[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

By Shlomo Ben-Yissachar

Thousands of children in Israel’s periphery, who have been learning in a Torah oriented school might be forced to transfer to state secular schools, where Yiddishkeit is non-existent, due to dwindling transportation stipends.

To underscore just how desperate the situation has become for families and communal leaders alike living in Israel’s periphery, a farmer from the Upper Galilee revealed, “This is absolutely their spiritual rescue. Our towns are distant from Torah schools and providing transportation is the only lifeline that connects our children to Torah learning.”

Rabbi Binyamin Cohen, former Director of Keren Hashviis added, “Shemittah created a spiritual revolution in the homes of many farmers, but without proper transportation for their children to Torah schools – all the kiruv efforts will disappear.”

Ira Zimmerman who resides in Amichai, a small town in the Upper Galilee claimed, “Without the Keren Hasa’ot fund, our children would remain at home, no doubt about that. We live in towns and settlements in the Galilee and it’s at least a half hour drive to any Torah oriented school and there already have been days when no transportation was available. It was very hard on those days. The girls sat at home because there was nowhere to send them. We’re not ready to compromise on their education. We also couldn’t go to work because we had to watch them, and their whole routines were upended. We literally depend on the Keren Hasa’ot.”

This rapidly deteriorating situation may become reality in just a few weeks, as some of the transportation companies may stop providing services. “There are drivers who have not been paid for six or seven months and are not ready to commit for future months,” saida Keren Hasa’ot spokesperson. “Many drivers have told us that they had pity on the kids and that’s why they agreed to drive them at the start of the school year. However, they are doing it only because they are driving them to Torah institutions. The drivers reiterated that if they drove to secular schools, they would never work under such conditions.”

Recently, HaravAharonLeib Steinman, shlita, convened an emergency fundraising appeal in his home, attended by Gedolei Yisrael. In their urgent plea, the Rabbanim urged, “It is an absolute obligation for every person in Klal Yisrael to tryto do no less than sponsor one child, which is NIS 1,200 (100 x 12) a year and praised is the one who merits to have a ‘nefeshachasb’Yisrael’ advocate for him, as it is as though he sustained an entire world.”

For details and donations call the hotline: 1-844- 44-KIRUV or send to Keren Kiruv Yaldei Yisroel, 1072 Madison Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701.