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21 Sivan 5767 - June 7, 2007 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
MK Rabbi Gafni Says Equal Education Law Result of Local Authorities' Failure to Act

By Tzvi Sofer

MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, mayors of chareidi cities and their deputy mayors took part last week in Local Government Week, which featured a series of meetings on issues related to the chareidi public and chareidi education.

Rabbi Gafni addressed a special panel to discuss the Equal Education Law recently passed in the Knesset, which requires local authorities to help fund the upkeep of chareidi schools.

Asked by the heads of the Center for Local Government why the cost of chareidi education should be imposed on the local authorities, Rabbi Gafni said he strongly opposes placing the obligation on the local authorities. "There is no justification for making the local authorities bear this economic burden, rather there was a real problem of central government officials not responding to the crisis in chareidi education, and this crisis went on for many years. It's a real shame that the local government did not wake up on time to help chareidi education, which would have made it possible to transfer the funding burden from the local authorities to the [central] government. Because you kept quiet for years you got a punishment in the form of Minister Nahari's law."

Rabbi Gafni also remarked on chareidi education, saying it provides an education in values and derech eretz, recounting how he has visited chareidi educational institutions and seen how the students honor every visitor by rising to their feet. "When I step into the secular education system everybody stands up as well, but there they stand on the desks," he said.

Various discussions were held during the course of Local Government Week, where participants included Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky, mayor of Jerusalem, Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus, mayor of Beitar Illit and chairman of the Forum of Chareidi Authorities, Rabbi Yaakov Asher, deputy mayor of Bnei Brak, and Rabbi Tzvi Cohen, head of the Elad local council.

 

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