The Lod District Court has ruled that nine former students of the Hasidic school Cheder Belz in Tel Aviv will receive NIS 24 million in compensation for the physical, sexual and psychological abuse they suffered at the school.
Judge Zvi Weizman called the incident "systematic bullying" and accused the school administration of covering up the crimes.
The compensation amounts for the victims ranged from NIS 1.2 million to NIS 2.5 million each. The court also ordered the defendants to cover 25% of the legal costs. The main defendants were teachers, including Avraham-Mordechai Rosenfeld, and the Machzikei HaDat de-Chasidei Belz association, which runs the cheder. The court rejected the community's claims of innocence, arguing that it controlled the educational process.
The trial revealed that children aged between 3 and 10 had been beaten, humiliated and abused for years. The judge described instances in which students were hit with rulers, scissors and knives, handcuffed, forced to eat hot peppers and even locked in a freezer. Some teachers justified their actions by citing "traditional parenting methods", but the court rejected these arguments, stressing that it is unacceptable to raise a hand to a child under any circumstances.
The court paid special attention to the sexual crimes committed by teacher Rosenfeld. In one episode, he committed lewd acts under the pretext of "adjusting his clothes," and in another, he gave the child sweets, manipulating him. Despite complaints from parents and students, the school administration ignored them and hid what was happening from the authorities.
Lawyers for the victims said the verdict would set a precedent for all religious schools. "This verdict is a step toward justice for the children whose lives were ruined. No one will be able to brush off such crimes any longer," they said. Two of the defendants died during the trial, and the lawsuits against them were dropped. The remaining defendants are ordered to pay compensation in proportions set by the court.
The Lod District Court has ruled that nine former students of the Hasidic school Cheder Belz in Tel Aviv will receive NIS 24 million in compensation for the physical, sexual and psychological abuse they suffered at the school.
Judge Zvi Weizman called the incident "systematic bullying" and accused the school administration of covering up the crimes.
The compensation amounts for the victims ranged from NIS 1.2 million to NIS 2.5 million each. The court also ordered the defendants to cover 25% of the legal costs. The main defendants were teachers, including Avraham-Mordechai Rosenfeld, and the Machzikei HaDat de-Chasidei Belz association, which runs the cheder. The court rejected the community's claims of innocence, arguing that it controlled the educational process.
The trial revealed that children aged between 3 and 10 had been beaten, humiliated and abused for years. The judge described instances in which students were hit with rulers, scissors and knives, handcuffed, forced to eat hot peppers and even locked in a freezer. Some teachers justified their actions by citing "traditional parenting methods", but the court rejected these arguments, stressing that it is unacceptable to raise a hand to a child under any circumstances.
The court paid special attention to the sexual crimes committed by teacher Rosenfeld. In one episode, he committed lewd acts under the pretext of "adjusting his clothes," and in another, he gave the child sweets, manipulating him. Despite complaints from parents and students, the school administration ignored them and hid what was happening from the authorities.
Lawyers for the victims said the verdict would set a precedent for all religious schools. "This verdict is a step toward justice for the children whose lives were ruined. No one will be able to brush off such crimes any longer," they said. Two of the defendants died during the trial, and the lawsuits against them were dropped. The remaining defendants are ordered to pay compensation in proportions set by the court.
