There is no doubt that statements made on Wednesday, February 01, 2012 by Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Stanley Fisher will result in a storm of responses from the chareidi community.
Fisher did not just lash out against the tycoons and the nation’s banks, but he then pointed his gun at the chareidi tzibur at large, stating, “We must respect Yiddishkheit but there is a need to change. The situation among chareidim, the sector of the country with a rapid population growth does not play a vital role in the workforce. Less than 40% of them work and this simply cannot continue. If this continues in the long run it will be most difficult for the economy to meet expectations, a respectable lifestyle. This is the interim challenge.
“I must say that a continued population growth of a sector that does participate in the workforce cannot continue forever and therefore, it must stop. The population growth among Arabs and chareidim is far higher than the non-chareidi Jewish population, and their representation in the general population makeup is increasing.
“Among the Arabs we are witness to a certain decline in population growth, but with the chareidim, the opposite is true. Poverty is increasing due to the minimal number of chareidim in the workforce. I believe this situation is not self sustainable. The situation is cause for concern, especially when looking at demographic realities.
Deputy Minister of Health (Yahadut HaTorah) Yaakov Litzman: These words are simply nonsense that do not lend more respect to the one who uttered them. Since we have been a nation we have been compelled to contend with forces from within and outside the camp seeking to halt the continued existence of the people. Happily, the continued growth and development of the chareidi tzibur are not dependent on this man or another, and we know the words of Chazal ‘ you say Pen Yirbeh and Ruach HaKodesh says Ken Yirbeh.
We are sorrowed that a person of the caliber of the government of the Bank of Israel has joined the anti-chareidi chorus, and I can only hope he can find a way to retract these slanderous statements.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
He got it half right – the situation is not sustainable. But the solution is wrong. The answer is to keep having more children, and GO TO WORK. If totty has no job, the kids will grow up thinking it’s normal not to have a job. And the problem repeats itself until the situation is so bad that they MUST get a job, and by that time they won’t have any useful skills to help them in a tough job market like we have today.
While he is a great economist, like most hilonim he is an inevitable enemy. As long as the hilonim continue to see the goal of zionism as being creation of a nominally Jewish society free from the yoke of Torah, we will be mortal enemies since our destruction is a precondition for their realization their dream.
If he was actually concerned about hareidim being part of the economy, he would be lecturing his fellow ultra-seculars about the need to make the Israeli economy a friendlier place for hareidim (e.g. broaden the definition of sexual harassment to include negiah, yihud and immodest clothes – not to mention ending conscription and requiring the armed forces to fully respect Jewish tradition with perhaps special accomodations for hilonim rather than running a hiloni army with limited accomodation)
I must say I agree with rabbi Litzman. Let him admonish the chilonim for not accepting the haredim in the workforce. and let him find ways to encourage haredi workforce participation (hey opportunities are all you need!) He obviously doesn’t want them in the workforce.
It does not seem Mr. Fisher is particularly anti-chareidi.
He is voicing legitemate concerns.
2 trends must stop. Excessive protests and especially violence from Eida and continued financial requests from Aguda.
The non-chareidi sector will have no valid basis against us.
Stanley Fischer is one of the most respected economists in the world. The WORLD. He didn’t achieve that status by speaking indiscriminately. Unlike YWN, which characterized his speech as “pointing his gun” at the Chareidim. He didn’t point a gun and he didn’t call for a halt to Chareidi population growth. He simply emphasized a reality that is obvious to everyone but you and other apologists: that the country cannot continue to support a community that grows faster than any other segment while choosing to refrain from contributing economically. Some gun.
bem684 (#1)is on the money – you’d think the Chareidim would see the obvious, that unless they develop a healthier attitude towards labor and work their growth rates relative to the general population will mean an ever decreasing population from which they can schnor.
And that’s math Akuperma, not a polemic enemy. Your comment about making the Israeli economy “friendlier” for Chareidim is laughable coming from a conservative such as yourself…you want the Israeli government to do it for them? How “Liberal” of you!!
Only 40% of the charedi work; really. I doubt those figures.
I am charedi and work, my daughter is charedi and she and her husband work, my other three sons work and so do their
wives, and my other son is learning and his wife is working.
My friends most are working and most wives are also working.
My friends children is a mixer of wife working and husband’s learning or both working. So please Mr. Fischer show me how you got 40%. Next thing is are all Mr Fischer’s predictions
correct. What percent are I want to know. Rav Tauber tolds about him talking to a federal Jewish economic planner and he told him most of the time they are wrong.
So please Mr. Fischer; stop the nonsense
YITZCHOKY…if you are bona fide Chareidishe…then what are you doing on the Internet? Your Renbbeim prohibit it.
Mr. Fisher should have phrased the issue more delicately, but he is correct in some of what he says. A growing non-working population is obviously not economically sustainable. The high poverty rate is a testament to this. Mr. Fisher’s job is to prevent poverty rates like this, we must help him come up with solutions to this problem. Several things must be done:
– the stigma against chareidim who work should be reduced
– employment opportunities for charedim must be expanded
– we should create funds, training, and support for chareidim starting new businesses
– we should improve training for chareidim who want to enter the workforce
If we do this less chareidim will live in poverty and ultimately more Torah learning will be possible because if we are able to actually generate wealth within the chareidi sector then I have no doubt the new wealthy will be able to expand yeshivos and kolleleim throughout the world.
When someone says something we don’t like we shouldn’t just attack him, we should take what advice we can out of the situation.