Kikar is reporting on a letter signed by Haredi rabbonim and roshei yeshivot against the allocation of land to Chochmei Lev in the Bayit Vegan neighborhood of Jerusalem. They warn that bringing this institution to Bayit Vegan will lead to fights and a lot of noise.It seems they have heard rumors that Nir Barkat, the Mayor of Jerusalem, wants to allocate a plot in Bayit Vegan to the yeshiva.
They explain their warning of violence by saying that Bayit Vegan is a haredi neighborhood and was established as one over 40 years ago by the heads of the State, and it operates under the guidance of daas torah. Until now the neighborhood has been a quiet one, thanks to the leadership and guidance of the rabbonim. However, bringing such an institution to the neighborhood will upset the peace and bring in fights.
hmmm
1. The City of Jerusalem Council recently voted in favor of granting an allocation to Chochmei Lev in Ramat Shlomo. While I heard rabbonim in Ramat Shlomo were upset and opposing the allocation, I have not seen anywhere that the allocation was rescinded. So why now Bayit Vegan?
2. Chochmei Lev has been located and operating in Bayit Vegan for 3 years already. True, not in their own building or on their own property, but on the premises of a secular school that has extra space. So for three years they have been in Bayit Vegan and things have been quiet, but now it will cause fights?
3. If the quiet has been kept until now thanks to the leadership and guidance of the rabbonim, why can they now not continue to lead and guide their followers to remain peaceful, even while opposing the yeshiva and allocation?
4. If institutions like Beuer's school, Netiv Meir, Michlala, the Youth Hostel and others have been able to coexist peacefully with the Haredi community in Bayit Vegan for tens of years and not drive anyone to violence, why should this yeshiva be different that violence will be almost a given?
5. once again, my general question, if the Haredi community opposes such allocations to institutions that they do not like because of it being in a Haredi community (now Bayit Vegan, previously Ramot, Ramat Eshkol (which is really mixed), and Ramat Shlomo), what right do they have to complain when Haredim move into secular neighborhoods and local residents oppose and fight them and fight against the opening of Haredi institutions? And that is a point on which the mayor and his people should stand strong and say we help you in Kiryat Hayovel and other neighborhoods opening institutions against the wishes of the local residents that are the majority and have been so for a long time, and that will stop if you continue to oppose the opening of institutions for others in your neighborhoods. Tit for tat.
6. a minor point but Bayit Vegan has always been a mixed neighborhood. Even though it has been a majority Haredi for a while already, there are still dati communities and shuls within, and there always were and it used to be a much greater mix. So opening a Haredi institution in a majority-haredi neighborhood that is mixed with others and other schools should not be considered as an intrusion of outsiders.
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