It would appear that the period during which there were exchanges of words regarding planned cuts for lomdei Torah has ended and those cuts are now reality. An avreich earned 720 NIS monthly prior to general elections; and 927 NIS during a period before that. However, today, that sum has been reduced to a mere 279 NIS as the national government has sharply cut its support of religious studies.
The cuts are not just impacting kollelim, but yeshivos too. The sum of 500 NIS was gradually cut to 400 NIS and today, after the decrees of Finance Minister Yair Lapid that sum stands at 155 NIS.
Bayit Yehudi MK Yoni Chetboun told Kol Chai Radio on Monday morning, 13 Elul 5773 that he and his colleagues are working and they plan to make good on their promise. Chetboun lamented the cuts, which he pointed out impact not just chareidi mosdos, but hesder and dati leumi yeshivot too. He stated that the party is working to change today’s reality so that the cuts are minimal, and he is confident this will soon be the case as promised.
One should realize the sums listed above pertain to citizens of Israel. Talmidim learning here who are foreign citizens will only receive 60% of the sums listed above. Therefore, an avreich who is a foreigner is left with 167.40 NIS.
Directors of mosdos report that cuts are drastic and devastating and if the situation does not improve, some mosdos will be compelled to close their doors chas v’sholom.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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18 Responses
1. Anti-zionist yeshivos never accepted government money, and should be unaffected. The more a yeshiva depended on zionist money, the bigger their problem. In effect, the Israeli government is punishing yeshivos for being zionist and rewarding those yeshivos who opposed zionism. This is sometimes referred to as “shooting oneself in the foot” or “kicking the ball into your own goal”.
2. In all fairness, if modern kollel people reduced their standard of living to the one we enjoyed in the “good old days” before World War I, the money shortage would disappear.
3. If someone’s committment to learning Torah was based on getting a stipend from the goyim, they definitely have a lot to learn.
Lapig. what a stinking rasha. i want to see him cut one stinking shekel from a student is university, citizen or not. hold him under the mivah i say.
It’s mainly Bennett’s decree not only Modern Haman Lapid’s. If not for Bennett Lapid would never have been in power. So we can easily conclude that Daati Leumi who voted for this Rasha as their head are to blame.
I don’t understand the shock and surprise on the part of the Chareidi community. Why would the secular leaders subsidize the continued existence of the Torah world who they detest.
The surprise is that it has lasted this long.
The yeshivos get big bucks for the american students between SAFSA and MAASA
Perhaps some men will actually get a paying job now to support their families while their wives can take a breath from their 2 full-time jobs motherhood 24/7 AND parnassah.
Learning Torah full-time should be valued as a true gift.
שותפי ממשלת-יזראיל-השמד והשנאה – יתנו את הדין ג
“ד’ ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון”ן
I don’t see how someone can live on 279 NIS a month. But I also can’t see how someone could have supported a family on 927 NIS per month, before the cuts. What do people do? How do people support themselves and their families? This wouldn’t even cover rent almost anywhere. For those who are familiar with the system, what do people do?
Its only a matter of time till G-D will make them realize that they are fighting G-D
Just too bad that Arik can’t tell them you better stop ??
2. Toi says: “i want to see him cut one stinking shekel from a student is university, citizen or not. hold him under the mivah i say.”
I think you can see why, from their perspective, they support universities. They see that university-trained students can work at jobs that bring income to the country and that help other people. They see students trained as lawyers, nurses, doctors, scientists, teachers, and engineers that help the country run day to day and that help the economy grow. They see the dividends paid on their investments in professionals that help the country run. It makes sense that they will want to continue helping universities train future workers.
For all of their money they’ve invested in yeshivas (and they’ve contributed more towards yeshiva students learning than any government in history), it’s hard for them to see how it’s helped the country. They see that they are pouring in tremendous money to a group of people that — from their point of view — aren’t doing much, and then they see that these people who learn often are in a much weaker position to contribute to the country as a whole. We really need to be better about showing them how putting money into yehsivas helps them, because otherwise they’ll just see it as a drain for which they are paying the price.
sifsei chachamim: only zionist yeshiovos got that money, and only they willmiss it.
welcome to the real world. about time. want to learn torah nobody is stopping you do it on your time, or dime
The sad reality is that the government is losing its merit of being a supporter of Torah. Chazal point out that the rights to live in Eretz Yisroel is contingent upon Bris Milah and the study of Torah.
Comment #1 ; I have observed many American Avreichim living beyond their means, yet I know first hand of many more who shun materialism and are barely surviving.
#5; how many American yeshivos are fiscally solvent based on those grants?
#6; I have taught for twenty years plus doing many other efforts to provide never asking my wife to support us. I know many others as well. Those stipends really helped put food on the table.(btw fleishig was for Shabbos and if there were leftovers)
Shulamit, I’m sorry you feel overburdened. Did you ask your husband to start providing so you can get some relief? If not, try it.
But please, speak for yourself. Many women gladly bear the burden so their husbands can learn. They realize what a zechus it is for them and what a difference it makes in their chinuch habanim – not to mention what a difference it makes in the fate of klal yisroel. They are honored to share their husbands’ portion in olam habah.
Again, if you aren’t in that category by all means speak up! But don’t tar every other kollel wife with your personal feelings!
Solution: Go to work…!
Those kollel boys from overseas who come to Israel to learn? Stay home and save your parents thousands of unnecessary dollars. You can learn in Hutze-Plotz also and get a good shidduch if you believe in G-D.
This high school graduation present of going to EY for both boys and girls is putting parents in the poorhouse.
Fellows(especially, Toi), get it through heads — nobody owes the Chareidim supporting them in kollel forever and not asking them to do anything.
#10, +1!!!
to M: No argument the university programs that prepare people for careers are in a different class than yeshivos. The correct comparison is to someone in a university studying Shakespeare or Plato or Music or Fine Arts or Russian literature (or Jewish history or Bible or Talmud).
The reality is that the government subsidizes university students in all majors at a very high level. Professors are typically upper middle class, and many Israeli students have dorms that most American would love, and tuition that the American parents would envy.
I would think a rosh mosad faced with this problem would say to his charges, chevre, go work 5 hours to help support yourselves and the mosad, and then come back. But no, they want the whole kugel. Most don’t realize that the average productivity of people in the workforce here i really 5 hours or less a day. This is all flushed with an attitude problem.