JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a dramatic development in the charedi educational system, the Belz chasidim are close to integrating core curriculum studies in their system and receiving 100% funding from the government. Two Belz institutions will initially come under the supervision of the Bnei Yosef network of Shas and will receive the full funding. The agreement is expected to expand to all of Belz’s educational institutions, numbering some 9000 students.
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The Belz initiative is a blow for Degel Hatorah, which had threatened to split with Agudah before the previous election over the possible inclusion of core curriculum studies. At the time Netanyahu intervened prior to the election and promised Belz funding even if they didn’t include core curriculum studies, but this promise wasn’t fulfilled in the current budget and therefore Belz moved ahead with the curricular studies.
Previously, the Shas minister in the education ministry Chaim Biton had delayed the entry of Belz into the core curriculum system in order not to maintain the connection between the acceptance of such a curriculum and 100% funding, but after the intervention of Aryeh Deri, Shas will take responsibility for the Belz institutions.
The Ashkenazi students will now be under the auspices of the “Organization of Talmudei Torah for the Heritage Of Eastern Jewry.” The Bnei Yosef network has yet to formally respond to the initiative but the Education Ministry welcomed the program and stressed that it will include thorough supervision from the supervisors of the Bnei Yosef system.
Before all the YAAFED supporters start comparing Israel to New York Yeshivos let’s be clear. Here in NY even the most chasidishe yeshivos teach core subjects. In addition in Eretz Yisroel the children talk Hebrew In America the chasidishe yehivon don’t want to speak English it’s a cultural issue.
Good for them! I’m proud that they made the bold move! It’s so necessary for children to know the materials of the core subjects. Curiously, Naftali the Moser was a Belz student in NY but he just failed through the system!
Don’t know what they will actually learn, but Belz was never as stridently anti-Zionist or anti-basic education as other groups. Why the fear of teaching kids language skills and math, some history, is beyond me. Many survivors from Eastern Europe learned more basic skills by age 12 than some boys in yeshivos today. Go figure.
BTW it’s only the girls schools , enjoy the rest.
As Ilhan Omar YM”sh says, it’s all about the Benjamins
They may be doing it now only for the money, but hopefully they’ll realize over time that this really is better for their students. mitoch shelo lishma, ba lishma…
The power of government handouts.
Old news what wouldn’t that rebbe do to make a few shekel
Haha belz always was very shrewd. Trust me not a single boy will learn any extra secular education. its a game and they will fill this requirement by teaching the grils which they do anyhow now