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:
