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Apr 28, 2013
Kollel Incorporated
Mishpacha (Hebrew newspaper) mentioned an interesting idea being floated as a response to the attack on the yeshivas - the canceling of budgets, and the canceling of various benefits that have been given until now but in the future will/might be linked to a persons employability, such as arnona discounts, subsidies for day care, discounts in housing purchases, etc..
The idea is that the yeshivas and kollels will all become businesses. The kollels and yeshivas would all register as research institutions specializing in ancient Jewish texts and Judaic research, or something like that. Instead of paying the avreichim a stipend, they would pay the avreichim a salary. It also mentioned as part of the plan, though I am not sure why this is necessary, after 9 months the yeshivas/kollels would fire all the "employees" who would then go to the Unemployment offices to collect unemployment.
I think it is an interesting idea, and definitely something worth considering.
the problems I can think of are:
The idea is that the yeshivas and kollels will all become businesses. The kollels and yeshivas would all register as research institutions specializing in ancient Jewish texts and Judaic research, or something like that. Instead of paying the avreichim a stipend, they would pay the avreichim a salary. It also mentioned as part of the plan, though I am not sure why this is necessary, after 9 months the yeshivas/kollels would fire all the "employees" who would then go to the Unemployment offices to collect unemployment.
I think it is an interesting idea, and definitely something worth considering.
the problems I can think of are:
- as businesses with employees, the avreichim would all have to be paid minimum wage. that is far more than what the yeshivas would have to pay in the current system. if they are worried about the finances of yeshivas with the current level of stipends, how will they deal with salaries that are considerably higher?
- there might be overtime issues - by law, employees must be paid extra for overtime. will that happen? businesses can often find ways around that, usually at risk of a lawsuit, but I rarely hear of such suits. Maybe this would not be a problem.
- Going to the Unemployment offices might be a threat of a way to get government money for the avreichim, but it is not a very good part of the plan. First, It would mean wasting a morning of learning Torah every week. You have to go to the Unemployment offices, wait in line, meet an agent, go through lists of available jobs, and it is limited in how much time they give it to you. Second, it would be risking being forced out of kollel - to collect unemployment you have to accept any job they offer you. If you are an academic (meaning you have a college degree), then they can only offer you jobs in your field, but that would not apply to a kollel guy. They would be forced to take a job in a factory or a bakery or whatever or forgo their unemployment money..
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Boro Park, Monsey have plenty of frum bakers. What's wrong with that? In a factory they would have the opportunity to do kiruv, and have to get along with all types of people.
ReplyDeleteThey could hire them in shifts; and with differing job titles. After finishing one assignment (job title), they could then be rehired under a different job title.
Forget the unemployment, unless there is an injury and they cannot work. Sounds like they're on to something.
there is nothing wrong with it. it is an honest profession. This exercise however is for the explicit purpose of being able to remain in kollel while finding a way to receive benefits that might otherwise be lost. It is to avoid joining the workforce, and therefore being forced to take a job in a factory or bakery (or wherever else) is something they will not want.
DeleteThey would have to give all averichim a 101 form, and take off income tax and bituach leumi etc. I don't think many kollelim can raise that kind of money.
ReplyDeleteif they were to get a global salary, that would take care of the overtime issue. however, the yeshiva is still responsible for bituach leumi, pension, income tax (probably not an issue), demai begud, vacation pay, all adding up to an additional 30% or more on the base salary.
ReplyDeletein short, it sounds like a good sound bite but nothing more than that.
No ethical problem in jobbing the system to receive unemployment benefits, eh? That's what this great "Yeshiva World" is contributing, newer and better ways to cheat the system, eh? I find it impossible to believe that such a yeshiva world does the army, the Jewish people, or anyone else any good whatsoever. If this is an example of the great "holiness" the yeshiva world has to offer, better it should be destroyed than to continue teaching how to be a thief in the name of God and Torah.
ReplyDeleteAlso the business called YESHIVA INCORP will have to be closed on Yom Haatzanaut and other national holidays.
ReplyDeleteYoni. It might be closed but if the employees break down the door to go to work I doubt anybody is going to stop them.
ReplyDeleteBoruch,
ReplyDeleteTheir hashkafa says that learning Torah trumps the army, etc. It contributes more to the people of the Israel. Why does that bother you so much?
"Jack" - It bothers me that they are willing to cheat the government, which is what I consider this proposal about deliberately hiring and firing "employees" in order to collect unemployment insurance. I question whether Torah study based what I see as blatant fraud and theft from the public has any spiritual value to them or anybody else. When Torah study leads to fraud and theft, this leads me to question whether this Torah study is a valid and useful pursuit, or whether, instead, it has become something of a cult, an end unto itself, divorced from any real connection with God. I do not believe that the Torah was intended to promote destructive ends such as providing justification for fraud and theft, and I therefore question whether such Torah study can really be providing any sort of protection to the Jewish people, as claimed by many of the apologists for the current blanket yeshiva study exemption from the draft.
DeleteWhat issur is there to work? Am I missing something ?
ReplyDeleteBaruch Gitlin said it well. What kind of Torah is it when it lacks yosher? These scoundrels would simply be fulfilling the Ramban's description at the beginning of Kedoshim - naval b'reshut hatorah. A despicable person operating with the Torah's "permission".
ReplyDelete