Rabbi Chai Cohen, the rabbi of the Tunisian community in Israel, has issued a sharp and unusual letter against educational institutions joining the 'Mamlachti Charedi' (State Haredi) system in Israel.
In his letter, he warns that "it is clear that the danger of the Mamlachti Charedi in the Holy Land is no less than the danger of the Alliance in Tunisia."
At the beginning of his letter, Rabbi Chai Cohen writes: "Regarding the mitzvah of education passed down to us for generations, our rabbis, the geniuses of Djerba and Tunisia, trembled at even the slightest change in the way we learn and educate our children, and excommunicated [those who did not adhere to these regulations] lest anyone dare to ... introduce values to the pure children of Israel other than the study of the holy Torah."
The rabbi added: "And now comes bad news that new frameworks that our fathers did not imagine have been established [and they are trying] to change what our rabbis established with great effort, led by our master Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory, and sacrificed their lives for this [goal]."
According to Rabbi Cohen: "My father, the elder of Tunisian rabbis, author of 'Divrei Mordechai', of blessed memory, has already [told me] that even great and important rabbis who [agreed] to opening 'Alliance' frameworks in Tunisia, after a few years greatly regretted it upon seeing the results of the action."
Rabbi Chai Cohen warns: "And it is clear that the danger of the Mamlachti Charedi in the Holy Land is no less than the danger of the Alliance in Tunisia, may God save us. And we have no remnant but this Torah to hold onto the tree of life in the way passed down from our fathers."
"Those who sign for order, and those who remain will hear and fear and will not continue to do this evil thing anymore," the rabbi concluded his harsh letter.