[Video & photo links below] Today, erev shabbos, the day after, there is widespread agreement, that Thursday’s prison marches, the atzeres in Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim were a major Kiddush Hashem, as the secular and frum media alike report the astounding reality that hundreds of thousands of yidden gathered for one purpose. They recited tehillim and heard words of chizuk from Gedolei Yisrael Shlita. There were no ‘incident’, scuffles with police, audible shouts containing vulgarities, but a forum of kedusha in the presence of Gedolei HaDor, who sanctified the forums with their presence. According to the daily HaMevaser, over 300,000 attended the two forums, along with the leading rabbonim, admorim, and roshei yeshiva. Today, the day after, the argument surrounding Chinuch Atzmai continues, some insisting discrimination is a reality, while other simply deny its existence. Thursday’s events however were not about the differences, but they served to send a clear message to all yidden, to the government, and most of all, to Israel’s secular Supreme Court of Justice. The message, yes, you may feel that you reign supreme, but we are here to tell you otherwise, and if chas v’sholom we are compelled to choose, between Torah and Gedolei Yisrael Shlita and the secular court system, we opt to remain loyal to the Gedolim Shlita – even at the expense of parting with our dearest children and spending shabbos in prison. The message, while not understood or accepted by all, was delivered respectfully and in a most potent fashion, one that shouts loud and clear, there will be no compromise regarding chinuch of the children and total and undiluted adherence to the words of the Gedolim Shlita, in this case, Kvod Kedushas HaDmor M’Slonim Shlita, who is known for his commitment to the chinuch of the tinkos shel beis rabon, one who is foreign to politics, kovod and the secular values that dominate the day-to-day life of the Modern State of Israel. Baruch Hashem, the participation in the atzeres was widespread, and even Gedolim affiliated with the dati leumi community such as HaGaon HaRav Zalman Baruch Melamed Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Dov Lior Shlita instructed talmidim to attend the atzeres, exhibiting an understanding that the message crossed all barriers. This was not a matter of dati leumi versus chareidi, or IDF versus beis medrash, but a message of unit, Torah reigns supreme above all else. Regarding Chinuch Atzmai and Emanuel, undoubtedly, after the parents serve the two-week prison terms, they will be that much stronger and determined in their path, heroes in their community, but then, only then, the real work will begin, for Emanuel, a small community in Shomron will have to heal its wounds, the sharp division of the varied population, the humiliation felt by the Sephardi girls and the feeling of mission felt by the convicts after serving their prison term. One can only hope Gedolei HaDor Shlita will continue to guide us all, and that the decisions made are L’Shem Shomayim, and this we pray will result in achdus, and eventually increased understanding in a state where the Supreme Court reigns. In addition to the amazing coverage provided by Yechiel Spira and the staff at YWN Israel Thursday, Yehuda Boltshauser / Kuvien Images & Co. were out in full force at the “Prison March” – both

The High Court of Justice has granted parents an additional hour, instructing them to report to the Russian Compound in Yerushalayim at 1:00pm. **Prison Authority officials are making arrangements to accommodate the Emanuel parents, who will most likely be in Matisyahu Prison. Prison Authority officials report Badatz Eida Chareidit food will be on hand for them. **10,000 police troops are deployed in Yerushalayim and Tel Aviv for Thursday’s prison marches. **A spokesman for Slonim Chassidus has called on the entire tzibur to refrain from any form of violence whatsoever during the march. **Police have called on the High Court to permit parents to report to jail at 5pm, explaining they have already authorized the marches in Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim and they do not wish to have to pull the parents out of the marches, a move that may lead to violence. **Thousands of Bnei Brak residents are already on Chazon Ish Street, which is jammed beyond capacity on this sweltering summer day. It should be pointed out that the buses bringing participants have not yet arrived.  **Present at the Bnei Brak march are HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Aaron Leib Shteinman Shlita. **Police Chief Dudi Cohen announces troops are instructed to exhibit a large measure of understanding and tolerance, but there will be zero tolerance for any violence. **MK Moshe Gafne: Today atzeres if chareidi  Jewry shows the world that the democratic State of Israel imprisons parents, pregnant women, nursing women, all because that wish to educate their children as they see fit. **HaGaon HaRav Nissim Karelitz Shlita is taking part in the Bnei Brak event. **The state is calling on the High Court to delay the start of the prison term, which currently is 1:00pm. The state is asking that the time be set at 5:00pm. **The Rabbonim Shlita have called over and over again to maintain order. The Slonimer Chassidus has hired 300 people to maintain order, to oust anyone seeking to upset the atzeres. **HaGaon HaRav Wosner Shlita just finished speaking in Bnei Brak, highlighting the tragedy of the Jewish state imprisoning parents simply because they are unwilling to compromise the chinuch of their children. **The atzeres in Yerushalayim is getting underway. **Police are stopping buses heading to the atzeres from Betar Illit on Begin Highway. **HaGaon HaRav Pavorsky Shlita, Rosh Yeshiva Ponevezh is addressing the Bnei Brak atzeres. **Rabbonim Shlita in Bnei Brak announced the parents “in a few hours will become shluchim of all Am Yisrael. We must say ‘Yes to Torah and No to the High Court’”. The tzibur is now singing Utzu Eitza. **Jerusalem Police Chief Aaron Franco and Israel Police Chief Dudi Cohen met with the media as the Yerushalayim atzeres gets underway. Chief Cohen called on participants to obey the law, praising the democracy that permits such an event, estimating over 15,000 people are present as the event get underway. He praised the organizers and all those involved as he observed the orderly crowd at Yirmiyahu and Shamgar Streets. **Police officials explain the parents will not have to turn themselves in until 5pm, apparently relying on a technicality since the department received the arrest warrants very late and they require time to prepare for receiving the dozens of parents. **In Yerushalayim, Avinu Malkeinu is being recited. **The

