Yeshiva students learning in Zionist yeshivas have begun to return to yeshiva for the winter semester, according to the outline developed for haredi yeshivas.
According to this outline, all students must undergo testing for coronavirus prior to entering yeshiva. They will remain in isolation pending the results of their tests, and then learn in “capsules” for the duration of the semester. In addition, they will not be permitted to leave the yeshiva premises for at least 30 days after arriving in yeshiva.
Despite the reported success of the outline used by yeshiva high schools, hesder yeshivas, and pre-military yeshivas during the previous semester, the coronavirus cabinet refused to authorize its continued use and have insisted on all yeshivas following the far stricter model that was previously imposed only on haredi yeshivas.
Eli Cohen, the director of the Karnei Shomron yeshiva, told Arutz Sheva that, “Despite all the challenges and the complicated outline that has been imposed on us, the Karnei Shomron hesder yeshiva will open the winter semester with great self-sacrifice for learning the holy Torah while meticulously adhering to health guidelines and the [Torah directive] of saving lives. This week, 220 yeshiva students will resume their Torah studies, and we expect that another several dozen married students will soon have their return to yeshiva likewise authorized. We also hope very much that we will soon be able to resume studies according to the original outline developed by hesder yeshivas and high schools, an outline that proved itself in its ability to protect the health of the students as well as staff members, and that we will be able to dedicate ourselves to Torah learning with renewed energy.”
Last week, a forum of heads of yeshiva high schools and technical colleges last week wrote a sharply worded letter to the Health Minister, Yuli Edelstein. In their letter, the heads described the severe damage imposed on educational institutions and caused to students’ learning, and on Torah learning in the national sector in general. They also protested that the outline developed by Zionist yeshivas was deleted from the wording of the regulations authorized by the government the previous week. According to the letter, application of the strict guidelines previously only applied to haredi yeshivas would prove almost “impossible to enforce” and would lead to many yeshivas not being ready to start the winter semester on time.