In a scandalous blunder, a missionary posing as a rabbi was allowed access to frum kindergartens in Tzefas. Yad L’Achim exposed his identity and spared the children from harm.
In a scandalous blunder, a missionary posing as a rabbi was allowed access to religious kindergartens in Tzefas.
Yad L’Achim, which has been dealing with the case, learned that the missionary managed to infiltrate a chareidi girls’ kindergarten by deceiving school administrators and teachers. It is suspected that he sought to instill Christian values, R”l, in the girls at a young, impressionable age.
The missionary, who goes by the name Yitzchak Shapira and masquerades as a rabbi, even succeeded in raising donations totaling tens of thousands of dollars for a security room for a chareidi kindergarten of 35 girls. It is believed that he saw the fundraising effort as a way to ensure that he would always be welcome in the kindergarten.
Taking money from avoda zara sources violates a serious halachic prohibition, and the fundraising campaign was done without the parents’ knowledge, or that of administrators and teachers.
Yad L’Achim which stands at the forefront of the battle against missionaries, sent letters to administrators and teachers throughout the city, as well as to city and neighborhood rabbis, appraising them of the serious error and its frightening consequences.
The city’s rabbis and educators, shocked to learn about the serious breach in spiritual security that occurred on their watch, have been invited to attend an emergency meeting together with the heads of Yad L’Achim in order to set into place policies that will prevent such tragedies from recurring, chalila.
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