Letter to Mir Yerushalayim Talmidim Explains Stringent Covid-19 Capsule Regulations for Bochurim

By BJLife Newsroom
Posted on 08/03/20

Dear Parents,

I’m happy to share with you another update that hopefully will answer many of your questions that I have received over the past few days. The Yeshiva is now waiting for a final approval of the following plan which we are hoping will come any day בעזרת ה'.

Flight

• Bochurim will need to fly on direct flights to Eretz Yisroel together with the 6 roommates they will be spending the first 2 weeks together with, on specific dates which we will share with them as soon as they get an entry permit.
• Please note! You will need to bring your original birth certificate with you when crossing the border to Israel.
• A bus will be waiting for the bochurim in the airport and bring them to the campus that the yeshiva has rented for the first 2 weeks.

First 2 weeks

The Talmidim will be staying throughout the first 2 weeks in a nice spacious campus near Yam Hamelach. The Yeshiva will iy”H do its utmost to provide the Bochurim with all of their needs.

• Every group of 6 bochurim will have a separate room for 14 days.
• Meals will be provided in their rooms.
• We will בעז"ה  be able to have porch Minyonim whereby the Bochurin in each room will stand on their own porches and see all others.
• There will be a special learning schedule for these 2 weeks along with shiurim from the rebbeim iy"H.

Back to Yeshiva

• Capsule means a group which will stay together throughout the zman. The Yeshiva will be divided to groups of up to 50 bochurim in each capsule all of which from the same shiur.
• After 2 weeks the talmidim will return to Beis Yisroel and will be learning in the Yeshiva’s בתי מדרשות, residing in nearby diros and receiving packaged food from the Yeshivah. Every Shiur will be its own capsule, having its own section in the Beis Medresh, own diros and their own dining room for שבתות וימים טובים. (as there will be no allowance for Shabbos Seudos outside of the capsule)
• There will be no need to wear masks or social distancing while in these capsule areas.
• Bochurim will not be able to leave the Beis Yisroel neighborhood including Shabbos Seudos.
• Within the Beis Yisroel neighborhood, Bochurim will be able to walk around and make necessary purchases while wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Any crowded area such as the shtiblach will be prohibited. Any bochur with specials need that will require leaving the Beis Yisroel neighborhood will need to receive special permission from the appointed person(s) who will be responsible for overseeing this matter.
• The Yeshiva is trying bez”H to provide each capsule the possibility to exercise outside the Beis Yisroel neighborhood every week.

Fees

• There is a one-time fee of $650 for the 2 weeks in Ein Gedi besides the regular tuition charges for the year.
• Every Talmid will need to submit a $1,500 check which will be deposited only if Chalila a talmid violates any of the rules. This will be used to purchase an immediate flight back to his parents.
• Please understand, that this is both a matter ofפיקוח נפש  and being very strictly regulated by the Israeli government. If חלילה  a bochur violates any of the rules, he is endangering the rest of the Bochurim, risking a tremendous chilul hashem, and jeopardizing all of the Bochurims rights to remain in ארץ ישראל. For the above reasons the Yeshiva will have a zero-tolerance policy, while trying to create the most comfortable and conducive environment for the Bochurim to Shteig.

Succos and winter

At the present moment it seems that bochurim will be able to be on their own (within Eretz Yisroel) over Succos Bein Hazmanim as long as they keep to the general Israeli health restrictions (e.g. masks, social distancing etc.)