Givat Shmuel Council Criticizes Bnei Akiva Yeshiva Leadership Over Real Estate Focus

The ongoing dispute surrounding the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva in Givat Shmuel has intensified. Following a rare letter from the yeshiva head, Rabbi Shraga Prochter, and mutual accusations between the municipality and the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva Center, city council members issued a letter to parents expressing full support for Mayor Yossi Brodny and the municipality's actions. The council sharply criticized the yeshiva center's management for lack of transparency and multiple violations, including poor handling of parental payments, unclear budgeting from the Ministry of Education, and neglect of educational infrastructure.

Council members also condemned the yeshiva center's attempts to advance real estate projects on public land designated for educational use, accusing them of prioritizing property development over education. They stated this conduct shows that "the welfare of students and education is not a priority for the network." This letter adds to weeks of tensions between the Givat Shmuel municipality and the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva Center.

About ten days earlier, Rabbi Prochter sent an unusual letter to parents warning of the dispute's impact on the school year, noting the yeshiva did not receive municipal support for summer renovations and cautioning about harm to students and staff. Mayor Brodny later clarified that the conflict is not with the teaching staff but with the yeshiva center's management, which he accused of breaching agreements with the city. The council letter was signed by Deputy Mayor Merav Shulner, Deputy Mayors Yaakov Vilian and Hertzel Arviv, and council members Uri Weiss, Efrat Klein, David Hazut, Maya Tal, Shmulik Meirovich, and Moshe Kaykov.