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NEWS
Yeshiva Ketanoh Directors Called on Not to Fill Out
Questionnaires
by Betzalel Kahn
Based on consultations with maranan verabonon, on
Sunday it was decided the yeshivos ketanos would not
return the Education Ministry's questionnaires on the topic
of "tigbur limudei Yahadut" (increasing Jewish
studies) at this stage, following the ministry's unexplained
cut of NIS 110 million after the budget was transferred from
the Ministry of Religious Affairs to the Ministry of
Education. This new and unplanned 40 percent cut, which
contradicts Attorney General Eliakim Rubinstein's orders, is
part of ongoing efforts to drastically slash yeshiva budgets
across the board.
Along with government talks several months ago on closing the
Ministry of Religious Affairs, in order to curtail
overlapping support payments for Torah institutions
Rubinstein ordered the transfer of the yeshiva ketanoh
budget to the Education Ministry while cautioning government
ministries not to reduce the amount of funding allocated for
each talmid. The Education Ministry ignored the order,
slashing the per-talmid allotments from NIS 340 ($76)
per month one year ago to NIS 75 ($17) per month today.
A few weeks ago the Education Ministry sent out a long,
detailed questionnaire to all directors of Torah institutions
that receive Ministry funding. A careful examination of the
questions revealed that the ministry plans to institute
further cuts in various elements of the budget. The whole
purpose of the questionnaire, which was drafted according to
political decisions in the Education Ministry, is to create
criteria that would disqualify many Torah institutions from
receiving certain various parts of the funding package.
The instructions issued Sunday by maranan verabonon to
temporarily refrain from returning the questionnaires were
intended to allow time to verify the matter thoroughly with
Education Ministry officials and demand it be reevaluated.
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