Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz last week made a statement about how the haredim need to get out and go to work, and the fact that they generally do not, that is the reason for the high levels of unemployment in the haredi comunity.

Yuval Steinitz has a pretty good relationship with the haredi parties, and with haredim in general. When he was appointed Finance Minister, the haredi politicians were satisfied, saying that he has always been a friend and supportive of the yeshivas. So, I would not consider any such statement by Steinitz to be based on stereotype and bias. Steinitz is familiar and on good terms with the haredi community, and any such statement is because he sees it as a serious as a problem.

MK Moshe Gafni responded saying that it is not that haredim do not want to work, but the government does not want them to. Gafni said the the Tax Authority refuses to certify graduates of Bais Yaakov as tax advisers, even though they have been accredited in a process that ends with exams similar to the regular bagrut (matriculation) exams. Adn, Gafni added, that this discrimination is despite the fact that most people say the haredi women are smarter than others who have gone through the process.

I really dislike it when the haredi parties kvetch how everyone is against them. Gafni is saying that the Bais Yaakov girls takes their own exams, not the ones required by the government for certification (I do not know if this is true or not - I know a lot of [mostly female] haredi accountants and tax advisers, so either they went through a different system or Gafni is wrong).

If somebody is a private entrepreneur and has a system in place what he requires of job applicants, he also has the ability to go around his own rules and hire somebody he likes, even without the proper background, training or education. It is his own business, and if he finds a particular applicant smarter, or more likable or quicker or whatever, he has that ability.

when there is a position that requires governmental oversight, and that position has requirements, people have far less leeway in circumventing the requirements.

So Gafni and his buddies want the girls to not get the appropriate education and testing, yet still be accepted for the jobs. Because he says the training is equivalent.

Stop kvetching about it and instead of designing your own system that does not meet the requirements, let the girls study the required material and take the required exams. Maybe they are smarter, but that is not the issue. There are requirements for these positions and it is not the governments fault that Bais Yaakov does not meet those requirements.

I grew up wanting to play second base for the Chicago Cubs, but my JCC Little League experience was not enough to get me the job. I cannot complain that the Cubs won't hire me if I don't have the training required...