Rabbi Avraham Gurwicz, head of the Beis Yosef Yeshiva in Gateshead, England, and one of the senior Roshei Yeshiva in Europe, recently sent a letter to the Jewish residents of London in light of the looming education decree in the country. The government is demanding the inclusion of secular studies and other subjects that contradict the Torah in the curriculum of boys’ and girls’ educational institutions of all ages.
The law, which is primarily directed against the Orthodox Jewish community, has already passed its first and second readings in the British Parliament. It stipulates that all educational institutions will be required to include secular studies, some of which directly oppose the sacred Torah. The new law carries criminal sanctions that will be imposed personally on yeshiva students. It may also interfere with the Orthodox educational frameworks that have so far operated under the definition of “home schooling,” posing a significant threat to the existence of the yeshivos in the United Kingdom.
The private bill recently submitted on this matter, which has already passed its first and second readings, is expected to be brought to a third vote in the London Parliament in the coming weeks. If, Heaven forbid, the law is approved, it will be brought before the House of Lords for a final decision.
In light of this, the Rosh Yeshiva writes that if the law passes its third vote, those who fear Heaven will have no choice but to migrate to a place where they can serve Hashem and educate their children in the traditional way passed down through generations.
This is the content of Rabbi Gurwicz’s letter:
“To the members of the holy communities in England, may the grace of Hashem be upon them always.
“In past generations, the great leaders expressed their concern for the education of children, as Yehuda said, “How shall I go up to my father, and the lad is not with me?” Now, in light of the terrible danger that a law may be enacted to mandate the education of our children without Torah, such a law would require anyone with sons or daughters of school age to uproot their residence from this country to another country where they can receive an education according to our tradition, passed down from generation to generation. This is a challenge that not everyone may be able to withstand.
“It is therefore our sacred duty to pray to Hashem and to do everything in our power to prevent its approval, for one who comes to purify himself is granted assistance from Above.”
A Jewish community activist explained that the law has been cleverly designed to enforce the inclusion of secular studies without any possibility of evasion. It targets both the educational institutions themselves and the parents of students. The law stipulates that any fixed gathering of students during standard school hours will automatically be considered a school and, as such, will be subject to the regulations of the British Department of Education. In other words, every yeshiva ketana will be required to follow the full national curriculum, and failure to do so would be deemed illegal, potentially leading to the arrest of administrators.
According to community activists, the law also requires parents to report in detail to the local authorities regarding where their child is studying and what he is learning. Additionally, the authorities will be required to establish a supervision mechanism responsible for tracking each student individually to ensure compliance with the law. This mechanism will also monitor students who classify themselves as being homeschooled. Any student under the age of 16 found not to be meeting the legal requirements will either be sent to a state high school or face legal consequences.
Jewish community activists have been working tirelessly in recent days, day and night, in an attempt to amend the law and prevent this harsh decree from taking effect.
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