Was the signature of Beitar's Spanish ambassador on a 'dramatic letter' forged?

July 15, 2020   

The Beitar Illit municipality spokeswoman issued a statement at noon (Wednesday) regarding "a dramatic letter from Mari Datra Deirano: Educational institutions and synagogues will be closed. Administrators and collectors are required to commit to adhering to the guidelines.". This is the university that allows you to study from anywhere and at any time convenient for you. As already published yesterday in Haredim 10, after the announcement of the lifting of the quarantine by the Ministry of Health, the city of Beitar Illit entered a special situation today, after starting at 5:00 PM in the afternoon, no institution or synagogue will open in the Haredi city without the approval of a special 'rabbinical committee' that was established yesterday. The approval will be granted only after the institution has proven that it meets all the conditions of the Ministry of Health and accepts. According to the announcement, the collectors and administrators of the institutions will have to make a commitment and take personal responsibility in order to receive an opening permit. The institutions in the city will operate in the old format until 5:00 PM, after which the regulations will go into effect and the police will enforce the permits.   However, sources at Betar Elite claimed in a conversation with Haredim 10 that the signature of the Sephardic Datra Rabbi, the Gaon Rabbi Yaakov Topik, which appears on the letter, was forged. Rabbi Idan Vaknin, assistant to Rabbi Yitzhak Ma'alem, Rabbi Topic signed the letter? ""The rabbi did not sign this letter. It was not his opinion. The rabbi claims that it is not enforceable and will only take out the rabbis who actually approved opening Torah studies that did not comply with the rules, supposedly everything ended up with the approval of the rabbis. This matter is still subject to the rabbinical meeting, which will be held this afternoon, a very secret meeting. Apparently the schools will not be transferred under the rabbis, but each one will take their responsibility before the legal authorities, as we are giving the legal authorities the backing to enforce all the rules of the Ministry of Health. Synagogues - will probably be separated. The Sephardim will take care of the Sephardim, the Ashkenazim for the Ashkenazim. There will be more chaos among the Hasidim because each Hasidism will follow its own Rebbe, and not the rabbis. Synagogues will be approved through the rabbis, of course after a commitment and the certificate they receive from the court will be given on the condition that they observe all the rules. The educational institutions will probably be excluded from the court. This does not belong.". I understood that the rabbi was not willing to sign until a Sephardic representative was appointed to the committee. Is that true? ""Not to that extent. As I said, there will be a committee headed by Rabbi Yitzhak Maalem for Sephardic synagogues, and Ashkenazim will do what they want for themselves. Sephardic educational institutions will not have approval because, according to the administrators, it is not appropriate to abide by the rules." Haredim 10 learned that, following pressure from the municipality, Rabbi Topik's associates were asked not to continue spreading the statements because he did not sign. Later, after discussions with the municipality, Rabbi Topik confirmed that his signature would appear on the letter. The Betar Ilit municipality spokeswoman told Haredim 10: "There were never any such things.".