Supreme Court Halts Eviction of Ponevezh Yeshiva Students

The Israeli Supreme Court has issued an immediate stay of an eviction order against students of Rabbi Shmuel Markus's faction at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak. Justice Ofer Grosskopf granted the appeal, halting a lower court's ruling that mandated the students vacate the yeshiva's "Givah" complex. The eviction, which had been scheduled for the intermediate days of the Sukkot holiday, is now postponed indefinitely.

The Supreme Court has ordered the opposing faction to submit their response to the appeal by October 8, 2026. Until then, a protective order remains in effect, preventing any attempts to enforce the eviction. This decision allows Rabbi Markus's students to celebrate the upcoming Simchat Torah holiday within the yeshiva as usual, without the threat of displacement.

The Union of Ponevezh Yeshiva Students welcomed the ruling, calling the eviction "irresponsible and unprecedented" and noting it would have left approximately 1,300 students, including minors, on the street without adequate time to find alternative arrangements. They expressed hope that the court will reconsider the impact on the community of thousands of families and overturn the lower court's decision, citing previous similar legal rulings.