As the coalition is working to complete the 2015 budget, it has been learned the Finance Ministry plans a major budget cut for the nation’s Sheirut Leumi program. The cut will all but eliminate the funding for apartments for the volunteers. The organization’s leaders are calling on Minister Naftali Bennett, Minister Uri Orbach, MK Ayelet Shaked and the head of the nation’s Volunteer Service Saar Shalom Jerbi to intervene before it is too late. The program is staffed primarily by religious teens from the dati leumi sector who feel they must do some kind of public service but do not wish to serve in the IDF due to their hashkafa.

It is pointed out that while some of the treasury’s drastic cuts have been eliminated, the nation’s Sheirut Leumi program is in jeopardy of fiscal collapse based on the current draft version of the 2015 budget. One of the Sheirut Leumi offices reports an increase of 1,000 slots but is not receiving any additional funding. This they explain represents an 8% cut in funding, which is already in the red today.

On Tuesday evening 4 Marcheshvan, a meeting was held between the heads of the Sheirut Leumi programs and the Chairman of the Knesset Finance Committee, MK Nissim Slomiansky of the Bayit Yehudi party. They painted a bleak picture for Slomiansky, explaining the future of the nationwide volunteer program is in jeopardy of closing down due to a severe lack of funding. In attendance were senior officials of the different Sheirut Leumi programs, including Bat Ami, Shlumit and the Agudah L’Hitnadvut.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)