sound detached from reality, they enforce the mayor’s view that it is difficult to work with these people. There are already large facilities with secular and “riskin type” population drawn from all over, but these are in Ramot Bet, which is in someone else’s turf. That apparently doesn’t ensnare anybody. At least I did not see any black chapper wagons.