Israeli media reported on Tuesday that the Ministry of Education will cease to fund the transportation of schools and educational groups to the National Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem. The Ministry cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the cessation of the funding. Thus far, reports have said that dozens of trips have been canceled as a result.

The report said that the schools were given permission to seek private funding for the transportation of students to cultural events, including visits to Yad Vashem and then to pay the Ministry a fee of 1,000 NIS for travel to and from the site. Alternatively, the school administrators could give up on the tour altogether.

The report noted that the blame for the budget constraints is due to the lack of a working government in Israel.

Director of Social and Youth administration at the Ministry of Education, Haggai Gross, said that “Holocaust memory is a national mission, and is intended for all Israeli students. The trips to Poland are part of this mission, but not all students of Israel attend those. Therefore, the Ministry of Education subsidizes a seminar for the senior students at Yad Vashem (including transportation to the Memorial). These seminars are intended for all students, regardless of whether they go on a trip to Poland or not. Every student is entitled, along with his or her class, to exercise this eligibility, that is – to go on a seminar trip to the Holocaust Memorial.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)