A festive reception was held at the Temimei Derech study hall in Beit Shemesh for several ultra-Orthodox detainees who had been held for about a week after protesting what the article describes as threats to the sanctity and spirituality of the Haredi community. The freed men included several Breslov Hasidim, who were said to have welcomed the detention with inner joy and steadfast faith.
When they arrived, wearing holiday Sabbath clothes, the celebration erupted. Klezmer musicians played songs of thanks, and members of the Temimei Derech community, along with many local residents, danced and rejoiced for an extended time in honor of Torah and its students.
The released men named in the article were Rabbi Shmuel Leib Boim, Rabbi Eliezer Shlomo Cohen, Rabbi Shlomo Leifer, Rabbi Natan Frank, and Rabbi Natan Shapira. They were lifted onto people’s shoulders while the crowd danced around them.
Children from the community were also at the center of the event, watching the men with shining eyes and clear admiration. As part of the celebration, the children were given ice pops donated by the owner of the shop next to the study hall.