By Simon Rocker
Thousands of Charedi youth across Britain took part in special prayer meetings on Monday in the wake of increasing pressure on Orthodox schools from the government's inspection service.
Answering the call of the rabbinate, educational institutions brought pupils to gatherings in north London, Manchester and Gateshead.
They took place on the day strictly Orthodox parents traditionally pray for their children to be able to study Torah. It was the eve of the new moon of the month of Sivan ahead of Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah.
Therefore, it was felt to be a "good time" to organise such events, explained Rabbi Avraham Pinter, chair of the external affairs committee of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.
Charedi leaders have been disturbed by a slew of reports from Ofsted criticising their schools for a lack of secular education and failure to teach children about things such as same-sex relationships as part of the required "British values" agenda.
Rabbi Pinter said that the prayer meetings emphasised that Britain was a malchus shel chesed, a tolerant country that has traditionally upheld religious freedom and respected the teaching of Torah.
"There are secular forces trying to influence government," he said. "We believe that governments will withstand that."