From ‘No Child Spared.’ | Credit: Addie Reiss

"I Never Considered It Violence"

Chaim (alias), 23, never thought of himself as someone who experienced violence in his cheider or yeshiva—and he is not alone. Violence in Haredi schools is not only deeply rooted but is widely accepted as legitimate punishment. In fact, during his admission interview for yeshiva, Chaim recalls being explicitly warned that insubordination would be met with physical punishment—a threat that was carried out on numerous occasions.

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Documenting the Abuse: Meni Philip’s Film "No Child Spared"

One of the key figures collecting testimonies of teacher violence is filmmaker Meni Philip. His documentary, "No Child Spared", set to air on HOT8 in early March, presents harrowing accounts of what children and teenagers endure in Haredi institutions.

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Philip, 57, a former successful Hasidic singer who left the ultra-Orthodox community after marrying and starting a family, has a strong opinion on the long-term consequences of this violent culture.

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"Who are all these rabbis, religious leaders, and ‘great scholars’?" Philip asks. "What do they all have in common? They all grew up in cheider, they all got beaten severely, they are all traumatized, and they are all afraid to raise their heads. They are still that child who knows that if he dares to speak up—he’ll get hit."

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Philip himself had suppressed his own childhood experiences of violence, until his brother, known as “Nasich Katan Philip", shared a detailed Facebook post describing the beatings he endured in cheider. The post ignited a wave of testimonies under the hashtag "This was my childhood", revealing hundreds of additional cases of teacher violence.

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"It opened Pandora’s box," Philip's brother recounts. "There was an explosion of testimonies about violence."

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The rabbi-teachers responsible for these beatings have never faced consequences. Some have since passed away, but many remain active educators in Haredi institutions.

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Philip's brother provides a list of names and recounts his personal encounters with them:

• "That rabbi? He was a total sadist—he left me with bruises and blood clots."

• "Another one? He slapped me so hard he broke my glasses. I still have a scar by my eye."
   

When Shomrim contacted two of the rabbis mentioned, one vehemently denied the allegations, while the other refused to comment.

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A Culture of Fear and Silence

In one case, Philip received a call from a young boy who was regularly beaten at school. When police arrived to investigate, the child recanted his accusations—after being threatened that he would be expelled from school and that his entire family would be ostracized from the community.

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During the Shomrim investigation, several current students at Haredi institutions confirmed ongoing physical punishments.

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Twin 10-year-old boys studying in a cheider in Bnei Brak were asked:
"Do your teachers hit you?"
"Yes, a lot," they answered.
"What kind of beatings?"
"Sometimes a slap, sometimes a punch."

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When asked how they felt about it, they shrugged. "When it's needed, you get it. There's no choice."

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A 7-year-old student in a different school was asked why teachers hit students. His answer:
"If we talk during class or if a boy tells the teacher 'no'."

A 9-year-old from another institution described the harshest punishments being reserved for special education students:
"They don’t listen to the teachers, so they get hit."

A 23-year-old former student recalls his experience:
"Whenever the rabbi hit us, he would say, 'You should thank me for this. If I don’t discipline you, you have no future.'”

Violence as a Religious Doctrine

Corporal punishment in Haredi schools is not just an accepted practice—it is deeply embedded in Jewish religious texts and tradition:

• Proverbs 13:24: "He who spares the rod hates his son."

• The Talmud tells of a teacher who beat his students to death and was still reinstated "because of his exceptional teaching skills."

• The Vilna Gaon instructed: "For cursing, swearing, or lying, beat them without mercy."

• Maimonides (Rambam) wrote: "Children should be sent to study at the age of six or seven… and their teacher should beat them to instill fear."
   

Even modern Haredi children's literature reinforces the legitimacy of corporal punishment. In the popular book series "Tales of the Righteous", one story describes a father whipping his child—not out of anger, but "with tears and prayer."

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Parental Compliance

Many Haredi parents do not oppose this culture of violence. Discussions on online Haredi forums reflect divided opinions:

• Some parents believe violence is outdated and unacceptable.

• Others justify it, arguing that "sometimes a single slap keeps a child in line."

• A few even defend the teachers, claiming that strict discipline is necessary for proper education.​

A participant in a Haredi forum wrote:
"Today’s laws are monstrous. They favor students and harm teachers."

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Another added:
"I know a teacher who has been using violence for 20 years, and he still holds his job."

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A third parent confessed:
"Honestly, I think the beatings I got as a kid helped discipline me."

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Psychological Trauma and Long-Term Effects

Clinical psychologist Shmuel Goldstein explains:

• Corporal punishment damages a child’s emotional development.

• It disrupts their ability to set boundaries, making them more vulnerable to abuse in adulthood.

• Children who are beaten may later gravitate toward abusive relationships.

• Victims of childhood violence are more likely to perpetuate it, continuing the cycle of abuse.

The Ministry of Education: Absent and Uninvolved

Despite partial state funding, Israel’s Ministry of Education has no real oversight over violence in Haredi schools.

Attorney Tami Notov-Payil, an expert in child safety, states:
"There is no real right to education if there is no safety in education."

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When Shomrim requested an interview with the Ministry of Education’s oversight officials, they refused, instead issuing a generic statement claiming they uphold "zero tolerance for violence in education."

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Yet in reality, Haredi teachers who physically punish students continue their work unchallenged.

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* This article was translated from the original Hebrew version.