Gedolei Yisroel shlita have issued an urgent plea
asking generous donors to help support Keren Hahasa'ot, which
provides funding to operate the bus system that brings
thousands of boys and girls from outlying areas to Beis
Yaakov and other Chinuch Atzmai schools every day. The vast
majority of these students come from traditional, but non-
observant homes.
In their notice regarding the crisis Keren Hahasa'ot is
facing due to some $3 million in back payments to bus
companies, maranan verabonon note that the spiritual
lives of these students and their family members depend on
whether they are able to receive a proper education at
talmudei Torah and Beis Yaakov schools. "The holy
enterprise of talmudei Torah and Beis Yaakov schools
operated by Chinuch Atzmai is in danger of losing 20,000
yaldei Yisroel, mostly from peripheral towns, and the
vast majority from traditional homes where their spiritual
survival and that of their family members depends on the
education they receive at talmudei Torah and Beis
Yaakov schools. This [danger] was brought about when the
government stopped [funding] the buses that enabled the
students to attend. If they succeed in this, chas
vesholom, it would be a decree not just against these
students, but against other students as well, since the
schools would have to close down due to insufficient
enrollment, and if we fail to come to their aid, chas
vesholom, thousands of Jews will forget the Torah, and
then what will we have to say for ourselves on Judgment
Day?"
In response to the crisis situation the heads of Keren
Hahasa'ot, HaRav Yosef Efrati, HaRav Chizkiyohu Mishkovsky,
HaRav Mordechai Karelitz and HaRav Yaakov Virzhbinsky, held
an emergency meeting in Jerusalem to discuss how to deal with
the enormous debt, which has to be settled before the end of
the school year. HaRav Yitzchok Levinstein was also at the
meeting.
Keren Hahasa'ot was formed two years ago by Maran HaRav
Eliashiv and the Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib
Shteinman shlita when the government failed to
transfer payment for transportation costs, based on dubious
claims devised by jurists.
Until then the government had provided partial funding for
the Chinuch Atzmai bussing program. At government schools the
remaining transportation costs were covered by the local
authorities, whereas Chinuch Atzmai institutions had to
obtain the balance of funding through coalition agreements.
Two years ago, although the balance of funding had been
arranged and approved by the Knesset Finance Committee,
jurists blocked the transfer of payment, claiming it was
illegal and citing a High Court decision in a petition filed
by the Reform Movement.
In a settlement with the government it was decided that the
government would continue to provide funding which covered
half of the transportation costs, while the balance would be
paid by Keren Hahasa'ot based on fundraising. Last year,
through chasdei Shomayim, the heads of the Keren
managed to raise the needed funds, which came to $6 million.
This year, due to the devaluation of the dollar, the Keren
had to raise a total of $7 million but at present, two months
before the end of the school year, the Keren is still $3
million short and in danger of collapse.
At the beginning of the meeting Keren heads noted the great
importance attached to this enterprise by gedolei
Yisroel, who themselves undertook the burden of raising
money for yaldei Yisroel. They also quoted Maran HaRav
Eliashiv, who said maintaining Keren Hahasa'ot is part of the
obligation to maintain the pure Jewish education at Chinuch
Atzmai institutions.
