At a ceremony held last Thursday at the Jerusalem residence of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, grants totaling approximately $5 million were distributed by the Hatzalah Fund organization.
The funds are intended for administrators of haredi educational institutions that consistently choose not to accept government funding or financial support from state authorities.
The event was held in proximity to the yahrzeit of Rabbi Yoel of Satmar, zt"l, founder of the movement that advocates complete avoidance of government funding. It was part of the fund’s broader annual distribution, which totals approximately $17 million.
For the occasion, the fund’s chairman, Shlomo Yosef Waldman, arrived in Israel and went directly to Rabbi Sternbuch’s residence, carrying envelopes containing the substantial grants.
During the ceremony, the envelopes were placed on the rabbi’s desk, and he blessed the donors and those involved in the fund’s activities.
The event was attended by additional senior figures from the anti-Zionist haredi community, including members of the leadership of the Eda Haredit and directors of seminaries and yeshivas. They came to express their appreciation for the financial assistance, which enables their institutions to continue operating in complete financial independence.