The Ministry of Education has issued an official order closing the Ponevezh Yeshiva High School in Bnei Brak after the ministry's Enforcement Department found that it was operating in violation of the emergency guidelines.
The official letter to the yeshiva's management stated: "I hereby order the closure of the Ponevezh Yeshiva school at 5 Meltzer Street, Bnei Brak, which is owned by the Ponevezh Yeshiva."
The Ministry of Education explained the decision by noting that a “special state of emergency on the home front" had been declared, and on February 28, 2026, the declaration was applied to the entire territory of Israel. According to the order, the security situation requires “a prohibition on gatherings as well as an explicit ban on holding educational activities."
The order further warns that “operating an educational institution during wartime, in violation of the Civil Defense Law of 1951 and contrary to the aforementioned instructions, constitutes a real risk to the safety and security of students and staff at the institution."
According to findings from an inspection conducted on March 5, 2026, “the educational institution is operating in violation of the guidelines and while endangering the safety and security of the students and staff." Accordingly, it was determined that “the closure order will take effect upon its delivery."
Following the administrative and financial enforcement measures, and due to concerns for the students’ safety, rabbis of additional yeshivas instructed that organized study sessions in the study halls be suspended.
Students were instructed to continue their studies at home or in protected spaces, in order to maintain a study routine while exercising heightened caution as required under the current circumstances.