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)
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5 Responses
Lalum has the backing of many prominent Rabbonim in the Sefaradi community, including his turning to the secualr court system.
That someone has to understand your way of life and the deck of cards that it’s built on in order to support you is a fallacy. You ask for State funds yet, you do not wish to play by those rules. This is not a question of halacha. It sounds more like a bunch of spoiled children. Give-me, give-me, give-me. So, either play by the rules or don’t take the gelt.
And, who is a mortal man to “pasken” who is going to gehinom and who is not. That is up the creator. Please don’t think that your cultural background gives you that reshut.
#1: Please name the “many prominent Rabbonim in the Sefaradi community” who back his actions.
#2: You misunderstand the story totally. This has nothing to do with money. The parents have now sent their children OUT OF EMANUEL TO B’NEI B’RAK!!!! They are coerced to bring their children back to Emanuel and send to a school they don’t want to! Where do you live?? Do you want the government to decide for YOU what your standards are and which school you should send your kids to?! Where do you get this hateful attitude from?
I live in Emanuel.
As I have stated repeatedly:
30% of the girls in the stricter Beis Yaakov Chasidi Emanuel are Sephardic.
20% of the girls in the original more lenient Beis Yaakov are Ashkenazic.
I do not know if Rav Blau really stated that Lallum will receive Gehinnom, and certainly there is no reason for anyone to make comments of predictions of punishments in the world to come.
The only thing to do is keep telling the truth, that is all.
The truth is that this is a philopshical split between strict and lenient, and “strict” and “lenient” are not ethnically delineated.
That is all.
I strongly disagree that any Haredim are “relieved” that the flotilla affair is taking the media’s energy away from Haredi bashing.
I live in Emanuel. The members of this community, who are Haredi, feel terrible about the flotilla affair: the risk to our safety, the anti-Israel press it has generated, and especially are pained for the injured Israeli soldiers. We are praying for the speedy recovery of the Israeli soldiers who risked their lives in this mission.