Hundreds of principals, roshei yeshivos and yeshiva
directors gathered for an emergency one-day conference at the
Galei Tzanz Hotel in Netanya on Tuesday 11 Iyar-May 13 to
discuss the Sharon government's harsh economic plan, which
contains decrees that pose a serious threat to the Torah
world in Eretz Yisroel.
Organized by the Union of Yeshiva and Torah Institute
Directors, the conference brought together representatives
from across the country who came to express their dread and
opposition to the current threat to the continued existence
of the holy yeshivas, kollelim, seminaries, schools,
talmudei Torah and cultural foundations, as the
Finance Ministry prepares to sap their funding base.
Over the course of several hours various speakers talked
about the Sharon government's cruel refusal to heed the
chareidi outcry, their plans to systematically destroy
chareidi families and Torah institutions and the ideological
motivations behind the drastic budget cuts. Several speakers
provided specific details on the decrees: slashing child
support payments ("kitzvaot yeladim"), discontinuing
government mortgage loans, discontinuing the birth grant
("ma'anak leidah"), cutting 11,000 classroom hours
from the budget for chareidi educational institutions,
possibly firing hundreds of Chinuch Atzmai teachers, hacking
the yeshiva budget, closing the Ministry of Religious Affairs
and the Religious Councils, canceling support for yeshiva
students from abroad, closing Torah institutions with fewer
than 100 talmidim, cutting the stipend for
avreichim over the age of 23 by 50 percent and
significantly cutting the budget for yeshivos ketanos
for talmidim age 14- 18. In total, the yeshivas and
other Torah institutions could face a reduction of 82
percent.
Decisions Formulated at the Emergency Conference
A. The conference calls on all talmidim at the holy
yeshivas, kollelim, seminaries and other educational
institutions to strengthen themselves in Torah and
tefilloh and yiras Shomayim, for we have been
promised that Torah will not be forgotten in our generation
or the generations to come.
B. The conference is deeply concerned over the gnawing away
at the status of the yeshivas and various Torah institutions
based on the manner in which the present government has been
relating to them. The conference calls for the cancellation
of all the decrees appearing in the plan and an equalization
of the budget with the higher education budget.
C. The conference is deeply concerned over the sections of
the Israeli economic recovery plan that deal with the
following areas: uniform reduction, support for Torah
institutions and integrating avreichim into the job
market. This is a serious, unparalleled form of
discrimination towards the Ministry of Religious Affairs
relative to other government ministries and constitutes
decrees against religion, both from a moral and an economic
standpoint.
D. The conference is deeply concerned over the new decrees
emerging from the Ministry of Education of late, such as the
closure of chareidi seminaries for girls and a further cut of
20-25 percent for Chinuch Atzmai talmudei Torah and
post-elementary institutions [i.e. yeshivos
ketanos].
E. The conference calls for a closing of the ranks among
organizations and individuals--every man according to his
rank and status--involved in the present struggle, with the
goal of maximizing resources and coordinating activities. The
conference also calls on the public at large to gird its
strength and rally in support of the battle.
F. At the conference far-reaching proposals were made, such
as setting up a worldwide fundraising drive for Torah
institutions, boycotting products, a tax revolt, a High Court
appeal, a mass demonstration and fast days, etc. A committee
will be set up to evaluate their implementation and to
present them to gedolei Yisroel, shlita.
The conference thanks all those who contributed their time
and energy to ensure the success of this important
gathering.
