Knesset Finance Committee Chairman MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, during a tour of Afula and Tzfas, met with local leaders, Degel HaTorah representatives and heads of the Torah communities in the two northern cities.
In Afula, Rabbi Gafni held a meeting attended by Mayor Avi Alkabetz, city resident MK Eli Aflalo, Rabbi Menachem Gold, one of the heads of local Torah institutions, Rabbi Menachem Shapira, head of Degel HaTorah's Municipal Department, and Rabbi Shlomo Pollak, Rabbi Gafni's assistant.
During the meeting various community needs were raised for discussion, including the financial strain the Torah institutions face and the need to allocate land for the city's Talmud Torah Netivot Moshe. MK Aflalo praised Rabbi Gold for his constant, dedicated efforts for the sake of city residents. MK Rabbi Gafni asked the mayor to personally intervene to provide assistance to the local kehilloh, and in reply the mayor pledged to stand by the city's chareidi community and promote local religious and Torah needs.
At the end of the meeting Rabbi Gafni spoke with Yigal Tzarfati, head of the Education Ministry's Education Development Administration, regarding the need to build new classrooms for the children of Afula residents.
Rabbi Gafni then continued on to Tzfas, where he toured Or Yakar, headed by Rabbi Yirmiyohu Hacohen. He was very impressed by the development of its institutions, which now include a kollel, a yeshiva gedoloh and a talmud Torah with 180 children enrolled, but noted the shortage of space and land for construction.
During the tour he spotted a building where construction work had halted at an early stage several years ago. The mayor promised to help renew construction to enable the Torah institutions to expand.
Later he met with members of the local Degel HaTorah branch in the yeshiva building to discuss the state of the city's educational institutions, public transportation and other needs.
Afterwards Rabbi Gafni conferred with Mayor Ilan Shochat, asking him to take an active role in various budget and administration matters for the sake of the city's Torah community. The mayor said Degel HaTorah was the first faction to extend its support to him during the election campaign and he had an obligation to help all city residents, saying he is well aware that obligation includes the local chareidi community as well.
