A wave of anger swept across the chareidi political leadership on Monday after dozens of chareidi educational institutions were issued closure orders by Israel’s Education Ministry. The schools and chadarim had opened despite Home Front Command guidelines issued during the current security situation.
Minister of Yerushalayim and Jewish Tradition Meir Porush blasted Education Minister Yoav Kisch for the move, accusing him of overstepping his authority and displaying a lack of understanding of the chareidi way of life. Finance Committee Chairman MK Moshe Gafni joined the criticism shortly afterward.
As previously reported by Matzav.com, institutions ranging from yeshivos ketanos to chadarim and girls’ schools in cities such as Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Tiveria, Rechovot, Modiin Illit, and Beitar Illit received formal notices to shut down for violating national emergency protocols.
In a public statement, Education Minister Yoav Kisch declared, “The lives of our children come first. Any educational institution that violates Home Front Command instructions will be dealt with immediately through the enforcement tools available to the ministry: sending inspectors, issuing closure orders, and freezing funding. There are no compromises when it comes to student safety. This is a national responsibility, and we will use every tool at our disposal.”
He added that the ministry would continue strict enforcement against any school that does not adhere to emergency directives.
In response, Minister Meir Porush stated: “I am not defending those who disregard Home Front Command instructions, especially when there are emergency alternatives near the school. I continue to urge the public to follow these life-saving guidelines.”
However, he sharply criticized the closures themselves, saying, “Minister Yoav Kisch’s decision to shut down these institutions reflects the condescending attitude of someone completely disconnected from the chareidi lifestyle.”
Porush emphasized the centrality of education in Jewish life and pointed out that most chareidi schools were established by private nonprofit organizations, not by the state. “If the Ministry of Education didn’t open these institutions, it has no right to close them,” he said.
With biting sarcasm, Porush added, “Clause 32 of the Supervision of Schools Law empowers the Education Ministry director-general to close a school if incitement against the state is taking place. I’d be happy to tour East Jerusalem with Minister Kisch to see whether all schools that promote incitement are being shut down. Apparently, in Kisch’s view, incitement to terrorism does not endanger lives.”
MK Moshe Gafni echoed Porush’s remarks, stressing that Home Front Command directives are essential for saving lives. Still, he called the ministry’s recent actions against chareidi schools “disproportionate and outrageous.”
“The Education Minister is not a law enforcement agency and lacks the authority to act as one,” Gafni said. “The sectoral affiliation of these institutions is clearly relevant here. It seems the minister is enthusiastic—almost gleeful—about revoking licenses from chareidi schools. He would do better to focus his efforts on improving education, budgets, teachers, and students rather than turning his staff into ad hoc judges and police officers casually issuing closure orders.”
Gafni concluded with a call for dialogue: “I urge him to immediately halt these harsh measures and sit down with school leaders to find mutually acceptable solutions, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”
In response, Minister Kisch’s office doubled down: “Pikuach nefesh overrides everything—there can be no compromises when lives are at stake. Contrary to Minister Porush’s claims, the Education Ministry will ensure that any institution that endangers students or staff by violating Home Front Command guidelines will lose its funding and be closed. Sectoral identity is entirely irrelevant.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
There is something very wrong with the chinuch of these schools.
Somehow, teaching these Chareidi children arithmetic is a breach in our mesorah, but putting their lives in danger is not.
It has nothing to do with “understanding the chareidi way of life”.
It has to do with a warped “way of life” shown by these schools!
while i understand your sentiment, I wonder what you think about the fact that
a. It HAS been the mesorah of yeshivos that no secular knowledge be taught. Volozhin, which most Chareidi non-chassidic yeshivos are modeled after, closed its doors rather than introduce secular studies.
b. While “piku’ach nefesh” is of utmost concern in Halacha, the schools that remained open did so with the psak that it was NOT a situation of Pikuach nefesh.
Kind of like mandating covid vaccines for children which at this point is almost unanimously agreed to have been an egregious overreach by the authorities.
You may disagree, but how can you debate whats chareidi mesorah?
Thank you foe a refreshingly respectful response.
I didn’t to actually get involved in the issue of secular studies.
(It’s not as simple as many people think.
But my point was that teaching arithmetic , even given that its against the mesorah , is not as gross a violation as is disregarding Pikuach Nefesh.
I’m not aware of a “psak” to the contrary. Our “mesorah” is clear that you need to follow medical directives.
Even assuming that in retrospect they had it wrong on vaccinating children, that doesn’t give us license to “pooh pooh” science and medicine in the future.