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A severely damaging Israeli High Court decision combined with malicious political�interference from non-religious special interest groups is threatening the spiritual�welfare of thousands of children in the Chinuch Atmazi network of Torah schools�throughout Israel. The situation is so dire that Gedolei Yisroel on both sides of the ocean�are spearheading an emergency �Transportation Fund� campaign to raise funds to plug�a growing financial gap to shuttle the children to their schools.

Nearly 10 years ago, the Israeli Reform movement convinced Israel�s High Court to�order a drastic cut to Chinuch Atzmai�s transportation budget. Literally overnight,�Chinuch Atzmai was confronted with a multi-million dollar deficit in its budget for�transportation!

Gedolei Yisroel recognized the government�s decree as a malicious attempt to thwart�the successes of the burgeoning network of Torah Schools, jeopardizing the education of�tens of thousands of children. An emergency meeting was held in 2006, where the�gedolim launched a new initiative known as �Keren Hasa�ot � The Transportation Fund.�

During the past ten years, the fund has grown to some $17 million annually. The fund�has been able to provide over 1,000 regular bus lines, transporting more than 20,000�children every single day from 215 locations across the country to more than 100�Chinuch Atzmai Torah schools.

Up until now, this enormous achievement has been funded through the determination�and commitment of the fund�s presidium, namely, Harav Mordechai Karelitz, and Harav�Yaakov Verzabinsky. However, with the opening of the current school year, the fund has�reached a breaking point. The exponential growth of the budget and the accumulated�deficit from previous years has resulted in a real and immediate threat of the bus�companies terminating their contracts. Thus, it has become apparent that this�staggering budget can no longer be sustained through its regular fundraising�operations.

With the fate of thousands of Jewish children at stake, the gedolim in Eretz Yisroel have�issued an urgent Krias Kodesh, declaring it a chov kodosh � an absolute obligation � for�each and every individual in Eretz Yisroel and around the world to �adopt� at least one�child. The clarion call has been followed by a corresponding appeal from the gedolim in�America for each and every member of the American Torah community to commit to�contributing $30 per month for twelve months, to cover the transportation costs of one�child.

Upon the advice of the gedolim, a new American office has been opened in Lakewood,�New Jersey under the name Keren Kiruv Yaldei Yisroel. For further information or to�contribute, please contact the Keren�s offices at 732-955- 3700 or email-�[email protected].