The High Court denied a petition filed by several national-
religious high schools against the Education Ministry's
decision to set criteria regarding the amount of funding
provided to yeshiva students and avreichei
kollelim.
The petitioners sought to alter the Education Ministry's
policy of providing avreichim larger stipends than
yeshiva students. The High Court denied the petition, saying
only the State has the right to determine which public
institutions are eligible to receive support funding and as
such it has the right to set the criteria and stipend levels
and can even make changes in the middle of the fiscal
year.
"We are sufficiently convinced that in determining support
levels the distinction drawn by the respondent between
yeshiva students and kollel students is relevant,"
wrote the deciding judges. "The yeshivas are Torah
institutions in which unmarried yeshiva students—whose
parents, as a rule, provide for them—study. The
kollelim, on the other hand, are Torah institutions in
which the students are married and head families. They
receive financial support from the kollel to provide
for themselves and their families. This difference between
the institutions justifies the higher level of support the
kollelim receive."
The High Court also rejected the appellants' demand to
dismiss Yechezkel Shinelson, the Education Minister's
advisor. The appellants claimed he lacked the qualifications
needed for the job, but the judges rejected the demand based
on the State's claim he is not currently employed by the
Education Ministry.
