Cheshin’s sweeping ruling restores order, expelling extremist faction and securing Ponevezh’s rightful leadership.
In an unprecedented and long-awaited arbitration ruling, retired judge David Cheshin has delivered a sweeping, 169-page decision that finally settles decades of internal strife within the legendary Ponevezh Yeshiva — a conflict that fractured one of the Torah world’s most revered institutions.
The ruling grants exclusive authority and control of the yeshiva to Rabbi Eliezer Kahaneman’s leadership, widely referred to as “The Haters” faction, and orders the complete removal of Rabbi Shmuel Markowitz’s faction — colloquially known as “The Terrorists” — from all Ponevezh buildings, facilities, and public spaces.
Cheshin’s exhaustive review covered years of bitter disputes, competing claims, rabbinic court rulings, historical documentation, and firsthand testimonies. His conclusion was unequivocal:
The Ponevezh Yeshiva belongs solely to the Kahaneman side, and the Markowitz faction has neither legal nor moral standing to remain within its walls.
The arbitrator ruled that:
- The Markowitz faction has zero property rights within the yeshiva.
- Their long physical presence in the buildings does not grant ownership, status, or legitimacy.
- They must evacuate the Beit Midrash, platform, ark, dormitories, library, dining room, kitchen, and all shared areas.
- Both sides must refrain from provocations, incitement, staged clashes, or media manipulation during the evacuation.
Cheshin stressed that the Markowitz circle may establish an entirely new and independent yeshiva, but under no circumstances may it use the name “Ponevezh” or claim continuity with the historic institution. Any attempt to do so is strictly forbidden.
To ensure the ruling is implemented fully and without turmoil, Cheshin appointed a supervisory mechanism, tasked with overseeing compliance, preventing confrontation, and guaranteeing the sanctity of the process.
The decision ends with a pointed moral reminder: the leaders of both factions carry a public and educational responsibility to uphold the dignity of the Torah world and prevent further desecration of Ponevezh’s legacy through internal conflict.
If enforced properly, this ruling marks the decisive end to one of the most painful internal rifts in contemporary Torah history — and the restoration of order to a yeshiva whose influence reaches across the Jewish world.
