Representatives of the Council of Hesder Yeshivot and the rabbis of the Association of Yeshivot for Higher Learning convened for an emergency meeting after a sudden change in the budget for yeshivas endangered the next academic year.
The meeting was attended by Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rabbi Zalman Melamed, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, Rabbi Yehoshua Magnes, Rabbi Shlomo Rosenfeld, Rabbi Hananel Etrog and Rabbi Eyal Greiner.
At the meeting, the rabbis declared: "The State of Israel is the home of the Israeli people and is also the home of the Torah of Israel. The value of Torah study is a national value and the State of Israel has recognized this in its laws as well."
The rabbis appealed to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, "We call on the Government of Israel and the Prime Minister to do everything necessary to maintain the budget of all yeshivas, thus realizing the right of the nation to preserve the existence of the Torah world."
The Hesder and Higher Yeshiva Associations point out that the monthly payment received this week from the Ministry of Education has reached an unprecedented low, embodying a reduction of over 55% of the average budget in 2019-2020.
For example, this month the yeshivot received a meager budget of only NIS 345 per month for a married student.