The Education Ministry announced it would no longer recognize
Torah-based studies as higher education, in determining
teacher salary levels and as an alternative to a college
degree for jobs that require academic credentials.
The new directive harms first and foremost teachers working
at Chinuch Atzmai and "exempt" institutions, i.e. talmudei
Torah, slicing away hundreds of shekels per month from
the salaries of thousands of teachers.
Nonetheless, the Education Ministry will continue to
recognize thousands of degrees from correspondence schools
such as the University of Latvia although in many cases the
degrees proved to be fictitious and illegal since no studies
or tests were ever required.
MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz denounced the directive in the
following letter to Government Secretary Yisrael Maimon:
Following our conversation yesterday, I hereby notify you
once again that we are witnessing the syndrome of sefer
Iyov-- "Od zeh holech vezeh bo'oh."
It was accepted practice for decades, ever since the State's
founding, that equivalency degrees were recognized for those
who advanced their education through Torah studies based on
established criteria, including standardized tests passed at
the appropriate institutions. Salary levels for teachers and
government clerks are determined accordingly and recognized
in the private, business and education sectors.
And now along comes a new decree which strikes hardest at the
Chinuch Atzmai institutions and exempt institutions through a
new directive from the Education Ministry `workshop,'
according to which the degrees will no longer be recognized
for salary ranking purposes. Furthermore, people with an
academic equivalency degree will no longer be allowed to
apply for jobs announced by the Education Ministry, including
the job announcement for Yeshiva Inspector. The intention is
clear: to preclude the possibility of the Yeshiva Inspector
being a yeshiva graduate with an academic equivalency
degree.
I see in this and previous endeavors clear intentions to
crush and discriminate against the chareidi public and to de-
legitimize their existence in the State of Israel under the
rule of the present government. Never has such a thing taken
place under any previous rule in Israel! How can you come to
us in innocence, when one hand is always full of excuses and
the other stretches out to make budget cuts -- while you ask
us only to give. We will not agree to a unilateral severance
of this kind, -- concludes Rabbi Ravitz.
Saved by the Daf Yomi
By A. Cohen
R' Moshe Shamai, one of the owners of Shuk Hagevinot in Tel
Aviv's Carmel Market, is a regular participant at the Daf
Yomi shiur held at Beit Haknesses Hagodol on Rechov
Allenby at 12:40 p.m.
When he began attending the shiur every day with
mesirus nefesh, he changed his daily schedule to
arrive one hour early in order to allow enough time for his
set learning schedule.
On Monday, when he set out from the store at the regular time
on his way to the shiur, just a few steps outside of
the store a tremendous explosion shook the whole market,
causing major damage to the store.
Despite his slight state of shock R' Moshe refused to miss
the shiur. After administering first air to the
workers in the store he went to the shiur with
splotches of blood on his clothes. After the shiur he
spoke excitedly about the miracle he had witnessed, telling
the maggid shiur, HaRav Lipah Fellman, and his fellow
participants about the great power of maintaining a fixed
time for Torah study.
The shiur was started by Meoros HaDaf HaYomi for area
businessman and store owners who leave their businesses
during peak hours to make time for an hour of spiritual
uplift through the study of the Daf Yomi.
