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12 Tishrei 5764 - October 8, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
All Talmudei Torah Oppose Government Involvement in Curriculum
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

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.

 

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