Maranan verabonon have directed talmud Torah
principals across the country to oppose recent attempts at
outside intervention in curriculum.
At the beginning of the school year talmud Torah
principals received a letter from the Education Ministry
demanding they sign a declaration obligating them to accept
the Core Curriculum program, which contains minimal study
hours for various secular subjects.
Principals and other educators who consulted with gedolei
Yisroel, particularly Maran HaRav Eliashiv,
shlita, were told under no circumstances whatsoever
should they agree to sign the declaration and the attempt to
intervene in talmud Torah curriculum--designed to
teach tinokos shel beis rabbon in purity and with
total spiritual independence--and interference with
educational autonomy should be viewed as a very grave
development. If some uninformed talmud Torah
principals mistakenly signed the declaration, they should
notify the Education Ministry immediately to recant the
commitment and should make their position known to the
public.
For years, based on longstanding directives by gedolei
Yisroel, zt"l and ylct"a, talmudei
Torah have operated as "exempt institutions" that receive
only partial Education Ministry support, foregoing a portion
of the funding available to every other child in the State of
Israel in order to avoid government compulsion and
intervention in education matters. Thus the demand for
outside involvement by government officials must be rejected
outright and should be viewed as an attempt to challenge the
autonomy of pure, Torah education, considered throughout the
generations as the foundation of Am Yisroel's existence. As
such it should not be tampered with in the least, but must be
preserved according to our accepted tradition as related by
gedolei Yisroel.
Rabbonim and public figures say that while various
talmudei Torah may vary in their approach in some ways
based on their respective traditions, in this particular
matter there is no dispute and it represents a fundamental
principle not open to interpretation. As such all talmudei
Torah must show a united front in order to halt this new
threat.
United Torah Jewry MKs have been called upon to make clear to
government officials that chareidi Jewry will stand up firmly
for educational autonomy and that not a single change will be
made. Because matters of education are so highly sensitive
and carry such great responsibility, UTJ representatives have
been instructed by maranan verabonon to bring any and
all questions to the Rabbinical Committee, which will act in
accordance with gedolei Yisroel.
