Getting married at 14, giving birth at 15: Why is no one protecting the girls in Yavniel? | Special documentary project
A special documentary by Oren Aharoni on the phenomenon of child marriage in the Bratslav 'Heikhal Hakodesh' community in Yavniel. Sarah Maimoni, who was married at 14 and gave birth at 16, recounts her experiences. Nearly 30 years later, the phenomenon continues, and local authorities – the council head, the religious council, and welfare services – pass the buck and do not stop it.
At the end of 8th grade, 14-year-old girls in Yavniel were photographed by a photographer who came to the class. The rabbi took the photos and matched each girl with a young man studying in the United States. Sarah Maimoni got married at 15, and by 16 she was already a mother. 'I am a mother, I am a child and I am a mother,' she recalled the moment they placed the baby in her arms. Nearly 30 years later, girls in Yavniel are still getting married and giving birth, and the authorities are aware of the phenomenon. Oren Aharoni traveled to Yavniel, which is marking 125 years since its founding, and met Sarah, who grew up in the Bratslav 'Heikhal Hakodesh' community and is trying to extricate herself from it. He tried to get answers from the council head, the religious council, and the welfare department, and discovered a reality where each entity passes the responsibility on. The article presents an ongoing phenomenon of underage marriage in a closed community, highlighting a systemic failure of authorities that do not act to protect the girls.