Students outside the Jerusalem school
Students outside the Jerusalem schoolCourtesy

The Ministry of Education will launch a probe into a graduation party that was held at the Hebrew Gymnasium in Jerusalem with the participation of more than 100 students, in contravention of the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.

The Education Ministry will review the incident and the violation of the coronavirus restrictions. Police are also considering opening their own investigation on suspicion of violating regulations.

Education Minister Yoav Galant told Channel 12 News on Monday, "I have ordered an investigation, and when we receive the conclusions - we will take action. I condemn anyone who violates government regulations, we will not accept this from students or educators."

Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio) revealed on Monday that over 100 students at the Hebrew Gymnasium participated in the school's traditional end-of-year prom, despite the strict restrictions on gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic.

In June, the school suffered an outbreak of over 220 cases of coronavirus and was temporarily shut down.

Photos taken at the prom show that a significant portion of the participants did not wear masks or keep the required two-meter distance from other participants. Instead, students entered the school one after the other, and a staff member locked it, requesting that the students wear masks when they leave due to the photographers waiting outside.

The head of the upper division of the school sent a letter to the students in which he claimed that the party was held in accordance with the instructions.

"I am completely at peace with the event we held, as it was conducted according to all the regulations and rules set for us. The educational staff and parents took the risk of having an event for the benefit of the students."

The director of the school, Danny Leibowitz, said, "It was neither a prom nor a party - very far from it. The grade 12 students of the schools, and perhaps especially them after the ordeal that the school went through, deserve to say goodbye and conclude their studies as best as possible, while taking the limitations and what is permitted into consideration."