With increasing travel restrictions due to COVID-19, students in Israel’s Chabad seminaries are divided as to whether to head home for Pesach or to remain in the country.
By Anash.org reporter
With Pesach vacation approaching, Chabad seminaries in Israel are attempting to manage the effect of COVID-19 on foreign students’ travel. As the number of afflicted people in the country increases, so do official restrictions. Most airlines have already canceled and altered flights, posing a challenge to those who want to leave the country for Yom Tov.
Beis Chana Seminary in Tzfas run by Rabbi Yosef Chitrik, is discouraging its students from travelling out of Israel as non-citizens may be barred from re-entry. Israeli citizens will be allowed to re-enter but will be required to immediately enter a two-week quarantine.
If students do leave the country and return, their quarantine will not be allowed to take place in Beis Chana.
Parents who choose to bring their daughter home for Yom Tov will need to take into account that their daughters may not be able to re-enter Israel for the remainder of the school year. If they are able to enter the country, parents will have to find a location for their daughters’ quarantine outside of the seminary.
At Beis Chaya Mushka Seminary in Tzfas, headed by Mrs Rochel Leah Rosenfeld, many students have already headed home for Pesach due to fears that travel will be banned to their countries of origin.
Others are concerned they will be barred from re-entry to Israel and are staying put to ensure they can complete their year of study.