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1 Sivan 5765 - June 8, 2005 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Jerusalem Branch of Degel HaTorah Holds Meeting

By Betzalel Kahn

At a meeting of the Jerusalem branch of Degel HaTorah held last week to discuss various issues, participants included HaRav Ephraim Tzemel, the Jerusalem chairman of Degel HaTorah, Deputy Welfare Minister MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz and Party Secretary MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni.

Rabbi Moshe Frank opened the meeting by saying the board had convened to hear a report by the Deputy Minister of Welfare on activity in his ministry, a report on activity by MKs for Torah institutions and a discussion on developments at the Jerusalem Religious Council in light of the body's interference in halachic affairs.

MK Rabbi Ravitz presented a survey of activities in his ministry since he assumed his new post as part of the coalition agreement. He said he instructed the senior ministry officials to act for the general public as well as individuals, placing an emphasis on establishing clear criteria for the benefit of the public at large. He also spoke of the personal attention given to institutions that turn to the ministry and the immediate response they receive in order to alleviate their difficulties. Rabbi Ravitz noted that he instructed the ministry's director-general to prepare to increase funding for institutions in the 2006 budget.

Rabbi Gafni then spoke, recounting the no-confidence motion in the Knesset that day following the harm done to religious services under the Likud government and the dismal state of affairs at the Jerusalem Religious Council, where clerks have been interfering in matters of kashrus and halochoh. "Jerusalem is a showcase for what takes place in all other places in the country," he said. "The Likud should not have the ability to act with its officials in such a manner or in any other way it chooses in halachic matters at all. These issues have always been under the control of the spiritual leaders of the generation, poskei halochoh and the rabbinical world alone."

He also spoke about the NIS 150 million agreed upon in the coalition agreement between UTJ and the Likud, saying this money was earmarked for talmudei Torah, dormitories, kindergartens, transportation to Chinuch Atzmai institutions, student insurance and seminaries.

Turning to the issue of the delay in setting up the committee for chareidi education, he said that Degel HaTorah submitted the names of its committee members two months ago but the Education Ministry and other bodies have yet to submit names. Therefore he had asked the Government Secretary to attend to the matter of setting up and convening the committee as soon as possible.

Both Jerusalem Mayor Rabbi Uri Lupoliansky and Deputy Mayor Rabbi Uri Maklev spoke out against the way the Religious Council is being run, saying the City would back the rabbonim.

During the course of the meeting participants spoke about a fringe element that identifies itself with the chareidi camp yet belongs to the secular Likud Party.

 

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