Driver's license prompts mass yeshiva expulsion

Some 30 young men expelled from prestigious yeshiva after violating ban on driving

Tali Farkash|Published: 10.31.11 , 11:04

The head of the prestigious Be'er Torah yeshiva has announced that he will expel 30 students from the institution after discovering that they hold driver's licenses.

The "expulsion letters" were issued a month ago, yet the yeshiva students refuse to comply with the demand.

A letter issued by yeshiva head, Rabbi Gavriel Yosef Levy, informed the students that as they breached the yeshiva's rules, they should find an alternate place to study in the winter term.

According to the yeshiva charter, holding a valid driver's license is forbidden. The charter's third chapter asserts: "A yeshiva boy shall not drive a vehicle and must not hold a driver's license."

According to the students, the institution's staff looked into the driver's license issue in cooperation with the Transportation Ministry. One of the expelled students told Ynet he was furious that his personal details in a government database were compromised.

The ministry issued the following response: "Entering the Transportation Ministry's database while pretending to be the owner of a license is an offence. The ministry is aware of the problem and seeks solutions that would prevent unauthorized parties from eliciting information about driver's license holders."

In addition, the students are upset that some members of the yeshiva were granted permission to hold a driver's license after all. "It caused plenty of bitterness, as if only the well connected can hold a license," one student said.

Most of the dismissed students are among the yeshiva's older members and almost all of them are 22-years-old and above. They are also angry that their names were published, thereby making it difficult for them to find an alternate yeshiva to attend.