Official Statement on the Arbitration Ruling
Concerning Yeshivas Ponevez
After many decades of tension, pain, and communal division, the long-awaited arbitration ruling regarding Yeshivas Ponevez has now been issued. We thank Hashem that this difficult chapter has reached its legal conclusion and that the status of the Yeshiva has been clarified in a firm and unequivocal manner.
Video: A Moment of Gratitude
The Roshei HaYeshiva raise a heartfelt LeChaim together with the Yeshiva’s President, Rabbi Eliezer Kahaneman, celebrating this moment of unity and gratitude.
Credit: Channani Breitkopf, Kikar HaShabbat
Summary of the Arbitration Ruling
After decades of painful dispute surrounding the Ponevez Yeshiva campus, governance, and name usage, the long-awaited arbitration decision issued by Justice (ret.) David Cheshin has brought decisive clarity and legal resolution. The ruling reaffirms, in full and without ambiguity, that the official ownership, management rights, and exclusive use of the name “Ponevez Yeshiva” belong to the established leadership under Rabbi Eliezer Kahaneman and the Ponevez institutions.
The opposing faction has been ordered to vacate all areas of the Ponevez campus by the end of the current academic term. In addition, the ruling prohibits any future use of the Ponevez name, logo, or related branding, and requires the payment of significant financial compensation to the Yeshiva for years of unauthorized use of facilities and properties.
The arbitrator also notes the broader emotional and communal toll of the prolonged conflict, expressing deep pain over the damage caused by machlokes. At the same time, he emphasizes that this ruling restores structure, stability, and rightful governance to the Yeshiva and to the Ponevez campus.
With this legal chapter now concluded, Yeshivas Ponevez looks forward to advancing its mission with renewed focus—strengthening Torah learning, expanding its programs, and continuing the vision and legacy upon which Ponevez was founded by the Ponevezer Ruv זצ״ל and the great Roshei HaYeshiva who followed him.