The disaster that claimed the lives of two infants at a private daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood on Monday is first and foremost an unfathomable human tragedy. But if we limit our response to tears, grief, and outward-directed anger alone, we risk missing the difficult and uncomfortable responsibility now facing all of us — and especially the Chareidi community itself: to stop, think, and ask hard questions.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. It may have been extreme heat from an air conditioner operating at abnormal intensity. It may have been poisoning — from food, drink, or heating equipment. It may have been suffocation — sealed windows, lack of oxygen, conditions that do not allow for basic breathing. All of these possibilities are under investigation, and all are awful. But the common denominator is already clear: dangerous conditions for helpless infants.
According to testimony, this daycare did not operate this way for a day or two. It functioned for years without supervision, standards, or any real oversight. And alongside it stood a silence that lasted far too long: parents, neighbors, and an entire surrounding environment that knew, saw, and chose not to ask too many questions.
Yes, there is justified criticism of the state. Yes, the cancellation of daycare subsidies pushed families into cheaper, unregulated frameworks. That criticism is legitimate, and perhaps even correct. But even within a harsh reality, primary responsibility for children’s lives does not disappear. It does not automatically transfer to a legal adviser, nor does it end with a government decision.
Not every inexpensive option is a safe option. Not everyone who “watches children” is a caregiver. And not every apartment converted into a daycare is a suitable environment for infants. Cheap, in the end, can cost dearly.
This disaster must be a stopping point. It must mark a moment where we as a community – in Israel, the U.S., and everywhere else – have the courage to say: we do not send our children to any playgroup. We ask questions. We demand to see. We check conditions. We are not embarrassed to pull our children out of a babysitter — even if it is uncomfortable, even if it costs more.
Our children’s lives are not an experiment, and they are not hostages to economic distress, politics, or willful blindness. And the price, as we have now learned, can be irreversible.
The YWN Editorial Team
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17 Responses
I have been saying this for years. It’s the parents responsibly to ensure that the place they send their children is safe, sanitary and conducive to emotional and physical well being. I can’t begin to tell you how many so called “day cares” push little children into cramped quarters, children sleeping on cold floors because the parents just don’t take the time to check out the place. “Oh, she’s a nice person. I’m sure her place is fine.” Then these kids come home sick and speech and motor delayed because they simple have no room to develop properly as a child. Parents should be held accountable as well for making the choice to send them there.
Very well said and thank you for bringing awareness to such an important issue! It is a big responsibility to babysit other people’s children and should only be done lf it is licensed with all the safety measures in place. Some safety measures include enough staff to child ratio, have enough emergency exists, all dangerous items are locked up, should be trained in first aid training etc. There are far too many unlicensed unsafe daycares around just to make some Parnassah. Parnassah cannot be made while risking the safety of the children.
“The cause of death has not yet been determined”. Correct. Perhaps we should wait for a final analysis before pronouncing judgement on a community. A couple more days or weeks of waiting for the truth is better than rushing to cast aspersions (unless, of course, one is not writing an article on the internet, but commenting on it).
I am deeply disturbed by the tone of this post. It unfairly suggests negligence or willful disregard on the part of the morahs, without any factual basis. Likewise, the call for increased government oversight ignores the reality that any Chareidi mother takes responsibility for their children’s safety far more seriously than any government bodies, many of which are openly hostile to the Chareidi community.
@David-A, there are pictures of kids sleeping in bathrooms. what more evidence do you want
Well written with valid points but a larger issue is missed. Rules (i.e. inspections, licenses etc) are for “goyim” (or tzionim, chilonim etc.) Tragedies happen with rules etc, but the lack of hishtadlus coming from machshovas zoros i.e. elitism, we are always right and everyone is out to get us etc. is painful.
IMHO this attitude contributes to the laissez fairre mindset that allowed this “daycare” to work like this for years.
ת.נ.צ.ב.ה
“have the courage to say: we do not send our children to any playgroup.”
So what is a kollel couple supposed to do, when the husband is learning in kollel and the wife needs to work to put food on the table? Not everyone can afford a babysitter at home. And if you get a goy to be your babysitter, that has its own problems. Besides the fact that people look down at your for having a goy in the house (not debating the issues of cooking/Keilim etc.) And if the man of the house has to stop going to kollel to provide for his family, that is even looked down even more!!!
We also need to be careful and consider with great time and effort and if it’s more money it’s more money to whom we bring into our home the ladies that we bring into our home what are they doing with our kids what are these things our kids what are they feeding our kids both food and in words what kind of influence our children getting that we don’t realize when we’re out of the house for 12 hours who is this kid do you know our own children I know this is a little different topic than what happened today in Jerusalem but I think it’s like you know there’s the physical safety and there’s also the spiritual safety of our children.
Thank You for at least reminding people to be careful with WHERE they leave their children. But why won’t we as a community address the problem of WHY are we leaving 52 babies at a day care???? They belong home with their mommies! We as a society have reversed the roles & have women out there earning a paycheck to sustain their families but that is a MANs job.
I know many won’t agree but its the sad reality of what we have created
BDE
This is a tragedy. This has nothing to do with politics or government funding of kollels (nobody owes your Kollel a stipend). This has everything to do with a cultural norm that is anti Torah. You cannot ignore the law or attack police, and wonder why there are preventable tragedies. You cannot encourage young teenagers to riot like vilda chayas on the street, and then complain when they are arrested or worse, physically hurt.
It pains me to see what our community has become. And it is time to face a stark reality. This is not how the gedolim and chareidim of yesteryear behaved. This is not any way to run a society.
And the only place we have to look for blame, is in the mirror.
Please YWN why are you publishing fake news!! There were not 53 children in one gan! They evacuated the whole building, there were 3 separate gans in that building – some of them legal with permits.
The video of the kids in the toilets was filmed by mada – who arrived in the middle of the chaos , and after hatzala had told the morahs to get the other kids out the way.
You have a responsibility to investigate and only post the truth, especially of frum yidden. There is enough hate of the chareidim, it shouldn’t come from u too
We are experiencing the birth pangs of Moshiach. As a mother I could tell you this pain is equivalent to the last few pushes.
Maybe it’s time to reevaluate the cultural norm we have created in our society where we work the women to the bone. Perhaps we can go back to how Hashem designed the world where the man is the breadwinner and the woman can take care of her home.
The bodies aren’t even cold yet, and somehow people are always ready to be quick to judge.
Where is the basic הוי דן את כל האדם לכף זכות?
Thats what is difficult to answer at this moment. Thats whats difficult to ASK at the moment. How can it be a Yid is so quick to judge another Yid??
JT27MP, you misunderstood the statement. The point being made was not to send to ‘just any’ playgroup. Research must be done to ensure that it’s safe for the chold.
To JT27MP
What is a kollel couple supposed to do?
If being in Kollelakes you unable to take proper care of your children, then what is the point of learning Torah??
Learning Torah at the expense of your babies comfort and safety, at the expense of tzaar to your family has no zechar. It is a tremendous sin.
Torah teaches men of his responsibilities to his family and community.
To claim that it is the tax players responsibility to support children of those who choose to learn is absolutely against the Torah, which commands men to be self sufficient. We ask every day in Birkat Hamazon that we should not have to rely on help from any flesh, and not even their loans!
I do not know what caused the deaths of these children, but Torah and babies sleeping in a bathroom do not go together.
IMHO all those kids should go into government custody for 2 weeks. Guarantee parents will be 4 times more careful after that. But I Doubt there wont be at least some level of negligence. But Hey, some kids sleep better in the bathroom.