Reply To: Why does the government give benefits to kollel yungerleit?

The “kollel for All ” model is of relatively recent origin ( probably since the 1970’s ) for several reasons.
In Europe, full time yeshiva education beyond the basics was limited to the brightest students . There was no government social systems and the Jewish community was too poor to support B and C students. As it was, the yeshivas required globetrotting fundraisers to stay open.
Ironically, it was the baby boomers, the first Jewish generation granted relatively unrestricted access to law medical and dental schools , that provided the wealth that gave kollels the financial ability to open their doors ( and the creation of Medicaid etc ) to anyone who wants to learn.
I have no problem with government support, with 1qualification. Kollels should give periodic exams to see if the students are actually learning or are there for other reasons ( i.e. for shidduch purposes,or they simply don’t want to work for a living ). Someone not learning shouldn’t be there on the government’s dime.