The district committee approved a college in Har Nof • Residents plan a response

July 29, 2014   

The Jerusalem Haredi College, founded by Adina Bar Shalom, which is located in the Malha Technology Park, will move to its permanent location in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem in the coming years.

Currently, the college is located on a rented campus in the Malcha neighborhood of Jerusalem, a place that is not particularly accessible to Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox population, which poses a difficulty for the students who study there.

In recent years, the management of the Haredi college has been looking for a comfortable and spacious place that will be close and accessible to Haredi students, most of whom lack private means and vehicles.

With the assistance of the Jerusalem Municipality, the long-awaited land was found in the Har Nof neighborhood, an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood with convenient public transportation, and many of whose residents are college students and graduates.

This week, the Jerusalem Municipality's district committee met to discuss allocating the area for the college - and approved the request by a majority vote.

הקמפוס החדש יכלול שני בניינים לגברים ולנשים, אשר יאפשרו לימודים בכל שעות היום, בצורה נוחה ובהפרדה מוחלטת. בקמפוס יפעל מעון פעוטות משוכלל, שיאפשר לסטודנטיות האימהות ללמוד בראש שקט. בסמוך למכללה יוקם כביש גישה נח אשר יקל על הבאים והיוצאים מהקמפוס וישרת את כלל תושבי השכונה.

In the background, there is strong opposition from residents in the neighborhood. A few days ago, an attempt was made to Mayor Nir Barkat to contact Dalit Zilber, chairwoman of the district committee, with a request to postpone the discussion until the process of dialogue with the residents' representatives is completed.

To his disappointment, Zilber refused to accept his request and made it clear that the discussion would be held in parallel with the dialogue process.

As mentioned, the decision was made, and the college received the long-awaited approval. The neighborhood is considering various options, including holding protest demonstrations.