Bnei Akiva Network Urges Givat Shmuel Mayor to Reverse Actions Against Yeshiva

The conflict between the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva and the Givat Shmuel municipality has escalated. Following an unusual letter from the yeshiva head, Rabbi Shraga Prochter, warning parents about the impact of the dispute on the upcoming school year, the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva and Ulpana Center issued a strong appeal to city residents and council members. The letter accuses Mayor Yossi Brodny and the municipality of unilateral measures against the yeshiva, including canceling the operating agreement, stopping ongoing budget support, and freezing funds intended for renovations and classroom construction. The agreement in question was signed in 2021 after negotiations, but the city decided to terminate it prematurely.

The network warns these actions could harm not only the institution but also hundreds of students studying there. They emphasize that instead of strengthening an educational institution that has brought unprecedented achievements to the city, the mayor's steps threaten its stability and future. The letter also claims the municipality is attempting to seize yeshiva land, which the network says has been owned by the Bnei Akiva Center since the times of Rabbis Moshe Tzvi Neriah and Avraham Zuckerman. Additionally, the network references legal and administrative proceedings against the yeshiva, including summonses for building investigations and critical statements against its leadership.

This appeal follows Rabbi Prochter's letter to parents describing the yeshiva's difficulties ahead of the school year, noting the city did not provide summer renovation support and warning that assistance for students facing academic and emotional challenges may cease. He expressed personal exhaustion and emphasized that the students should not be caught in the dispute. The network states that instead of focusing on education and preparing for the school year, the yeshiva staff must devote energy to this ongoing struggle initiated by the municipality.

The letter concludes with a direct call to Mayor Brodny to immediately halt these actions and resume support for the yeshiva, as required legally and morally, for the sake of Givat Shmuel residents, the students, and out of respect for Rabbi Prochter.