Over the past several months, anti-Zionist Jews have been subjected to a campaign of harassment by the Israeli police for their refusal to serve in the army and their support of others who refuse. Jewish law forbids serving in the army of a Jewish state, because during this era of exile, Jews are forbidden to have any sovereignty or wage wars against ant nation. Non-violent protestors have been consistently attacked, beaten and imprisoned by police officers for simply exercising their freedom of speech. One of those currently held in prison is Rabbi Binyomin Friedman, a resident of the Meah Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Rabbi Binyomin Friedman being harassed by Israeli police

It is common in the Jewish community to recite special prayers on behalf of someone who is ill or in a dangerous situation. Another common custom is to study chapters of the Torah or Talmud, and to donate the merit of this study to help someone in need. With this in mind, the principals of the Satmar boys’ elementary school in Brooklyn, New York decided that they would organize their students to carry out just such a special study period for the benefit of Rabbi Friedman. Aside from the enormous merit of the children’s study, they felt that this would be a perfect way to strengthen the bond that exists between faithful Jews in all parts of the globe, and to impress upon the children the dedication and self-sacrifice born by Orthodox Jews who are unfortunate enough to find themselves living under the Zionist regime at this difficult time of the decree of forced conscription.

Following is the letter sent by the school to Rabbi Friedman encouraging him with their supportive words and informing him about the special study session:

Dear Rabbi Binyomin Friedman,

Greetings to you, and congratulations for standing up at the risk of your life against the wicked Zionist police in the Holy City! You are both our representative and the representative of the Almighty. You are a sacrifice on behalf of the Jewish people.

Now you are sitting in jail under the rule of the heretics, in an exile within an exile, for your “sin” of participating in a public protest against the decree of the draft and those religious Jews who collaborate with the Zionists. In the words of Isaiah 50:6, "you gave your back to those who beat you and your cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; you did not hide your face from embarrassments and spitting".

We would like to inform you of an event we held at our school in your honor and for your benefit. We students truly feel unity and sympathy with you at this difficult time, so we gathered together early Friday morning, June 23, 2017, at the Satmar elementary school here in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, and we studied Torah for several hours straight, covering a total of 600 pages of the Talmud. May all the merit of this Torah study be added to your account in Heaven, so that you are quickly saved from the claws of the wicked and freed from jail.

And from afar we wish to offer you our humble encouragement. You are a hero and the Almighty is with you. Do not fear or worry! Continue the fight to save the Jewish people. We, together with countless thousands of faithful Jews all over the world stand by your side and pray for you. We mention your name in our prayers every day. We will not be silent until we see you free!

May the Almighty help you to return home soon and continue with your important activities that sanctify His name throughout the world. May you continue to stand at the forefront of the battle of those who fight for the Almighty and His holy Torah. May the Almighty repay you for all your suffering. And may we speedily see the end of the heretical Zionist state and its decrees. May all wickedness vanish like smoke, when the Almighty removes the evil kingdom from the earth, and lifts up the pride of the righteous.

Signed by the students of the Satmar elementary school in Williamsburg, and their principals, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchok Teitelbaum and Rabbi Alexander Chaim Ashkenazi.