As part of visits and the setup of Degel HaTorah branches
around the country, Degel HaTorah held an executive meeting
in Ofakim attended by Degel HaTorah Chairman MK Rabbi Avrohom
Ravitz, Degel HaTorah Secretary MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and
Rabbi Menachem Shapira, chairman of Degel HaTorah's Municipal
Department.
The meeting was opened by City Councilman Rabbi Avrohom
Deutsch, who provided an overview of the growth of the local
chareidi community, saying 30 percent of the city's 26,000
residents are chareidi. He noted 40 percent of all primary
school students are enrolled at talmudei Torah and 50
percent of all kindergarten students are enrolled at chareidi
kindergartens. The participants said the city has 25
kindergartens, talmudei Torah, a girls' high school,
yeshivas, 12 kollelim for hundreds of avreichim
and numerous other Torah and chessed institutions.
Participants also noted that through effective organizing
activity further growth is possible and a proposal was raised
to set up a bureau for public inquiries as well as funding
for youth activities. Rabbi Deutsch also said he is working
with the Housing Ministry to bring hundreds of new units to
the city.
The participants at the meeting also discussed problems with
public transportation and the kindergarten students bused
into the city due to the lack of kindergarten facilities in
the chareidi neighborhood.
MK Rabbi Ravitz said numerous Torah activities are held
within the non-chareidi population and pledged to encourage
the Housing Ministry to accommodate the request for
additional construction.
MK Rabbi Gafni said bureaus for public inquiry are set to
open in several places around the country and hopefully
Ofakim will be among them. He also said he would spur the
Housing Ministry to provide buildings for the local girls'
school, which is currently housed in mobile structures. He
also said the issue of public transportation would receive
immediate attention in order to seek solutions for the
existing problems.
At the end of the meeting Rabbi Menachem Shapira, director of
the Municipal Department, announced the branch would undergo
renewal and revitalization.
Other participants at the meeting included Degel HaTorah
Councilman Rabbi Yehoshua Youlis, Rabbi Schreiber, Rabbi
Fleischman, Rabbi Aljem, Rabbi Brun, Rabbi Walman, Rabbi
Erenfreund, Rabbi Moiel, Rabbi Gafni's parliamentary
assistant Rabbi Shmuel Greenberg and Rabbi Ravitz'
parliamentary assistant Rabbi Yair Shufal.
