Oct 30, 2013
new chaburah at the Mir might soon be starting - Zionism and the State of Israel
Minister of Finance Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid faction seem to have been persuaded to cancel the intended budget cut targeting foreign yeshiva students.
This became a big deal because it was seen to be hurting the yeshiva industry in something that is a relatively minor budget item that has a major effect - many of the yeshiva students end up staying in Israel long-term, eventually making aliyah, and even those who do not generate a lot of tourism money - they bring foreign currency, rent apartments, buy food, tour, have parents come to visit and spend money here, etc.
While it might not be so crucial for most yeshivot, as it is really a small amount of money per student, for some yeshivot, and the Mir Yeshiva is mentioned as a prime example, it is a lot of money just because of the number of students affected.
So Yesh Atid and Yair Lapid have agreed to cancel the budget cut! That is good news. Anyways it is a small amount of money, and it does a lot for bringing foreign currency into Israel and promotes aliyah.
But Yesh Atid says we are not there just yet. They are agreeing to cancel the budget cut, but that cancellation is dependent on some conditions. Yeshivot qualifying for these monies would be obligated to teach a detailed course in Zionism and civics, that would also include visits to army bases (I saw somewhere that Haredi yeshivot would visit the Nahal Haredi bases), heritage sites, and participate in conferences on various topics of Zionism.
So, we may soon be seeing Zionism 101 as part of the curriculum in yeshivas like the Mir, and their presence on army bases might become fairly common... or maybe they will prefer to forgo the money rather than be forced to teach Zionism..
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This became a big deal because it was seen to be hurting the yeshiva industry in something that is a relatively minor budget item that has a major effect - many of the yeshiva students end up staying in Israel long-term, eventually making aliyah, and even those who do not generate a lot of tourism money - they bring foreign currency, rent apartments, buy food, tour, have parents come to visit and spend money here, etc.
While it might not be so crucial for most yeshivot, as it is really a small amount of money per student, for some yeshivot, and the Mir Yeshiva is mentioned as a prime example, it is a lot of money just because of the number of students affected.
So Yesh Atid and Yair Lapid have agreed to cancel the budget cut! That is good news. Anyways it is a small amount of money, and it does a lot for bringing foreign currency into Israel and promotes aliyah.
But Yesh Atid says we are not there just yet. They are agreeing to cancel the budget cut, but that cancellation is dependent on some conditions. Yeshivot qualifying for these monies would be obligated to teach a detailed course in Zionism and civics, that would also include visits to army bases (I saw somewhere that Haredi yeshivot would visit the Nahal Haredi bases), heritage sites, and participate in conferences on various topics of Zionism.
So, we may soon be seeing Zionism 101 as part of the curriculum in yeshivas like the Mir, and their presence on army bases might become fairly common... or maybe they will prefer to forgo the money rather than be forced to teach Zionism..
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Donate to the Schneider Hospital so I can run the Schneider benefit marathon..
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A few days ago he announced an increase of 108 million shekels to technology colleges
ReplyDelete(https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623693447689010&set=a.119387834786243.20307.107836625941364&type=1&theater).
I wonder if he similarly required them to teach Zionism and ethics.
the kids in technology schools probably mostly already learned zionism and civics in the schools they went to for grade and high schools. The foreign students probably did not (or at least a large percentage of them did not)
DeleteI doubt it. Lapid talks about educating Arabs and Hareidim, neither of which are known for receiving a strong Zionist education.
DeleteAn excellent idea. I know it smells like a trap. They are saying in fact, let's see who is willing to take the money, if it means teaching Zionism, But that is in fact the point.
ReplyDeleteThe charedi system cannot take money from a body it does not recognise. So if they wish to get state money, then they must recognise the state, and know about it's history. Sounds so logical to me, but I'm sure there will be such a commotion about it, that it will be dropped. A pity!!
They'll teach them about Zioinism the same way they do in the seminaries -- with Perifdy as their text.
ReplyDeleteI read Perfidy myself, and it did not make me a non-Zionist. It may have affected my views of some of the state's founders, but then again, I've always been more of a right-wing guy anyway...
DeleteOne should take a survey or a study of the different yeshivot and see from which ones make aliyah. I have a feeling that it is similar or the same whether they study zionism or not. The seminaries is a different story.
ReplyDeleteKol tuv
Baruch