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Orthodox Jewish school in Amsterdam closed

Xinhua, January 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Following the example of Jewish schools in Brussels and Antwerp the Orthodox Jewish school Cheider in Amsterdam decided to keep the doors closed on Friday for security reasons.

National broadcaster NOS reports that the school board informed the parents through email about the closure on early Friday morning.

The Jewish schools in Belgium decided to temporarily shut down for security reasons after the anti-terrorist action by Belgian police on Thursday.

Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs told NOS that the Amsterdam school is not actually threatened, but he thinks it's wise to keep the school closed, like in Belgium.

"The board is ultimately responsible for the security of the children," he said. "We as a board feel like an overprotective parent. On the one hand we don't panic, but on the other hand we do not want to keep our eyes closed to what's happening."

Cheider, which has around 200 children in different age groups, is the only Orthodox Jewish school in the Netherlands. The other two Jewish schools are open today. All three schools are also located in the Amsterdam neighborhood Buitenveldert, the most Jewish neighborhood in Amsterdam. Enditem