During a session of the Knesset Finance Committee on Tuesday, 23 Tishrei, committee chairman MK Moshe Gafne spoke about the nation is pushing chareidi men to enter the workplace but at the same time they are victims of discrimination. The committee met despite the Tishrei recess to discuss the state budget.
He cited two examples, a friend from Yeshivas Chevron who worked as a guide. When the friend tried getting a job as a guide he was told he requires a high school diploma but since he does not have one he cannot get a job. “He wants to be a guide, not a rocket scientist” stated Gafne, who added he must learn English and past exams, but he was not given an opportunity to integrate. He stated Yeshivas Chevron is a good yeshiva but his friend does not have a matriculation diploma.
He gave a second example, a person who wanted to become certified as a driving instructor but could not take the exam since his years of yeshiva study are not viewed as years of schooling.
Gafne explained he is serving on the Knesset committee and is among the integrated chareidim but the calls to bring in the men from the chareidi tzibur are not genuine for as long as the discrimination continues.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
If the job requirement to have a high school diploma is across the board, where is the discrimination?
While the standard of learning at yeshivos is generally more rigorous than academic institutions, the learning is less structured. Unlike high schools and colleges, most yeshiva gedolas do not grant tests or require term papers.
No Israeli government agency is preventing chareidim from obtaining a high school equivalency diploma or college degree. In fact, the Israeli gov’t subsidizes Chareidi education of boys despite its non-compliance with compulsory education requirements of learning English, math and science.
In other words, can we complain when we voluntary refuse to obtain a high school diploma.
In most countries a high school diploma or “equivalent degree” is requested. A type of equivalent bagrut should be passed & decided upon that allow yeshiva student “with skills” to receive.
Blynmom, FYI bochurei yeshiva are able to obtain an external high school “equivalent” degree at frum night schools, such as Mercaz HaCharedi.
So therefore NO DISCRIMINATION just an individual’s choice of yes or no.