A large police force assisted by border police and escorting social workers and other city officials arrived on Sunday morning 14 Iyar at the controversial Be’er Miriam School in the Sanhedria area of Yerushalayim. The school is run by Rabbi Aaron Ramati. The rabbi’s wife, a daughter and four students were detained by police for questioning. Some were surprised that also present during the police operation as Jerusalem Police Chief Chico Edri. The chief accompanied social workers and other city inspectors on a tour of the building to get a firsthand look at the conditions for the girls attending the school.
After the raid social workers began interviewing students. Authorities report that do not know the whereabouts of five of the students. An arrest warrant has been issued for Rabbi Ramati, who was taken into custody later and is being questioned by the Israel Police Fraud Division. The students are being compelled to speak with social workers prior to leaving the building.
Police are going to recommend shutting the school following a recent Health Ministry inspection which cited major deficiencies. The Jerusalem City Engineer inspected the location and issued a demolition order.
There was a recent protest by parents and others demanding the closure of the school, including Yesh Atid MK Dr. Aliza Lavie, who vowed to continue her efforts until such time the school is shut down.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Why would the parents protest to demand the school be closed? The story doesn’t add up. The parents could just change their kids’ school to somewhere else.
If Yesh Atid wants to close them down, they must be doing something right.
This piece makes it look like this school is a run of the mill chareidi school for girls. It is not. The chareidi school system abhors them, and in the chareidi news reports of the school closure, Rabbi Ramati’s title “Rav” was removed. This is not a chareidi vs. chiloni issue.
Please help clarify that this school is not related in any way to the wonderful Seminary in Har Nof named Baer Miriam, that is for American Gap year students.
Firstly lets make a diffrentiation between this school Beer Miriam and the american seminary called Beer Miriam; two completely separate institutions….
Secondly,
As much as I’ve read about this and Ive read a lot. I still don’t understand what the problem is with this school… At the protest last week 99.9% of parents didn’t look religious… the girls look like regular chareidi girls which I guess left their irreligious surroundings…. If this rabbi was arrested for making these girls frum then why isn’t the “chozer b’sheila” organization leader being arrested too? So what, if the girls are a bit extreme? The instigation on the parents side is coming from the fact that they can’t handle their kid not being like them and not doing or agreeing to everything they’re doing. That happens a lot. I do not understand why the police is involved.
I live near there. always told my wife it was a weirdo place.