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Gedolei Yisroel Say Educational Institutions Must Remain Free of Outside Influence and Control
by Yated Ne'eman Staff

Recently, government officials have been applying heavy pressure on talmudei Torah defined as mosdot petur (free of all government control of the educational program) to transform them into mosdot mukarim, which would make it possible for the Education Ministry to interfere with curricular arrangements. Concerns have also arisen that, due to financial incentives, melamdim might enroll in various advanced teaching courses sponsored by the Education Ministry.

Over recent months, Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Eliashiv shlita has expressed staunch opposition to these trends and talmud Torah principals have heard him make piercing remarks about the great danger to the pure, Torah- based approach to education as a result of external involvement, reminding everyone that the leading rabbonim of the previous generations said that all-out battles should be waged against government officials seeking to interfere with education.

In a letter to Talmud Torah Chochmas Shlomo in Jerusalem to mark an event held there, Maran addresses this issue and expresses his deep concern over the possibility of changes in the way of education handed down to us (see translated text of that letter).

In another letter of blessing for the same event HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz also mentions these dangerous trends and encourages talmudei Torah principals not to be enticed by offers from Education Ministry officials, even if refusal could mean the discontinuation of government funding (see translated text of that letter).

Recently HaRav Steinman also spoke on this matter to principals and other educators at his home (see the translated text of key points in that address).

BS"D, 26 Sivan 5764 My blessings go out to the teachers and parents of the talmidim at Talmud Torah Chochmas Shlomo on the occasion of the Chumash party for the mechinoh class. May it be His Will that you merit seeing blessing result from your efforts to educate them in the way of Hashem as practiced in the houses of tinokos shel beis rabbon since time immemorial. A call is currently being sounded to alter the way passed down to us and to change the status of talmudei Torah to "mosdot mukarim," which is liable, chas vesholom, to bring about interference by figures from secular education in the houses of tinokos shel beis rabbon. Furthermore, on the fringes of our camp are those who would like to send melamdim to advanced teacher training courses sponsored by the Education Ministry, and at this time we are obligated to make it known that all those who introduce changes will be called to task and no changes whatsoever should be made in the practices upheld in talmudei Torah until now. And in this merit, may the principals and melamdim and parents merit nachas from their efforts. With Torah blessings, Yosef S. Eliashiv

Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz Zichron Meir, Bnei Brak BS"D, 26 Sivan 5764 Dear Rav Avrohom Pinzal shlita Principal of Talmud Torah Chochmas Shlomo in the Holy City of Jerusalem, I would like to extend my blessings on your joyous occasion -- the joy of Torah - - as you bring the young flock, the holy flock of the children of the talmud Torah, to the study of our holy Torah with the commencement of Chumash study, and among them my great-grandson Yisroel Meir, neiro yo'ir veyizrach. Our chachomim z"l homiletically interpreted the verse, Bayom hazeh bo'u Midbar Sinai (Shemos 19:1), for it should have said, Bayom hahu. What is meant by Bayom hazeh? That the words of Torah should be as new and beloved to you as the day they were given. These words can be delved into further, for every time Torah study is begun, this beginning is as important as when it was given by HaBorei Yisborach, and when we bring the children to begin learning the holy Torah it is considered as if we are bringing them up to Mt. Sinai to the sublime event of Kabolas Torah from HaBorei Yisborach, the Giver of the Torah. In the words of Chazal we find that at the time of Kabolas HaTorah all of Yisroel had the merit of seeing Hashem's majesty in all of creation, for the seven firmaments were open before them and they saw with their own eyes that there is none beside Him, and they gained a true awareness that all the events of creation were all in accordance with His Will. And this was an introduction to Kabolas HaTorah. This chizuk in emunoh He gave, provided the strength needed to stand firm in each and every generation in all of the situations when others rose up against us to take away Torah study and its subsistence, like the decrees that now appear every day by those who seek to uproot our path, the path of life, in educating the coming generations, both boys' education and girls' education. This faith that only Hashem's Will sustains all of creation will give us strength to stand fast, undaunted and unafraid, for the fate of the talmudei Torah, to reject all of the incentives and offers they bring before us. We must be aware the way of the Yetzer, as Chazal taught homiletically in Maseches Succah 52b on the verse, "Vayovo heilech le'ish he'oshir vayachmol lokachas mitzono umibekoro la'asos lo'orei'ach habo lo, vayikach es kivsas ho'ish harosh vayasei'hu lo'ish habo eilov" (Shmuel II 12:4). At first he was called "heilech," later he was called "orei'ach" and finally he was called "ho'ish." This is their approach. At first they come in such a way that we will not sense their evil intentions. But we must know the truth, that their aim is to uproot the entire `kivsoh,' i.e. the entire talmud Torah and Bais Yaakov system, eventually coming upon us as ish, Rachmono litzlan, in the form of the overlord, with their decrees. In Chovos Halevovos we find that on those who disregard this contemplation, the verse in Mishlei says, "Anshei ro lo yovinu mishpot umevakshei Hashem yovinu chol (28:5). And Your Honor shlita has the merit to be among these mevakshei Hashem and has clearly expressed his opinion not to submit in the least and not to negotiate with them at all, in order to avoid allowing them any access to the holy institutions, that we may continue to run the talmudei Torah in the way handed down to us from generation to generation to educate the young for Torah and mitzvos, and even if in so doing they discontinue their funding; and voicing this opinion is an act of kiddush Sheim Shomayim borabim. And by having all principals of educational institutions meet this test with dedication and courage to continue the holy way without any subjugation or obligation to any plans from outsiders, may we merit seeing Hashem's salvation and may we merit raising upstanding generations to glorify Yisroel. Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz

HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman shlita said: "Education has always been a foremost concern for Am Yisroel, which preserved the purity of education like the apple of its eye. Recently, breaches have been created as the Education Ministry, whose sole intention is to intervene in our education, makes various demands. Although one need not be a big expert to see the failure of their own education systems, they are trying to tell us how to educate our children and to breach our education system as well. We must stand up to this breach and fight with all our strength to halt their plans and preserve our education in purity without any intervention from them -- not in curriculum and not in changing the status of the educational institutions. And even if they try to impose gemora study on us we will resist their attempt to intervene, and we will learn gemora because we have an obligation and not because they impose it on us. They must not be given the slightest foothold."

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