One of the husbands of 83 chareidi kindergarten assistants, Yaakov Weiss, spoke with Kol Chai Radio on Sunday morning 15 Elul. Weiss explained the wives involved are all chareidi and have seniority of between 10-25 years.
Weiss is referring to the refusal of the women to accept their new assignments as kindergarten assistances in dati leumi, secular and Reform kindergartens instead of being able to remain in their chareidi kindergartens.
Weiss stressed that many of the women of wives of kollel avreichim and the job is critical to support their homes.
Kol Chai
They were not fired, but sent to different kindergartens, not frum. Why is this so problematic?
Yaakov Weiss
This is not legal under labor law as you know. To change conditions of one’s job one must receive notification far in advance.
They are all chareidi and are being moved to dati leumi kindergartens. These are people who do not have iPhones and some are sent to secular and Reform kindergartens, some with Arab kindergarten teachers. It is not an issue of being sent to a dati leumi kindergarten but location. Some women are being sent to Ramot and they live in Gilo and do not have a vehicle. The travel distance is simply absurd.
We turned to a number of people including [Jerusalem Councilman responsible for chareidi education] Tzvika Cohen and [MK] Moshe Gafne, urging them to conduct a dialogue and not threaten the women with dismissal. However they are facing termination for their refusal to accept the transfer.
Today the matter rests in the hands of the city’s director-general.
Kol Chai
If the Members of Knesset and askanim are on your side so what is the problem? Aren’t they capable of resolving this?
Yaakov Weiss
To date they have not been successful.
I want to add that the women in question have already been summoned to a meeting at City Hall and each and every one emerged crying, explaining they were threatened with losing their jobs.
Kol Chai to Councilman Cohen
What can you tell us about the kindergartens assistants?
Yitzchak Cohen
We have turned to the mayor and others and we are trying but unfortunately, in this case the law is not on the side of these women despite their pain and therefore we are limited in what we can do to assist them.
Kol Chai
Can you promise them there will be a change in their favor?
Cohen:
I can promise I am doing my best but no more. Like I said, this case is a difficult one.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
They shouldn’t emphasize the economic importance of the womens’ jobs in supporting the kollel system since the people running the government see the destruction of the kollel system as a positive goal.
What a horrid display of ainas chinam on the part of these women. There is no reason for them to have. A job which they don’t want… They are going to be left with nothing unless they get their act together and just do ratzon hashem
What happened to the kindergartens that they were teaching in last year? Were they relocated? closed? or what?
Can you please provide a little more background? In which type of kindergarten did these women previously work? Agudah? Goldknapf? Why are they being transferred? Who is replacing these women in Charedi kindergartens? Are there not enough openings in Charedi kindergartens? If not, why? Why is City Hall responsible for placing kindergarten assistants? Thank you.
Like #4 says.
Please, a little more reporting on the issue please. We are given some information, and are almost better off without it.
Answer #4’s questions, a news site ought to be able to no?
City hall runs even the charedi Gans in Jerusalem. From age 3 the kids get free government funded Gan in their neighborhood and status. I’m not sure why they are being inconsiderate regarding placing these women though…
just part of the harassment by the zionist govt against the haredis. They are out in a concerted attempt to secularize any haredi. Take them to the army, to secularize them. Promise they will not have to unnecessarily relinquish their religion, then say it’s necessary for them to hear females singing, cutting their beards, forgo kosher to their standard food. Don’t want to follow orders of this apikorot court martial!