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NEWS
Rabbi Gafni Proposes That All Students be Required to
Learn Torah
By Eliezer Rauchberger
"Our existence as a people is in the merit of lomdei
Torah and in their merit we are here in Eretz
Yisroel," said MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni on Monday, responding
to a provocative law to require all yeshiva students to
perform civil service work and take part in one month of
military training per year. "The worst aspect of the proposed
law is that it views all service as service for the benefit
of society — with the exception of Torah study. I
intend to table a bill, in light of the collapse of the
education system in Israel, to require every secular youth to
study Torah in a Torah-based institution during the summer
break. Under no condition will we consent to any change in
the status of yeshiva students."
The anti-Torah bill was tabled by MK Ami Ayalon, a leading
contender for the chairmanship of the Labor Party. The Labor
campaign was a clean race until now, free of anti-chareidi
attacks or issues of religion and state. Ayalon became the
first to bring the chareidi sector into the fray, apparently
based on hopes it would give him an edge over the other
candidates.
According to Ayalon's bill every yeshiva student who files a
request to defer his military service would have to take part
in emergency services, e.g. the Home Front Command, police,
firefighters, hospitals, etc. During routine periods yeshiva
students would have to serve one month per year, during
bein hazmanim, to maintain and refresh their
abilities. In time of emergency the yeshiva students would be
recruited to serve reserve duty as part of the respective
emergency services organizations as long as necessary.
To organize and manage the program Ayalon proposes setting up
a Civil Service Administration under the Minister of Internal
Security.
The proposal also includes a "decision year" option starting
at the age of 21 (instead of 22) and would extend the period
to two years.
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