In a cutting letter to PM Ehud Olmert, State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, Attorney General Manny Mazuz and Education Ministry Yuli Tamir, MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni alerted them to another grave incident of discrimination against the chareidi education system following a directive not to apply Phase Alef of the education system reform to chareidi educational institutions and teacher training programs.
The Education Ministry’s Department for Training Instructors sent out notices last week informing the directors of chareidi teacher training schools that according to a directive by Mrs. Ofra Bartov, senior deputy director of salary agreements at the Finance Ministry, the joint salary agreement signed at the beginning of January regarding the implementation of Phase Alef of the education system reform would not apply to chareidi educational institutions and teacher training schools.
A directive was issued not to pay the teaching staff at chareidi teacher training institutions the 4.5 percent increase, and a separate notice was issued saying that since the increase had been paid in advance in January salaries, salaries for February would be docked accordingly.
In response Rabbi Gafni sent an urgent letter about the seriousness of the decision, noting there is no legal distinction between teacher training institutions in the general sector and those in the chareidi sector.
He also wrote that he sees this instance of discrimination as part of a campaign being waged against the chareidi education system, noting that many of the teachers affected are the sole breadwinners of large families. He went on to state that this decision is a violation of the law and the principle of equality.
(By Yechiel Sever for Dei’ah veDibur)
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10 Responses
What does Gafni think–that the secular anti-torah Zionists are going to help Hareidi education?–No way!
Was a reason given for this course of action?
The Zionist-anti Torah people are self-destructing the State of Israel. What kind of country will they have by not properly educating the frum people? Soon the Torah world will educate all of us,with Moshiach’s help.,IY”H!
Another reason for the Shas party to resign and let Olmert’s government collapse. Could someone with close ties to HaRav Ovadia Yosef SHLIT”A please contact him regarding this matter.
With the upmost of respect to Rav Gafni and all that he accomplishes for torah life-style in Israel there is background to this decision which has been ignored.
Last year the Ministry of Education upheld that an increase of salary will be awarded to teachers who complete their MA DEGREES, which is a full 4yr program. Many in the Charedei world are fighting against this request for many reasons. The increase is awarded upon academic completion & additional training in educational needs , isn’t that the norm in most fields of work? The individual with a MA receives a higher renumeration than the one without…..
(SHAS SHOULD RESIGN for all the reasons it has promised: Jerusalem talks, Rockets in Sderot and POVERY level on the rise.)
Pashuteh Yid,
The nature of the system ought to be that everyone contributes equally and the government hands out to everyone equally. Everyone ends up paying for everyone else regardless of wether they agree with their “shitahs”. What is actually happening is that the government is discriminating against the chareidim by cutting their funding, while chareidim actually contribute FAR MORE TAX than the chilonim because the biggest source of revenue to the government comes from taxation of purchases of everyday items, food etc. and chareidi families are generally many times larger than chiloni families and they spend more money.
What else do you expect from the anti religious Zionist State? They want to be just like here in America – separation of church (religion) and state. The Chareidim should not benefit from the corrupt government anyway. If they take from the government that shows they support the government and they should not support a government that is Jewish yet anti Torah. religion. They cannot compare their “Jewish, anti religious” government to ours, which is not Jewish so it is not anti Torah, that why it is okay to get aid from our government as opposed to taking from the anti religious Zionist government. The frum people who want to live in Eretz Yisroel because of the mitzva of yishuv Eretz Yisroel have to do so with mesirus nefesh, and get the support they need from elsewhere.z
Agree with above posters, helenist secular zionists should never be in charge of anything Jewish, especially Medinat Yisrael.
#9 & #10
Research and understand the issue at large, before stating the old message of anti-zionism and anti-torah.
Do anyone of you, know the facts? Or is this called write (right) what you want, its freedom of speech to give over my agenda no mater what.