Despite the high-profile media case, Shas officials to date have more or less remained silent as the Beis Yaakov Emanuel case continues to unfold in the High Court of Justice and the nation’s newspapers. On motzei shabbos, this changed, when Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita addressed the ongoing dispute, in a harsh tone.
The weekly address included the laws of lighting shabbos candles, with the Rav state Sephardi girls in a Beis Yaakov are taught incorrectly, to first make a bracha and then light, when Beis Yosef says to make a bracha and then light.
The Rav commended the midos and other subject matter taught in the schools, the Beis Yaakov system, stating it is by far the best available, but the halacha is lacking. Hinting to the dispute in Emanuel, he stated that if a Sephardi rav would come to the Emanuel School, he would be expelled.
Rabbonim Shlita affiliated with Agudas Yisrael are meeting and the matter remains a high priority. Agudah officials are expected to convene on Tuesday to review the situation.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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5 Responses
“…Sephardi girls in a Beis Yaakov are taught incorrectly, to first make a bracha and then light, when Beis Yosef says to make a bracha and then light.”
I’m assuming one should be in the reverse order
Chacham Ovadiah has been stating his position on candlelighting for a long time; this is not new.
this lighting issue is very old. Many sepharadim do not hold like Hacham Ovadia Yossef. For example the ben ish hai and kaf hayayim and the minhag in morocco was to light then bless. May Hacham Ovadia Yossef live to 120.
I live in Emanuel.
My daughters attended the Beis Yaakov of Emanuel.
They learned the gamut of Jewish law, both Askenazi and Sephardic traditions.
There are only women teachers in the Beis Yaakov school here. I do not know what the Rav means by, “if a Sephardi rav would come to the Emanuel School, he would be expelled.” (If he really stated that).
There is no Rav in the school. It is a women-run school.
I even had a challenge to pose to the school once, and I went to the town Rabbi for support. He said, “Rabbanit Stern is in charge there, not me.”
The woman vice principal of the Beis Yaakov Emanuel is Sephardic. There are of course excellent Sephardic women teachers in the Beis Yaakov, and there are excellent Sephardic men teachers in the Chassidic boys school that my son’s attend.
There are two other girls schools in Emanuel in addition to the embattled Beis Yaakovs.
The Chabad School, under the ministry of education, and the Beit Rachel and Leah, under the Mayan – Shas Sephardic school network.