JERUSALEM (JTA) — Hasidic and haredi students in Israel will continue studies during the summer vacation time in order to pray and study for the protection of the Jewish people and Israeli soldiers during the Gaza operation.
The Hasidic students will remain in their yeshivas during the traditional “Bein Hazmanim,” the three-week period between Tisha b’Av and the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul. Haredi yeshivas will not plan their traditional vacation outings for their students, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Chief Sephardi Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef also ordered Sephardi yeshivas to remain in session during summer vacation.
“If the war continues after Tisha b’Av, the boys should not leave during this time, we must continue to learn, it’s not right to be out as our boys are on the front,” Yosef said.
Among the Hasidic sects canceling summer vacation from yeshiva are Ger, Belz, Vizhnitz and Sanz.
Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, head of the Modern Orthodox Merkaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem last week also called on his students to increase Torah study during this time of war.
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