After decades of accepting state funds, it may very well be that the chareidi tzibur will follow the Neturei Karta model and break away from the state, ceasing to accept state funds.
With the gezeiros of the current administration leaving the chareidi tzibur wounded to put it mildly, the CEO of Mosdos Vishnitz Rav Yeshaya Yaakov Wertheimer announced in the chassidus’ קשר איתן bulletin that the red line is the state’s interference in the education of the children. He explains that if push comes to shove Vishnitz will not hesitate to break away from accepting state funds but regarding the education, there would be no compromise.
With funding for yeshivos, avreichim and monthly child allowances cut, the chareidi community comes into Rosh Hashanah 5774 with grave concerns regarding the survival of mosdos and families. One of the larger chareidi educational networks in Eretz Yisrael is that of Vishnitz, which represents tens of thousands of children in dozens of schools nationwide. As Finance Minister Yair Lapid and his colleagues have declared war on the chareidi tzibur, the latter is rethinking its strategy vis-à-vis its place in the State of Israel and it is entirely possible that Vishnitz and others will opt to cut all ties with the secular government. As a result of the new reality, with chareidi MKs seated in the Knesset opposition,
Wertheim quotes the rebbe shlita stating that despite the threats to cut government funding for schools, government involvement in the chinuch will not be tolerated, at any cost. He adds that unity is essential and everyone must remain firm and adopt one unified position.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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18 Responses
Baruch Hashem! It is truly heartwarming to hear that other parts of Klal Yisroel are following the Eida HaChareidus/Brisk/Satmar model of refusing to accept State funding.
What can they gain from this other then a statment?
This would be the principled position for ALL the chareidi modos. As long as they refuse to accept any responsibility for defending the medinah (or even to perform alternative public service outside of the IDF) and their school systems are unwilling to teach a core secular curriculum that would assure their graduates have basic job skills, they should not be taking any subsidies or stipends from taxpayers.
What do you do about water, gas, electricity, roads, medical care, hospitals, security at Mekomos Hakedoshim, police, fire, airplane travel, food, produce????
I am totally confused, what does it mean to disengage from the government? No more buying real estate, signing legal documents, accepting security during tishim..???
Or is this meant as dramatics!!!!!
Are they also giving up police protection, fire dept and medical treatment by the State of Israel?
Why is this writer draying a kop with some Neturei Karta model? The Eida, going back to the first Gavaad, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, would not accept any “chassodim” from this treife medina.
You are being unfair in your reporting when you say “… the chareidi tzibur will follow the Neturei Karta model and break away from the state, ceasing to accept state funds.”
Even if they don’t accept govt funds, they should in no way be compared to Neturei Karta.
So what exactly is the threat? That if the government lowers the budget for Vishnitz mosdos – Vishnitz will refuse to take any government money?
I suppose that once you go down the rabbit hole by saying that ‘Finance Minister Yair Lapid and his colleagues have declared war on the chareidi tzibur’ other nonsense is sure to follow.
Does Neturei Karta run any schools? It appears to be a political party within the Eidah Hareidis? So is what the article saying really that Vishnitz (and perhaps much of the frum world) is ready to switch form the Agudah/Degel ha-Torah/Shas model of being part of the zionists system, to the Eidah Hareidis model of non-collaboration with the zionists?????
And if so, what are the broader political implications?
Kol Hakavod! They must be the new example for charedim – at least until the reshaim of this government will be replaced.
What’s the interference in chinuch hatalmidim that the government wants to superimpose on the vishnitz community?
Not accepting Government money means not being subjected to Government controls. That is the only issue here. The Vishnitz community is large enough that it can probably self finance its schools. So none of this is all that radical or even dramatic. When communities will announce that they are no longer willing to pay taxes to those who persecute them, that will be an interesting story.
bklynmom—— Right on..
They could afford it and keep everybody in yeshivos? Come on!
Who are they threatening? No one would care. Besides, disengaging also means you have no say or influence on anything.
Positive change comes from within. If your on the outside, you always subject to the whims of others. They aren’t going to go the Arab route of civil war. Besides the Chareidim never wanted the responsibility of leadership. It’s easier to complain when you have no responsibilities.
In the United States, at most only about a fraction of a percentage refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the government (and these are American Indian tribes were were conquered and made citizens against their will) – and they have largely accepted the defeat and limit themselves to suing for reparations.
As it is in Israel, perhaps a third of the population are Palestinians, and it appears that almost half of those want Israel replaced by a Muslim state (the rest support the zionists as the lesser of two evils). If another sixth of Israel switch from begrudging acceptance to the medinah, to open opposition, it will be seriously destabilizing. A government that it is not recognized by 40% of the population will have trouble surviving in the long run.
If another sixth of Israel switch from begrudging acceptance to the medinah, to open opposition, it will be seriously destabilizing.
When they decide on “open opposition”, which side are they aligning with? Abbas the PA tyrant or Ismail Haniya, the cool dude murderer & head of Hamas in Gaza.
#17- Not to mention that (i) only 20.7% of Israel’s population is Muslim (ii) only roughly 9% identify as charedi and (iii) only a fraction of either do not recognize the legitimacy of the Israeli government.
And quite frankly, if R’ Yisroel chooses to go kannai like his uncle he will quickly loose most of his chasidim.