Diskin Orphanage
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The Diskin Orphanage was an orphanage in the Old City of
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, established in 1881 by
Yehoshua Leib Diskin Moshe Yehoshua Yehuda Leib Diskin (1818–1898), also known as the Maharil Diskin, was a leading rabbi, Talmudist, and Biblical commentator. He served as a rabbi in Łomża, Mezritch, Kovno, Shklov, Brisk, and, finally, Jerusalem, after moving t ...
. From the Jewish Quarter, it moved to Street of the Prophets outside the walls of the Old City. In 1927, it moved to a new building in the
Kiryat Moshe Kiryat Moshe ( he, קריית משה) is a neighborhood in Jerusalem, named for the British Jewish philanthropist Moses Montefiore. Kiryat Moshe is bordered by Givat Shaul. History Kiryat Moshe was founded in 1923 with funding from the Moses Mon ...
neighborhood, near the main entrance to the city from the west.


History

In 1878, Rabbi
Yehoshua Leib Diskin Moshe Yehoshua Yehuda Leib Diskin (1818–1898), also known as the Maharil Diskin, was a leading rabbi, Talmudist, and Biblical commentator. He served as a rabbi in Łomża, Mezritch, Kovno, Shklov, Brisk, and, finally, Jerusalem, after moving t ...
left his rabbinical position in Brest-Litovsk and moved to Palestine, where he found a large religious community living under near impossible conditions. The persecution and disease from which the Jews of the Holy Land suffered moved Diskin to open a home for orphans in the city, after bringing needy children into his own home. In time, as the number of children increased, Diskin established the "Great Institution for Orphans" that came to be known as the ''Diskin Orphanage of Jerusalem''. Diskin's second wife, Sarah-Sonia, known as the Brisker Rebbetzin, brought 40,000 rubles into the marriage which was used for this purpose. When Diskin died in 1898, his lifework was continued by his only son, Yitzhak Yerucham Diskin. Rabbi Yitzhak built the imposing Diskin Orphanage campus. Since then, the orphanage has undergone many changes. The building is rented by a boarding school. Today Beit Diskin operates as a non-profit organization that provides needy youngsters with clothing, dental care, hot meals and educational guidance.


1927 building

The building for the Diskin Orphanage was designed by two architects: it was started by
Joseph Barsky Joseph Barsky ( he, יוסף ברסקי, Odessa, Russian Empire – 1943 in Haifa, Palestine) was an architect in Ottoman and Mandatory Palestine. Barsky was a graduate of the Architectural College in Grekov Odessa Art school of Odessa an ...
in 1908, and was continued by Joshua Zvi Tabachnik (Tavori) ebrew article The campus was cited by Israeli architect and city historian
David Kroyanker David Kroyanker (born 1939) is an Israeli architect and architectural historian of Jerusalem. He has written dozens of popular books about Jerusalem neighborhoods, streets, and buildings, and urban planning. Biography Kroyanker was born and rai ...
as one of the ten most beautiful buildings in Jerusalem.


Child abuse enquiry

In 1949, an investigative reporter from the newspaper "Yom Yom", Ze'ev Tadmor, published an article, following his visit to the Orphanage. According to his description, the children lived in complete neglect, without toys and books and suffered punishments that included severe physical violence. Following the publication, a public campaign was launched to establish a commission of inquiry. As a result of the article, a storm arose and serious accusations were leveled at the Supervisor, Motel Ralbag. On the other hand, the ultra-Orthodox press defended him. A state commission of inquiry headed by Justice Joshua Eisenberg, which included the director general of the Ministry of Education Baruch Ben-Yehuda and other personalities, was established on March 28, 1949. The committee's conclusions were published on October 9, 1949 and confirmed most of the allegations of malnutrition, neglect, lack of toys, games and trips and extremely severe physical punishment. Following the publication of the committee's conclusions, the Ministry of Education decided to force a comprehensive administrative change on the institution, but the institution's directors refused to implement it and it was decided to prosecute them, in the Jerusalem District Court. During the trial the parties reached a compromise agreement. The agreement signed with the existing management of the institution, in fact, repealed the first and main recommendation of the commission of inquiry: to elect a new management for the institution, instead of the one responsible for the situation. The conclusions and other recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry were accepted in the Compromise Agreement by both parties. The recommendations were divided according to the three areas of work to the three ministries: health and hygiene matters for the Ministry of Health, education arrangements and its supervision for the Ministry of Education and Culture, boarding school and trainee life after school hours for the Ministry of Welfare. Each of the ministries was required to oversee its area of operation, and was entitled under the agreement to issue an amendment or change in the management of the institution within its area of operation and within the framework of the committee's recommendations. In addition, it was discovered during the affair that a man who worked as a tailor at an institution committed indecent acts on a number of students and was sentenced to two years in prison.


References


Bibliography

*


External links

*{{Official website, http://www.diskin.org.il
The Last Rabbis of Brest
Orphanages in Jerusalem Jewish community organizations Organizations established in 1881 Charities based in Israel 1881 establishments in the Ottoman Empire