London – A house in Golders Green has been used as a school for more than five years, despite not being granted permission to set up in the first place.
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Beis Hamedrash Elyon school, in Golders Green Road, remains open despite being ordered to close by a planning inspector.
The school had an application originally refused by Barnet Council in 2004 to allow the conversion of a house into a school on the grounds that it had resulted in disruption for neighbours.
An appeal heard by the Planning Inspectorate in 2006 again dismissed the application and ordered the closure of the school within 11 months.
But the owners of the semi-detached house have since failed to comply with the decision, and up to 50 pupils aged between ten and 15 still attend the Orthodox Jewish school, which holds classes from 7am until 11pm.
An Ofsted report dated December 2007 describes it as an independent school for boys aged between 11 to 14 and aims to prepare them to enter a junior yeshiva or religious school.
It records the school as having opened in September 2001, with annual fees of £5,500.
Neighbours have been left frustrated at the lack of enforcement by the council and by the continuing disturbance caused by the school.
Jerry Goldsmith said he had written to the council about the damage caused to his fence and overall quality of life by the nearby school.
He said: “It’s no place for a school to be set up, right next to where people are living. It makes a lot of mess and noise, and I can’t see how it can continue as a school.”
Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the council was aware of the disturbances. “I object to the school intensely,” she said.
“I can’t even use my garden because they come out making noise and break everything.
“We go out half the day to avoid the disruption. We understand they are children and you can’t stop their mouths, but the council can stop the school from being here.”
A council report in 2004 noted the school “has resulted in increased activity, noise and disturbance that causes significant harm to amenities of the occupiers of neighbour residential properties”.
A spokesman for the council now said it was seeking legal advice on serving an injunction to close the school.
He said: “A recommendation has been made that the school is given the opportunity to demonstrate that it has special characteristics which could not be served by another school.
“The council has written to the school requesting this information and the deadline for submission has passed.”
He said it would have to wait for the outcome of the planning sub-committee meeting on March 4, before further consideration of “injunctive procedures”.
Nobody from the school was available to comment.
Not that people ever need an “excuse” for anti semetic feelings but why do we have to give them reasons on a silver platter (or in this case “sterling platter”). Its the same story in London as Monsey…these ehrleche yidden believe that they have an entitlement to ignore local land use and zoning laws because they are pursuing the heileige agenda of chinuch. This is the type of case where the local Jewish community should voice its support for the municipal efforts to either bring them into compliance or shut them down and throw them out of the building.
sounds like Monsey. What is with us? Why do we open schools and businesses where the zoning is against us? is this a holdover from European culture? And then we cry Anti-Semitism. Give me a break.
I have two thoughts on this:
1) Derech Eretz… the kids were probbaly not trained enough to respect the property of others.
2) Tell the UK government that you are really a mosque. Then you can get away with it.
aparently petch is thier only language .
Unfortunatly all yiddishe neighbours, asad story. I think it should be in Beis Din, Very likely Beis Din will make them move, but where to? & which Beis Din Has the guts.
my son goes to that school so here are a few facts.
1) school hours are from nine till six not from seven till eleven
2) the boys are supervised and i highly doubt are breaking other peoples property
3) the school is on a main road so there is plenty of noise throughout the day
4) schools are usualy built in the middle of neighbourhoods bit impractical to have a school in the middle of nowhere
5) people should not accept everything they read and make judgements unless they have all the facts
Anyone from London understands that securing the proper permission for anything Jewish from Barnet council is like getting travel papers out of Germany in the 1940’s. Just look at how many years it took to get the HGS eruv approved. Golder’s Green Road is not even remotely quiet or secluded and the school children are very polite, even for English children, this is not New York. Moreover, this neighborhood is highly Jewish, and the most vocal critics of these decisions are from secular Jews, even to the point of false accusations and vandalism.
Yeah, the Nuremberg laws were also laws Mr. Anon #12 , you would have us follow those too? Do you have any idea what happens to Jewish children in London when they attend non-Jewish schools? They are made to sing Anglican Vespers each morning and recite the l-ord’s prayer. The Jewish schools are completely filled with waiting lists of years. Hasmonean has a waiting list with infant children under a year old vying for open spots! You people have no idea what English children do to Jewish children in school. Corporal punishment, unkosher food, missed marks for Jewish holidays are among a few including prohibition of head coverings for boys at the best boys schools. This is not America.
