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18 Av 5764 - August 5, 2004 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
National Degel HaTorah Secretariat Meets in Bnei Brak
by G. Lazer, A. Zissman, B. Kahn

The National Secretariat of Degel HaTorah with Vaad HaRabbonim member HaRav Nosson Zochovsky met in Bnei Brak, making a series of key decisions about coalition negotiations with the Likud Party.

Attention was focused on the state of chareidi education, Torah institutes and religious services in light of the drastic budget cuts during the past year-and-a-half; the decisions of the Dovrat Committee on curricular matters at educational institutions and the Education Ministry's attempts to interfere with the curriculum at chareidi institutions; and Ariel Sharon's moves to open the coalition negotiations in order to expand the government.

Several dozen representatives and public figures from Degel HaTorah branches around the country were on hand at the meeting, where an in-depth discussion on current issues was held and all those present were given an opportunity to express their views.

The meeting was opened by Degel HaTorah Chairman Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz, who greeted the distinguished branch heads and public figures and reported on the course of recent developments, including Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's efforts to begin serious negotiations regarding the inclusion of United Torah Jewry in the coalition. Before opening the negotiations, party representatives received directives from gedolei Yisroel on how to proceed and UTJ representatives told Sharon they would not be willing to sit at a table together with people whose sole aim is to slander, degrade and revile chareidi Jewry, meaning Shinui.

Sharon said the goal of expanding the government is to pass the Disengagement Plan and asked to hear UTJ's position on the issue. Sharon was told first that a decision would have to be made to rectify the harsh economic decrees against the Torah world and large families, decrees that endanger the entire chareidi education system from kindergartens to yeshivas and kollelim, as well as Bais Yaakov schools. Sharon was asked to act before the 2005 Budget is passed to restore all that was cruelly taken away during the past 18 months at Shinui's initiative and with the NRP's consent.

UTJ representatives then met with the Likud negotiating team, explaining to them that matters under discussion would be laid out before gedolei Yisroel, who would decide how to act on the disengagement issue.

Rabbi Ravitz provided an overview of the difficult state Torah institutions face and the severe budget slashing, far beyond the percentage cut in other areas of the budget affected by the new economic program.

Degel HaTorah Secretary MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni presented details on the economic decrees strangling the Torah world, including a reduction of over NIS 500 million ($110 million) just from funding for the yeshivos gedolos and the kollelim. Rabbi Gafni said UTJ representatives have been acting to partially remedy the funding situation and, through a long, tenacious struggle, they managed to make some changes in the minimum number of talmidim required at yeshivas and kollelim to make them eligible for funding, and to have a portion of the withheld yeshiva funding returned.

"United Torah Jewry representatives are working towards two objectives," said Rabbi Gafni. "1) Correcting the economic decrees and the damage done to the Torah world and 2) removing Shinui from the government. Sharon knows his colleagues in the Likud will not allow him to set up a secular government. Similarly Sharon has encountered major difficulties in his party on the disengagement issue since the Labor Party's demands are more extreme than the plan Sharon himself drew and therefore Sharon prefers to include the chareidim in the government, but he must be aware the chareidim will not sit with Shinui."

Rabbi Gafni said the first task would be to reverse the economic decrees, saying Sharon and Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are directly responsible for the present situation. "United Torah Jewry will not be able to sit in the coalition if these matters are not rectified immediately, for [otherwise] they will not be able to accept collective responsibility for the current situation."

Later in the meeting Rabbi Menachem Blumental of Jerusalem raised the issue of crisis at the Jerusalem Religious Council and the threat of the total collapse of religious services across the country.

Bnei Brak City Council Member Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Friedman suggested not entering coalition negotiations until the government carries out changes in favor of the chareidi sector.

Rechasim City Council Chairman Rabbi Yitzchok Reich said certain central matters should be raised not just when the time arrives to talk about joining the coalition. He also called for strengthening activity at the branch level as if tomorrow were Election Day.

Ofakim Councilman Rabbi Avrohom Deutsch said figures from peripheral areas who are closely familiar with the problems at a grassroots level should also take part in coalition negotiations.

Rabbi Eliyohu Weinman of Jerusalem reminded his colleagues of the dire state of the seminaries saying their plight is inadequately articulated.

Rabbi Mordechai Blau of Bnei Brak spoke about the importance of the chareidi community's assistance within Degel HaTorah and praised Degel HaTorah MKs, council chairmen and activists.

Rabbi Shimon Hadad of Jerusalem noted the importance of the meeting and the need to create a positive attitude in the general population to counter the effects Shinui has had on public thinking.

Rabbi Chaim Williger of Haifa said the decrees placed on the Torah world and chareidi educational institutions should serve as a wake-up call for us.

Rabbi Yaakov Borstein of Hadera said Degel HaTorah representatives everywhere should be occupied primarily with the yeshiva world, educational institutions and religious services under the direction of gedolei Yisroel.

Rabbi Avrohom Maklev of Jerusalem said MKs Rabbi Ravitz and Rabbi Gafni are assisting Torah and education institutions as much as they can and their dedicated efforts should be appreciated.

Rabbi Moshe Montag of Beit Shemesh described the work of Degel HaTorah MKs and representatives everywhere as a kiddush Hashem and called on everyone to support their efforts.

Beitar Illit Mayor Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus said, "We must do everything possible to bring about the removal of the Shinui Party from the government in order to allow us to enter the coalition."

Bnei Brak Mayor Rabbi Mordechai Karelitz said jurists have found a way to damage the chareidi sector and this process has been going on for five years. Entering the coalition would not solve these problems quickly, he claimed, and he called for rethinking the party's approach and the battle being waged by chareidi Jewry.

Later Mayor Karelitz presented various figures on the Dovrat Commission and a discussion was held among Secretariat members.

 

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