During recent years, the Ministry of Education has been investing considerable resources to track and eliminate double funding for students. At times, a student is listed in more than one institution and while considerable progress is reported, the trend is still ongoing. Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) conducted a probe and reveals on Sunday 8 Elul that there are still Mosdos Chabad that benefit from the double billing.

According to Galei Tzahal, a number of Chabad schools have two names, one listing as a chareidi school and the second as a yeshiva. Galei Tzahal checked 10 Chabad schools and learned that in seven of them, talmidim are double listed. Ninety talmidim are present on lists for two schools simultaneously, of which 29 received double funding and this is just from ten schools.

Galei Tzahal points out this phenomenon is abnormal but perhaps it is the result of internal correspondence by agencies dealing with the funding – highlighting the need for computerized cross-checking between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Religious Services. “Faulty communications” is viewed as the possible cause for the double billing which apparently hasn’t been detected by the Education Ministry.

The ministry responded to the report and stated the matter will be probed and funding offset in line with the findings if they are verified.

Chabad’s response to the report: The matter of funding for institutions is incorrect or distorted at best and being maliciously misrepresented as worst. The yeshivos that allegedly received double funding do not even appear on the list of yeshivos, and therefore the claim is unfounded. Directors insist no such thing occurred and this is nothing more than baseless slander”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)