Where in the TORAH does it say it
This is a classical “not in my backyard”
I know of non-jewish neighbours who have complained bitterly about the noise the kids make
The kids are rude thinking they are the cream because they hardly learn chol
The children are very anav at this school! And nobody lives on GGR who wants peace and quiet #18 , and I would challenge you to quote the non-Jews as I doubt that they exist so your post constitutes loshon hara at best, slander at worst. You would have them go to Haberdasher’s instead, no doubt?
1. mr. goldsmith is frum (and so is the next door law office who has alot to say)
2. the school was set up illegaly, and from day one they were told to move out
3. the kids have destroyed property of neighbours and enter gardens whenever they want to take back balls etc
4. a few weeks ago the school made a melava malka for a class, they had music blasting till 12 midnight, and then the kids were left alone as the teacher went home
5. some peope think they are above law & order, mr. a. a. will be stopped one day by the local authorities
If I remember a beis hamedrash may be made, but not a talmud Torah, correct me if i am wrong.
One must also understand that would be simply for learning & davening, and comming by foot. Not eating parties simchos melave Malkas etc.
Nor smoking & littering with cigarete buts, or bussing & carring kids in, nor the limudei chol.
If so it isn’t so poshut that Beis Din would rule it was permitted IMHO, however being a choshuva mosod of chinuch, and realy no where to go, the Botei Din would have great difficulty taking this case.
Another point is: Imagine you were the neighbour even of a shul. take it a step further you made up rules in Beis Din with the shul, before theybuilt. Before you know it your mailbox is blocked daily, your garbage cans crushed & full of others garbage, you get the recycle fines, your drive way blocked & parked on, your lawn full of cigarette buts. The Simcha hall which Shulchan Aruch didn’t permit has a party night in night out you can never get in or out otr sleep before midnight. Dare you complain , or ask for the original agreement to be upheld, you are named the biggest shaigetz in town. Everyone looks through your windows day & night, & when you have to marry off your children they bad mouth you. BTw your property also loses 20% of its value.
The Rabbi says he can’t control the crowd, the gabai says we need the siimcha hall revenue to run the shul. Basically you went to Beis Din, and won a compromise, but you can stand on your head, and the violators claim they were never mekabel Peshora, so they are loi tzayis dina.
Based on the above I am not convinced that every Beis Din will allow even a Beis hamedrash where ever you want, he should have gone to Beis Din, and could still go.
please understand that how ever sweet, cute & nice the boys may be, the neighbour is very likley suffering.
A A thinks he can do what he likes,where he likes, when he likes, to whom he likes
He will get what he deserves
What a hateful mean-spirited group of posters. Practically unparalleled! This is clearly not a Jewish site. No ביישנים, רחמנים וגומלי חסדים here. No siree.
millhouse,
maybe you are not frum for spreadin lies, mr goldsmith did not go to the council, he spoke to the newspaper where the above article was printed.
speaking about going to the council, the next door law office complained to the council. so the bosses of the school went to complain to Reb Chuna, rov of GG & lives on the same block. but after they complained reb moshe, reb chuna’ son told them: do not try to trick my father, i have heard from the law office about how the children in the school behave, he has full right to complain, and they ran out of the house!
I am not a neighbour here, and what I am referring to is in general, not especially this case, but one I nearly had to do with.
I have family in the UK, & actually on kid of the extended family, learned, and I think still learns there. I have heard very good things about the school, but don’t shaigatz people anaonymously quoting their names, when they are very likely suffereing. Even a big family in a touching house may cause alittle you know what to neighbours, now put some 50 teanager boys there. It isn’t so easy. Be fair, how do you know if Rabonim told this yid he could complain to the council or not. You see the council gave time, and I am sure the neighbours also gave time,please be considerate.
millhouse, that halacha only applies where yidden are the rulers.
when there are laws of a country in place, such as this case, the halcha cannot come and overule the law of the land.
bottom line is that from day one this school was in the wrong place, and they are causing a huge chilul hashem.
When residential silence is more important than the heilege neshamos of yiddishe kindelach, we must reevaluate our selves and do teshuva! When your son drops a plate, do you smile and make sure he is okay, or do you beat him? If your neighbor’s son also breaks your plate, do you beat him? More can be done if you simply develop a closer relationship to the Yeshiva, participate in the events and donate money. Your voice will be heard by all of them if you approach them with chesed.