In the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, worshippers gather for prayer but maintain a required distance so as not to facilitate the spread of coronavirus. Image by Getty Images

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Senior rabbinic leaders of the haredi Orthodox community in Israel announced that schools and yeshivas will remain open, but they have limited class sizes to ten students to adhere to Ministry of Health directives.

The announcement was made in a letter published Monday morning that was signed by Rabbis Chaim Kanievsky and Gershon Edelstein, heads of the Ponovitz yeshiva in Bnei Brak, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The rabbis instructed any student who feels ill or who has an ill family member to stay home. They also cited a teaching from the Talmud that states that the world exists “for the sound of children studying Torah,” adding that Torah study “is the greatest protection so that the destroyer not come to Israel’s rooms.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

On Sunday, students at Ponovitz and other haredi yeshivas crowded into their main study halls, in contravention of Health Ministry directives, after Kanievsky last week ordered his followers to keep schools open. Several other prominent haredi rabbis also had ordered that schools and yeshivas remain open.

Religious Zionist yeshivas closed in compliance with official directives.

<

section class=”post-embed”>

The post Haredi Orthodox yeshivas remain open in Israel, gathering in classes of 10 students appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount