It's high time to unite the principals of all of the
talmudei Torah (what the Education Ministry calls
"exempt institutions"). The talmudei Torah face
numerous battles and a lone talmud Torah has no way of
defending itself and fighting back. In order to wage a battle
with a united front a single organization must be set up,
representing all of the talmudei Torah in Eretz
Yisroel.
The talmudei Torah are fighting a battle against the
Education Ministry, both a spiritual and a physical battle,
and even the physical battle is really a spiritual battle in
the final analysis. Everyone knows that the Education
Ministry, its ministers, officials and all those associated
with it are jealous of the pure Torah-based education
children receive at the talmudei Torah. They also envy
the curriculum and sifrei kodesh used in
chadorim. They seek to impose their authority on the
talmudei Torah, telling them which books to teach, how
to educate and what world view should be passed onto the
students.
To accomplish this the Education Ministry uses a stick-and-
carrot approach: if you teach the students in accordance with
our demands you will receive more funding from the State and
if not, your funding will shrink more and more.
Waylaying and putting a wrench in the works of those who
serve Hashem and keep His mitzvas was not an invention of the
Education Ministry in the State of Israel. The same kinds of
tribulations were caused by the enemies of Dovid Hamelech,
who wrote in Tehillim, "They who render evil for good
are my adversaries, because I follow what is good"
(Tehillim 38:21). Commenting on the latter part of the
verse Rashi writes, "For we cleave to Hakodosh Boruch
Hu and His mitzvas."
While the Education Ministry and the justice system claim to
uphold the principle of equality, hypocrisy reigns in High
Court rulings and Education Ministry decrees against the
chareidi sector.
Sitting at the Justice Ministry is a third partner, the
Deputy Attorney of the Justice Ministry, who sifts through
the small print in the law books in search of ways to further
reduce funding for chareidim and their children. When he
finds some sort of legal support his cry of "Eureka!" echoes
across the Land and immediately appears in the media,
heralded by reporters eager to inform their readers, viewers
and listeners once again "the law" provides a way to deliver
the chareidim another blow.
Other collaborators can be found in the municipalities and
the local authorities that are reluctant to provide
talmudei Torah the same funding other schools receive.
Some towns provide talmudei Torah meager funding while
others give them no funding at all.
Typically local authorities defend their budget policy by
insisting the talmudei Torah are not "run by the
municipality." While all of the other schools belong to the
municipality, the talmudei Torah technically and
legally belong to private organizations. They repeat this
excuse so many times they themselves begin to believe it. As
if there is some distinction between the Yankeleh enrolled at
a municipal school and the Yankeleh enrolled at a talmud
Torah.
The Yankeleh at the "municipal" school goes to study in a
classroom where the lighting, winter heating, summer air
conditioning, etc. are provided by the municipality, while
the "non-municipal" Yankeleh does not benefit from any of
these services. Of course the municipality demands the
fathers of both Yankelehs pay all taxes, but the municipality
gives the tax money collected from both of them to the
"municipal" Yankeleh alone.
When a talmud Torah principals boldly goes to the
municipal officials to request support for the Yankeleh and
Moisheleh studying at the talmud Torah he is turned
away by one office after the next until he leaves the
municipality or local authority building humiliated, defeated
and dejected.
All government entities wage these battles against the
talmudei Torah and their students. Clearly a strong,
united front is urgently needed to confront these schemes
with professional tools, combined might and perseverance.
Such an organization would have at its disposal all of the
tools individual talmudei Torah lack.
This kind of association was indeed founded on 7 Teves,
bringing together all of the talmudei Torah in Eretz
Yisroel. The association will operate under the guidance of
gedolei Torah in an effort to achieve gains, both
directly and indirectly. We wish them siyata deShmaya,
for Hashem loves unity among those who fear Him and keep his
mitzvas. "Then they who feared Hashem spoke to one another
and Hashem hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance
was written before him for those who feared Hashem and took
heed of His name" (Malachi 3:16).