It is irrelevant if one agrees or disagrees with the Emanuel parents at present, but what is for certain is that the 43 families, whose daughters have not been attending the Emanuel Beis Yaakov, are unwilling to acquiesce to the nation’s High Court of Justice, supported by Gedolei HaDor Shlita. For a first time in the history of the State of Israel, parents will be going to prison for insisting on providing their children with a frum education as they define it. On Tuesday, the High Court of Justice handed down its ruling in the matter, stating any parent unwilling to abide by the decision to send their daughters to the school will face a two-week prison sentence. By most accounts, Justices Edmond Levy, Edna Arbel and Chanan Meltzer simply do not understand what they are up against, the willingness of the chareidi community to go to prison, mesirus nefesh for chinuch and their need to adhere to the instructions of their leaders, in this case, the Slonimer Rebbe Shlita, who will be there, marching with the parents to the prison gates. According to a HaMevaser report, 86 parents will march on Thursday, heading to prison for two weeks as they cling to their values, undeterred by the secular court which in this case seeks to undermine the rulings of Rabbonim Shlita. The parents are also incurring heavy fines for their contemptuous behavior, as Justice Levy announced on Tuesday that the nation’s highest court’s decision must be adhered to, and the rulings are not subject to the approval of anyone or halachic authority. For the parents and the rabbonim, this has long stopped being a case pertaining to a Shomron Beis Yaakov school, but a precedent-setting matter challenging chareidi chinuch and lifestyles nationwide. Simultaneously, the court is also in the midst of announcing a decision regarding another case, one in which petitioners seek the court’s intervention, to compel chareidi schools to include ‘core subjects’ such as mathematics, English and science in the curriculum, once again, state involvement, seeking to dictate to the rabbonim how to educate the children. There are a few unanswered questions, perhaps because the court did not expect the parents to remain firm in the face of prison and fines, but it appears no one knows which prison the 43 sets of parents will be housed, and under what conditions and accommodations. What about the hundreds of children left at home? Who will care for them? Chareidi media reports quoting Posek HaDor Maran R’ Elyashiv Shlita state Maran is calling on the tzibur to come out en masse to escort the parents to prison, seeking a major showing of solidarity and strength. Thousands are expected to gather in support of the parents and to send a clear message to the High Court, in Yerushalayim and in Bnei Brak. Attorney HaRav Mordechai Green explains the fact that the court sent the parents to prison attests to the fact the justices simply don’t get it, they are clueless as to the dispute in Emanuel, which is not at all a racial issue, but one surrounding different lifestyles and levels of yiddishkheit. Green states that jail term is a sign of the court’s frustration and inability to find an amicable solution, as if the justices didn’t hear the in-depth explanations

