A Frum woman who interviewed for a position with the Jewish National Fund (JNF), never dreamt she would receive the response she received. According to a report by Ynet, JNF spokeswoman Orit Hadad, informed her during the interview that the job demanded “atypical work hours” including both evenings and weekends.
The woman then told Hadad that since she was Shomer Shabbos, there would be no way that she would be able to work. Hadad “immediately told me that she was sorry, but she could not hire me”, the woman told Ynet.
The woman was “stunned” that this happened in a government institution that strives to represent the Jewish people
The JNF spokeswoman claimed that this was a simple matter of convenience. “The JNF spokespersons office is extremely busy, especially on Saturdays because we often organize weekend nature trips. I have another assistant who works only during the week, and so I am especially in need of help on weekends,” she said. “I really don’t see what the fuss is about.”
Upon hearing of this incident, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai told Ynet: “this is a harsh and shameful occurrence especially since the JNF is an institution that supposedly showcases the Jewish character of the State of Israel,” he said.
“I will not stand by and allow this to occur in government institution; both from a religious as well as a human rights perspective. As soon as a formal complaint is lodged I will give it my undivided attention,” said Yishai.
(Source: Ynet)
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28 Responses
Suggestion: send an E-mail [as I did] to [email protected] and tell them that you have cut them off from future giving until this disgusting action is revoked.
Their tel # in NY is 800 542 8733.
HOW ABOUT RIGHT NOW?
JUST BECAUSE IT HAS A NAME JEWISE THAT DOSEN’T MAKE IT A JEWISH OR RELIGUIOS ORG.
DONATING MONEY (GIVING ZEDOKO) YOU THE DONOR HAS TO CHECK OUT HIMSELF IF IT IS A MITZVA OR NOT.
I ONLY GIVE TO A ORG THAT HAS A LETTER OF A KNOWN RESPONSIBLE PERSON.
GREAT IDEA!!!
ravizzy, You got the wrong crowd here. You won’t find too many folks who were ‘giving’ in the first place. This type of activity is unsurprising from where it is coming.
Inexcusable!
#2 For your information, a letter is also not guaranteed. How hard is it to use someone’s letterhead & forge their signature?
The fact is that many Frum companies even in Ch’L dont like to hire religious girls for work because of short Fridays, not wanting to come to work Chol Hamoed and most of all, because these girls get engaged quickly and then they have to start looking for others! They say its much easier to hire those who are less comitted, like the nonreligious.
If the Frum dont want to hire their own, why do you expect it from them??
For all those who have an account with hasadvantage you should know a percentage of what you spend goes to the jewish national fund you should call them at 18666israel and tell them you don’t want your money going to JNF you can select different organizations
nameless – That hardly makes it excusable. As they say, two wrongs don’t make a right.
It is well known that the JNF is not a religious organization, but a non-denominational one. That being said, they have weekend activities over Shabbat, and need people to plan and run these activities. This particular position called for someone to work on Shabbat, so obviously it was not a right fit. I think a distinction has to be made for a regular job that does not tolerate someone being Shomer Shabbat, and a “weekend/weeknight” position that specifically requires it. Think of it this way – if El-Al was looking to hire a maintenance person to cover the weekend shift, and you applied, knowing that you would not be able to work on Saturday, would you be surprised when you were declined for the job?
Jos’
True, but before we start complaining with emails, like ravizzy suggested, dont you think we should clean up our own backyard first?
I don’t ‘chap’ what the chidush is here. If you want to work for a nonreligious organization then the you require you to work on Shabbos.
Eli Yishai is correct. “The JNF is an institution that supposedly showcases the Jewish character of the State Of Israel.”
Nu, what’s the chidush?
For all those who have an account with hasadvantage a credit card company you should know a percentage of what you spend goes to the jewish national fund you should call them at 18666israel and tell them you don’t want your money going to JNF you can select different organizations
#7, right. Many offices only want to hire recent graduates. And married women have an even harder time finding a job. It’s sad & maybe unfair but you can’t blame the employers, why should they have to bother w/ replacements if they know beforehand already?
I just emailed that email and I got a response that said “Hello ,
We appreciate your concern. We have looked into the matter which it turns out is an unfounded accusation on the part of the job applicant, who in fact had not been given any answer yet – not an acceptance or a rejection – as the interviewing process is still ongoing.
KKL employs many Orthodox people; its co-chair is an Orthodox man, and in fact, the woman who is leaving the assistant spokesperson position for personal reasons having nothing to do with religious practices, is also Orthodox. If you have any other questions/concerns, feel free to contact Customer Service.
