The yeshivah world in Israel is still waiting for clear instructions from the Education and Health Ministries regarding how to handle the new instructions of avoiding any gatherings over 100 people.

Although Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday night that all schools throughout Israel are closing until at least after Pesach, he said it does not include dorm schools (or special education schools and schools for youth at risk).

Meanwhile, yeshivahs throughout Israel have begun preparing to comply with the Health Ministry’s instructions, including dividing the bochurim into separate batei medrash and dining rooms.

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In the Mir Yeshivah, the Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, who is currently in quarantine after returning from France after Purim, instructed that less than 100 bochurim be allowed into the dining room at a time for each meal. A guard stood at the entrance to the dining room at lunchtime on Thursday and prevented more than 100 bochurim from entering for each shift.

Most Americans and other bochurim from Chutz L’Eretz have already traveled home or will travel home shortly. Many bochurim had to reschedule their flights due to many flights with stopovers in Europe being canceled.

Unfortunately, any bochurim that return home cannot return to Israel after Pesach due to the requirement that anyone returning to Israel from abroad must self-quarantine for two weeks. A dorm or a “Mir dirah” cannot be used for self-quarantine, according to the Health Ministry.

The shiurim of the Maggidei Shiur in the Mir will be broadcast live in three areas of the United States until the end of the zeman. If the situation worsens, the shiurim will continue to be broadcast for the summer zeman and additional locations in the US will be added.

The remaining bochurim in the Mir are required to spread out in various batei medrash and shuls in the area.

Other large yeshivahs in Israel, such as Ponevezh and Chevron, are also requiring the bochurim to eat meals in shifts and are distributing the bochurim to learn in several batei midrash in smaller groups.

Also, large yeshivahs are considering sending some of the bochurim home for Shabbos, with the remaining bochurim returning home the following Shabbos, allowing the first group of bochurim to stay in yeshivah.

Yeshivahs are also providing means for the practice of strict hygiene, including adding soap dispensers and disinfectants and replacing cloth towels with paper towels.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)