Agudas Yisrael leaders and askanim are busying themselves with preparations for Thursday’s (June 17th) prison march, the escort for the Emanuel Beis Yaakov parents that will take place simultaneously in Bnei Brak and Yerushalayim. The following information is accurate at 4:30pm Israel time, but as meetings continue changes are to be expected. Gedolei Torah Shlita are quoted in pashkavilim seen in chareidi communities in Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak as endorsing the marches, and some sources are already stating with confidence that Maran Rosh Yeshiva, R’ Shteinman Shlita will be present in Bnei Brak. The Bnei Brak prison march will get underway at 1:30pm from Rav Landau Street at the corner of Chazon Ish Street. All community rabbonim in Bnei Brak are expected to be present organizers report. Degel HaTorah official Avraham Rubinstein is playing a major role in arranging the event. From R’ Landau the procession will head to Nechemia Street, Ben Yaakov, and Ben Dovid, where parents will enter vehicles to be driven to Yerushalayim to join the march there. Meetings are underway in Bnei Brak at this time for what may be an extremely large and emotional event, predicting “tens of thousands” and the police permits have already been granted. Tonight at 9:00pm, the Slonimer Rebbe Shlita will deliver words of chizuk to his tzibur in Emanuel, particularly the parents heading for prison tomorrow, Thursday. There may also be other events Wednesday night, to be announced if and when they are finalized. In Yerushalayim, the event is expected to begin at 1:30pm, but officials are still awaiting police approval. It will begin on Shamgar Street, heading to Yirmiyahu, Bar Ilan and the Russian Compound detention center. It remains unclear if talmidei torah will take part, but rabbonim are calling on the greater adult tzibur to attend. In the meantime, the Agudah office on Press Street is abuzz, as Deputy Minister Meir Porush is engaged in endless meetings and phone calls surrounding the High Court jail sentence for the Emanuel Beis Yaakov parents. The command center at that location is being manned by Zaka founder/director Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, who as the former Eida Chareidit operations officer has a wealth of experience in these matters. Organizers are presently predicting in excess of 50,000 people taking part in the prison marches. Some of the possibilities being discussed include a major tent set up for shabbos outside Beersheva Prison, where the Slonimer Rebbe and chassidim will spend shabbos in solidarity with the parents. According to some of the notices being circulated, Maran Rav Elyashiv Shlita is calling for protests in Europe and the United States too. NOTE: For articles about the Emanuel school crisis, click HERE to view the YWN archives, or feel free to use the search box located at the top left of the YWN homepage. While many people have not been paying attention to this story, YWN Israel has been posting dozens and dozens of articles on this topic since the incident started a few months ago. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

As Chinuch Atzmai and Yoav Lalum duke it out in the High Court of Justice, perhaps one realized that Shas remains conspicuously quiet, finding itself between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, the situation in Emanuel leaves the Sephardi girls in an unwanted situation, but Maran R’ Ovadia Yosef Shlita is not seeking to go head-to-head with Chinuch Atzmai and is rabbinical leaders. Complicating matters a bit more is the fact that Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, a son of R’ Ovadia, is involved, and he the court-appointed arbitrator to reach the difficult decisions in the case, albeit failing in his mission. On Tuesday, following the High Court of Justice’s decision to order the defiant parents to prison for two weeks, Shas leader Eli Yishai refused to comment, opting to remain silent, with Shas not really releasing a policy decision regarding the entire matter. Some feel the situation is embarrassing since children of some of the Shas leaders attend Ashkenazi schools, as do some of the grandchildren of Maran R’ Ovadia. What is certain is that Shas is seeking to remain in the background, preferring to avoid direct involvement in the conflict, which will most likely escalate on Thursday during the prison march, when rabbonim will be escorting the Emanuel parents to prison. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

Speaking on Wednesday morning to Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) host Razi Barkai, former Shas leader Aryeh Deri commented on the High Court of Justice ruling in the Emanuel Beis Yaakov case. Deri’s interview followed an interview with Barkai and opposition leader Tzipi Livni. I agree there is a court in Jerusalem, but there is also a Knesset, government and prime minister. Not every decision or solution can come from the High Court. As a result of the fear of inquiries and criticism, public officials are unwilling to make decision, preferring to wait for the court to force their hand. BARKAI: Do you think Emanuel Beis Yaakov discriminated against Sephardi girls? DERI: I can tell you for a fact that elementary Beis Yaakov schools around the country are community schools in every sense of the word. The schools operated by Chinuch Atzmai serve the entire community, not just Ashkenazi girls. Girls from chareidi homes, Ashkenazim and Sephardim are all included. In Emanuel it is a very small community, including Slonim Chassidim who have many chumras that are not adhered to by the Sephardi girls. I receive my information from families in the community, who explain the girls are indeed from chareidi homes, but they do not live by the same chumras and are unwilling to accept them, making them unsuitable for the school. I will explain the error made by the Slonimer Chassidim. For those parents wishing to have a separate chassidic track, they must realize they cannot be a state-funded Chinuch Atzmai school and accept government funds while restricting entry, not permitting Sephardi girls to attend. If you want a separate Chassidic track, then establish a Ministry of Education approved school but without accepting funds. On the other hand, one must remember the families in Emanuel are from the low income community, a community that truly lacks the funds to establish their own school and fund it but nevertheless, they cling to their values and are unwilling to compromise chinuch as they view it. They follow their Admor but lack a budget. BARKAI: According to your understanding, the court is correct, there is discrimination, right or wrong, but that is the fact. DERI: It is easy to say ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but this will not solve any problem. A solution cannot be imposed on the parents against their rabbonim. A true solution is for the Sephardim to establish schools, which don’t exist today. Deri explained that he too is a product an Ashkenazi chareidi education, since in his day, there was no Sephardi alternative. During his tenure as the head of Shas, he explained that schools were established, pointing out his wife heads a girl’s school attended by over 700 girls. In that school he explains, there are a number of tracks, some including Ashkenazi girls. Today there are Sephardi yeshivos gedolos, and my five older children took two buses daily to attend the Sephardi schools that we established. We set an example. I have a surprise for you, that in some of the schools, the Ashkenazi population comprises 40% of the classes, sitting together side-by-side. The Emanuel case has pulled the nation into an unwanted dispute. Now we are going to send Gedolei HaDor to prison, to organize a million man march – to what end will we take