”
I wonder if this is true….
Hello ,
We appreciate your concern. We have looked into the matter which it turns out is an unfounded accusation on the part of the job applicant, who in fact had not been given any answer yet – not an acceptance or a rejection – as the interviewing process is still ongoing.
KKL employs many Orthodox people; its co-chair is an Orthodox man, and in fact, the woman who is leaving the assistant spokesperson position for personal reasons having nothing to do with religious practices, is also Orthodox. If you have any other questions/concerns, feel free to contact Customer Service.
This is the reply I got to the email I sent.
uz tirtshe haaretz es shabsoseha is refuring to the mitzva of shmitta , shivis .we are all upset about chilul shabbos did we do enough to ensure the mitzva of shmita is beeing kept right ,can we rely on any agracoltural org.? let us do what we can do, keren hashivis is one org. that can ensure us with this mitzva
It would be very wise if those people who are in charge of posting items to YWN would verify stories before posting them on the web. It’s too easy for any disgruntled individual to start a real Chul Hashem by posting false news articles. From here, there’s no saying where it may spread online.
Back in the 1980’s I worked at JNF in NYC. I’m Shomer Shabbos, and never had a problem with them. The only place I ever ran into a problem about Shabbos observance was on an interview with UAHC (the Reform’s governing body).
I believe the original post, and not the “excuse” reply.
Like it or not, it is the law of the land as is clearly stated in the closing paragraphs.
What does her having been raised in an observant home have to do with anything? So she hates her parents as well as her government.
It is ironic, and a too often ignored point, that those who settled the land decades, perhaps centuries, before the State was established were all Torah learning and Torah observant Jews. Those who never left our holy soil — enduring hardships, illness, poverty and the like — were all Torah learning and Torah observant Jews.
If the State will not back up the applicant, they should also consider changing the name of the country. Call it the State of “anything”, but not of Israel. The first Israel fought with all his might the angel of Esau — the antithesis of all that is Yashar (from which the name Yisroel comes). The state that bears that name should likewise be Yashar and stand for all that is Yashar.
I donated money to plant a tree in my name in Israel. I want my tree back!
#10 according to your logic none of us who work in a job that requires weekends should be hired. I am a nurse & we are required to work every other weekend & you would be amazed at how hard it is to get a job- if you won’t stick up for frum yidden- why should any of our employers give us a chance? B”H not everyone thinks like you or we’d have a 1920’s style workforce crisis.
that’s diff. There is human life at stake. Doctor’s also have shifts on shabbos.
If a job needs to be done on shabbos, it’s not for a frum yid. You don’t apply for a cook in Mcdonalds, because you know it means cooking bosor becholov. You don’t apply to a shul as a shabbos goy and then complain that they don’t hire you because you can’t work on shabbos. Jewish company or not, if a job needs to be done on shabbos it’s not for a frum yid, period.
The JNF is busy planting trees in Israel but it would never give a penny to a yeshiva. It is not a chiddush that it did not hire a religious girl. Then that girl might use some of the money for her husband to learn Torah. That would be total blasphemy for the JNF. Living in Israel, learning Torah, that cannot be! Zionism’s founder, Dr. Nathan Birnbaum, broke off from Herzl when he became a baal teshuva. Obviously, Zionism and its JNF proxy are not interested in Yiddishkeit. They never have been. Hopefully that will change one day, but until then these things should come as no surprise.
well the difference is that doctors are on call and if they have to go in then it’s probably because there is an emergency of some sort. fum nurses don’t have that heter except in israel & have to rely on someone to let them work every sunday or some other alternate arrangement (which then messes up yom tov- but let’s not get into that)- in short there are ways around this- unless the employer isn’t willing- which by the way is illegal in the US.
JNF – ‘Jewish’ National Fund? Exactly what is so “Jewish” about running programs that require a paid position on Shabbos. That is simply CHILLUL SHABBOS.
Instead of commenting, call this number, TELEPHONE…..1-888-JNF-0099.I have three times already. Saying, “Good day to you, How could it be that the JNF does not hire shabbat observers? How could you be using the monies that I and my families (we all did in the 1950-60’s)raise for JNF and sell these lands to ARABS, you are stealing my money?
TELEPHONE…..1-888-JNF-0099
http://WWW.JNF.ORG
1.do not employ shabbat observers
2. sells jewish land to arab enemies
J= JEWS
N= NOT
F= FOR US