A 13-year-old boy was suspended from class after his father shoved his teacher during his bar mitzvah celebration. The boy attends a talmid torah affiliated with a dati leumi school in Kfar Chabad, hence the school is officially part of the state public school system. The teacher ousted the child from class after being instructed to do so by the mora d’asra of Kfar Chabad, Rabbi Meir Ashkenazi, who explained until the father apologizes the young man may not return to class. The father of the bar mitzvah boy turned to the Ministry of Education, and the district supervisor compelled the school to accept the child back in the classroom.
Like many other yeshivos, there are school regulations pertaining to a bar mitzvah celebration regarding the venue, music and other details. As the event was taking place during the evening hours, with the participation of classmates and teacher. At some point, the music changed and it was no longer in line with school regulations. The teacher turned to the father twice explaining that the music must be changed to adhere to the school’s regulations. The father reportedly refused to comply.
At about 23:00 the teacher instructed the talmidim to leave the simcha. It was explained this was not because of the music but rather due to the late hour as school regulations state the students must head home from a simcha at 23:00. When the father realized the classmates were leaving he shoved the teachers outside of the simcha hall.
The following morning a meeting was held with Rav Ashkenazi, who decided the father is to pay the teacher 2,000 NIS and apologize for his actions, which were particularly serious as they occurred in front of all of the students. The rav added that until the father does as instructed his son is not to be permitted back into class. The father refused, explaining his son is not responsible for his actions, then contacting ministry officials’.
The bar mitzvah boy came back to the school but he was placed in a parallel class instead of his own. The parents of the classmates were angered over the father’s disregard for the decision of the community’s rav. They decided they have the right not to send their children to school and they arranged for class to be conducted outside the school building so the bar mitzvah boy and his father would realize the matter is not over and the father’s actions are unacceptable.
Some of the parents who do not agree with Rav Ashkenazi’s decision told NRG News they do not approve, but because of the sensitivity of the situation they would only speak on the condition of anonymity. They explain they do not feel the child should be held responsible for the actions of his father.
Rabbi Ashkenazi prefers not to comment to the media on the matter. He did confirm however that he was aware of the move to take the classroom off the school premises in response to the Ministry of Education decision.
The teacher, Aaron Halprin explains to the press that he is not on any side and is simply following instructions. Mr. Halprin did state that in light of the events that occurred, the child must see his father apologize to him, not because of kovod but a matter of educating the child.
The school is not willing to give a statement. Officials in the Education Ministry told NRG “The actions of the school are bizarre and we will continue monitoring the events in the case”.
In its official response to the press, the Ministry’s statement reads “Upon hearing of the incident the school supervisor turned to the school’s administration to clarify the student may not be expelled in this case. In light of this, and after discussion involving relevant parties, the student was returned to school the following morning”.
It is added that parents agreed to hold classes outside of the school for a two-day period only and then classes are expected to return to the school building.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Typical piece where YWN goes where it should not despite that fact that it claims that it doesn’t stand for LH etc.
This is not a news piece. It is an incident that took place with that yeshiva and is being dealt with. All you accomplish is to exacerbate the situation. The reason you are putting it up is that you A) need stories and B) need them to be interesting which drives traffic.
But it is at the expense of that community school and parent body. Nothing new here, just letting you know that it is uncalled for and shameful. I wonder what would happen if you asked a respected Rav if such a story should go up for public consumption.
#1:
In principle, you may be right. Or not.
But this website belongs to someone who saw fit to post this story.
If you disagree, which is certainly well within rights, don’t read it or visit this site. Nobody is forcing you to read material you don’t want to.
i agree with jewishness. Just tell me the name of one Gadol who would allow this to be posted online
Shoving … isn’t that how Israelis say hello to each other?
This is a news piece. It is an incident that took place with that yeshiva and is being dealt with. But that does not make it less of a news piece. What does your comment accomplish?
NO!
#1 makes excellent points, which I hadn’t considered. It’s a terrible situation, but pushing a teacher in front of the students – unbelievable. Even if he was drunk, that’s no excuse. I do feel very sorry for the boy, though – what a nasty end to his simcha. He will always remember this and not the joy of his simcha. Dad – just do it, if only for the sake of your son. Why make him suffer because of what YOU did? And in addition, take responsibility. Another lesson in chinuch.
#2, thank you for clarifying things. You are correct that actions mean much more than words. I keep coming back to this website again and again in spite of the loshon hara that I keep seeing on it. No longer. I am making a hachlata right now that I will never visit YWN again, bli neder.
Newsworthy is something that more than 1 person fronds interesting. Well I find this interesting and so did the editor so then it’s newsworthy. As far as wether 1 gadol would allow thus to be posted the answer is yes. 1. There is something to learn here about actions 2. There is no loshon hora as this is a public story that more than 3 people know about.
The problem that we have today is that too many people think they know halacha and try to push it on other people when in fact it’s just an opinion of theirs and should be kept to themselves.
if you do not agree with the website then don’t read it.
there are people in authority who shouldn’t be changing diapers on donkeys
“Mr” Halperin?
He is a Rebbi. He should be referred to as Rabbi Halperin.
The Father did very good who is the School to say what to do in a innocent childs Bar Mitzvah! When I was a kid I went through the same thing and I suffered my one time experience