In order to remove any doubt, the Ministry of Education’s unit responsible for chareidi mosdos that receive state funding sent a directive ahead of Independence Day, instructing schools to close as it is a nationally recognized holiday.
Maariv decided to follow up and it reports that in Kiryat Sefer, Elad and Betar Illit, most boys schools were operating on Independence Day in violation of the ministry directive. Many talmidei torah in Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak and Beit Shemesh operated as well. The report refers to chareidi mosdos that are not part of the ministry’s public school system, but are recognized as such receive different level of state funding, compelling adherence to ministry directives.
According to Maariv, some of the parents of students attending these chareidi schools were angered because they were compelled to send their children, who were deprived of the day off. One parent is quoted as saying “despite the fact they do not hold the day in regard, the mosdos should not be surprised if they must pay a price for intentionally ignoring ministry directives.”
Some mosdos report regular sessions were not held, but informal and/or voluntary classes. Maariv quotes the same parent as explaining “this is not so,” citing that students that davka absent themselves on Independence Day find themselves in a difficult situation with school officials.
The Ne’emanei Torah V’Avodah organization’s attorney has turned to Education Minister Rabbi Shai Piron to conduct an official probe to determine which chareidi schools were operating on Independence Day and to take sanctions against those schools “for if sanctions do not follow, what is to prevent the continued flippant attitude towards the laws of the state” the organization questions.
The organization’s statement continues “We bless the daily study of Torah, even on Independence Day, but not in state schools for there is the fear if each conducts himself according to his own will, what will become of the law. Tomorrow, we will find schools operating on Shabbos and/or Yom Kippur.”
The Hiddush organization joins in calling for stiff sanctions for violating the Independence Day directive.
Ministry officials report the appropriate officials are probing the matter.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
RULES ae rules.
Do as schools do in other parts of the world, consider a ‘day off/holiday/etc’ and call for OPTION LEARNING day for those interested. Then attendance will usually be around 80% and the ‘bitul torah’ is avoided, figure out how to abide by the law and still run the Mosdos properly. It works throughout the world!!
1. If you accept their money, they own your soul. Let this be a warning to those who want the American government to start funding our schools.
2. All they want to do is cut off money. When earlier groups of off-the-derekh yidden who wanted to take over Eretz Yisrael got annoyed with the Hareidim (e.g. the sicarrim, or the supporters of Shabatai Zvi) they did a lot worse than cut off funding.
We bless the daily study of Torah, even on Independence Day
I also bless the study of Toroh on Tisho b’Ov, but clearly I don’t go and attend regular study on Tisho b’Ov, so the Ne’emanei Torah V’Avodah organization’s statement is an illogical theory.
however schools that open on shabbos, and yomim tovim get full state funding without any questions ask
and this is a “jewish” state?
To open a school on Independence day is wrong and will be punish but letting shops operate on Shabbos Kodesh is not to be punish????????
So they make a law forcing bitul Torah then get upset when people expose its stupidity by rightly putting kol Torah above their ‘law’. Just to try and hide the fact that they ruled directly in contradiction to Torah, they then try to turn it into a question of ‘each acting according to his own will’ – as opposite to the reality of people trying to follow G-d’s Will as opposed to THEIR will! Oy vey, what will become of their precious laws
how about sanations for opening up on Shabbat
‘American government to start funding our schools’—Federal and State governments ALREADY fund schools in USA through bussing, lunch programs, textbooks and resource funds is just a small iota of funds received.
4 & 5 BTW there are no funded schools that operate in Israel on Shabbos & Yom Tov and stores are fined for chilul Shabbos in areas where it is illegal.
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#4 & #7 – All schools, colleges and universities in Israel are closed on Shabbat and Chag – by the same law that the Ministry of Education is seeking to enforce.
If the schools were to be closed how would they fly the flag and what significance would it have