No one was absent from Tuesday’s meeting of Agudas Yisrael leaders as the forum discussed a number of pressing issues, with the petition filed with the High Court of Justice by Prof. Uriel Reichman leading the list. Reichman and his co-petitioners are calling on the nation’s highest court to compel the chareidi schools to include ‘core subjects’ such as math, English and science in their curriculum. MK Menachem Eliezer Moses, known for his original ideas, suggested hiring a known left-wing attorney to represent Chinuch Atzmai before the High Court. He feels having such a representative will paint the chareidi community’s case in a more favorable light. Adding to their concerns is the 3 Tammuz court date at which a decision from the court is likely regarding the Beis Yaakov Emanuel. Deputy Minister Meir Porush remains determined however, unwilling to show any flexibility regarding secular efforts to dictate change in the chareidi education system. He announced if parents are sent to jail, he will move the Agudah office to the prison gates, and they will remain there, unwilling to compromise on this cardinal issue. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

Posek HaDor Maran Rav Yosef Sholem Elyashiv Shlita has refused to sign a kol korei against Yoav Lalum, the man behind the Beis Yaakov Emanuel court case. According to a Kikar Shabbat report released on Sunday, askanim arrived at Maran’s home on Sunday seeking to persuade him to sign the kol korei against Lalum, but Maran refused. The askanim hoped if Rav Elyashiv would sign such a kol korei, it would compel Lalum to back down. R’ Elyashiv refused, apparently aware that such a move would be a declaration of war against Rabbi Yaakov Yosef. Ultimately, rabbonim did agree to sign a kol korei that was positively worded, supporting the Slonim Rebbe Shlita and his efforts on behalf of Chinuch Atzmai against Lalum in the Emanuel case. Signed on the kol korei is Rav Elyashiv Shlita, Rav Wosner Shlita, Rav Shteinman Shlita, Rav Lefkowitz Shlita, Rav Kanievsky Shlita, Rav Nosson T. Finkel Shlita, Rav Aurbach Shlita, Rav Berlind Shlita, Rav Hager Shlita, Admor of Erlau Shlita, Admor of Seret-Vishnitz Shlita, Admor of Sadigura Shlita, Admor of Sanz Shlita, Admor of Moditz Shlita and others. The kol korei objects to efforts to compel and educational environment that is contrary to the direction of Rabbonim shlita. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)

Interestingly, the international diplomatic assault against Israel following the Gaza flotilla operation continues to dominate the news, and chareidi media sources point at that one wanted result of the unfortunate reality is that the chareidi bashing has abated, at least for now. Nevertheless, the chareidim are no less occupied and concerned regarding the Beis Yaakov Emanuel, with efforts continuing to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, but to date, this has not proven likely. Rabbis Blau, Yosef, Katz and others involved, not to mention behind-the-scenes askonus have failed to yield results, and the pressure surrounding the situation which has merited unwanted High Court of Justice involvement mounts. The head of the Vaad HaKodesh V’HaChinuch Committee, HaRav Mordechai Blau gave an interview to Kol HaTzibur, apparently unable or simply unwilling to remain silent any longer. He did not attempt to hide his anger and disdain for Yoav Lalum, who dragged the school and Chinuch Atzmai into court, unwilling to tolerate what he calls the discrimination against Sephardi girls in the school. He mocked the fact that Lalum heads an organization called Noar K’Halacha, opting to change the name to ‘Noar Lo K’Halacha. He blames Lalum for causing irreparable damage to the chareidi community, its chinuch, and way of life, explaining that he dragged the matter into the secular press “which simply does not understand the chareidi way of life and its values”. The rav continues, asking “Does he even have an idea what Chinuch Atzmai is?  Does he understand the institution? Does he know who Rav Aaron Kotler was – who planted himself in the snow of New York to collect another dollar and another dollar towards saving another child in Eretz Yisrael, and yes, including Sephardim”. The rav questions in Lalum now plans to run chareidi Jewry, “as was in golus with Yankel HaMoiser, who was always too willing to run to authorities to turn someone in. Here too, in the name of fixing an injustice, discrimination, he perpetrates and awful injustice, not knowing his left from his right”. “He is simply in fire, in fire! He will receive a large place in gehenom for this!” (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)