[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
Finance Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) last week called Shas leader MK Aryeh Deri “a liar” after Deri announced he held talks with Lapid during which he succeeded in reversing the decree, the planned budget cuts to the Mayan Chinuch educational network affiliated with the party.
Yesh Atid MK Rabbi Dov Lipman joins Lapid in calling Deri a liar, detailing that according to the law, since there is no alternative to Mayan Chinuch at present, the treasury cannot cut funding to the schools even if it wanted to, accusing Deri of using sensationalist tactics to build his image. Lipman uses the opportunity in his interview with the Knesset Channel to stress the benefits of the elementary schools students learning subject matter that will one day open doors in the workplace.
Responding was Shas MK Nissim Ze’ev, who began by skirting the issue, preferring to give advice to Lapid on how a cabinet minister should address himself. He reminded the audience that Lapid is no longer a journalist but a cabinet minister. Ze’ev explains that he feels his advice is well-intended and it is to Lapid’s benefit to learn how a cabinet minister should address himself in public.
Ze’ev then turns to Lipman, accusing of Yesh Lapid placing itself in charge of the chareidim, which led to Lipman reminding him of statements made by Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita regarding Yesh Atid.
Ze’ev:
You simply do not understand the level of the schools. He then refers to students in the Navat Yisrael Girl’s School, explaining the students are at the same level that in the state public schools.
Lipman:
We know this may be true with the girl’s but what about the boy’s schools? Let’s work together to plan for the future, a number of hours of day must be dedicated for core subjects. In the USA, the most chareidi yeshiva has hours of core subjects daily. This will not disqualify his Torah. Why must this be a battle?
Ze’ev:
In conclusion the girl’s are on a higher level!
Lipman:
That may be true in the schools that teach secular subjects but what about the others? Why are you so against this? Why must this be a battle?
The discussion becomes a bit heated as the two go back and forth discussing the merits of core subjects while Ze’ev tells Lipman “don’t dictate what we will and will not be teaching our students”.
Ze’ev adds that most of the Gedolei Yisrael Shlita did not join the recent protest against the drafting of talmidei yeshiva because they remain hopeful that a solution can be reached by dialogue but if not, they may have to join in as well since there is an effort to change the status quo after 65 years, to stop limud Torah.
Knesset Channel:
Rav Lipman, you are from Beit Shemesh and there is a large Anglo Saxon community that gets out and works yet they are no less chareidi. Can you explain this please?
Lipman:
The Israeli chareidim are still from the old yishuv and they simply do not understand.
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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
1. If they wanted to increase Hareidi participation in the mainstream economy, they would abolish conscription or at least adopt a policy that after several years in yeshiva, men could take jobs without serving in the army. That they do not do so suggests they are not really concerned about Hareidim working “on the books.”
2. If they were concerned about education, they would offer grants for specific programs, and allow the hareidi schools to decide how to offer programs. Probably this would involve extracurricular activities or studies outside an academic framework. That’s how many hareidim have always picked up job skills not taught in a yeshiva. Their actions suggest their goal is to destroy Torah education.
The reality is that the movement led by Lapid is very similar to the Mityavanim of 20 centuries ago, and the dispute over the role of Torah is Jewish life is almost identical. In the final analysis, push will come to shove. They have modern weapons. We have Ha-Shem. We will survive, but it may get messy.
I am a student, at the michlalah chareidi (Bar Shalom, R’ Ovadyia Yosef’s daughter’s college)and today in class we went around the classroom, many of the students said they had a hard time with the math and English in the psychomerty and mechina program and many had dropped out.The class were divided whether they should have studied core curriculum in their yeshivos ketanos, or not. Never the less the outcome was that Lapid and Piron and Lipman were right. However, the way to bring about change is through time. It is a process, there is no ‘quick fix solution’ this requires time like anything. Drastic measures don’t help change entire populations.
Deri is Deri no matter what stripes he wears!
I’m with lipman.
בשם ה’ יעשה ויצליח
The suggestion is not forced conscription for all. For 1,800 of the best bochrim, they would continue to learn l’shem shamaiyim and we pray that the zchus of that limud haTorah will protect the Jewish people. For all others, they can continue to learn for three years after the 12th grade equivalent and then face their national duty of serving the Jewish people in a different way – through obligatory time helping in hospitals and the like as well as the option to serve in chareidi only unit s in the army. Sounds pretty reasonable and sensitive to our chareidi needs.
The suggestion of grants is too simplistic and naive. There needs to be criteria set to ensure men (and women if so desired) can provide for their families and even give tzedaka as well. Although everyone needs shoemakers, we do not need an entire generation of shoe makers. Enforcing a common denominator of basic education allows for people to pursue a wider range of options. Good for them personally and good for the nation and economy.
From the fact that the first comment above is even punctuated properly, the message communicated was clear. Should we not also equip our fellow brohters in Eretz Yisroel with a similar skill set???
No one is trying to close anything. The government is trying to give people the chance to better provide for themselves.
indeed the yeshivos r not on par with the public schools they don’t know how to commit as much violence we need the m to learn how to be menuvalim and behaimos then they will b able to contribute properly to society
#5 – The plan is that the first year they will exempt 1800 students based on protectsia (how would you determine best – based on Porat Yosef, or Mir, or Mosad ha-Rav Kook, or Toldos Aharon), with the number decling each year until all yeshiva students are conscripted. In addition, their plan is to throw anyone who doesn’t cooperate into prison, and to seize the privately raised funds from yeshivos whose students do go to the army.
Enjoy your rose colored glasses. If people like you don’t take them off and act to stop this, instead of “rose” you’ll be seeing blood red. Remember this decree is possible only because the “modern orhtodox” or “religious zionist” camp supports it.
To akuperma, your facts are simply not correct. I am not happy with such a low number of exemptions but hopefully the rabbis authorizing the exemptions will not be bribed. It is certainly in klal Yisroel’s interest to make sure only the best get there – this should truly be the future Gedolei Ysroel. There is no plan to go lower than 1,800. And prison is specifically not part of the deal. But, there will be financial consequences. Hopefully our tzibur can continue our path even under financial strains. Continuing to learne en under this kind of pressure will be our greatest zchus!
Mr. Lipman is a rasha. Take whatever he says and assume the opposite is true.
#8- Akuperma refuses to believe anyone who states that no one is going to prison. He has his own agenda that he must stick to.
akuperma, without a strong army we will see a lot more “blood red”. That is not to say I support the decision to take men out of yeshivas for the army. I am just getting tired of reading comments on here stating that if we continue to daven and learn torah 24/7 everything will be fine. Save that pitch for shul. I’ve always learned that through the cooperation of both ourselves and G-D we will find a solution.