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Freeloading Bachurim Get 44M Shekel Holiday Bonus

Haaretz reports,

Knesset Finance Committee Chair Yaakov Litzman (Agudath Israel) obtained an expensive Hanukkah gift for yeshiva students yesterday – but the state will pick up the NIS 44 million tab.
The gift consists of a one-time state grant of NIS 330 for every unmarried yeshiva student and NIS 600 for every married yeshiva student, to be distributed over the next few days. The money will be on top of the normal monthly stipend received by yeshiva students – NIS 720 for married men and NIS 400 for single men.
The NIS 44 million in grants is on top of the extra NIS 290 million for ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) educational institutions that Litzman’s party was promised in exchange for joining the coalition at the start of the year.

Is this even remotely fair in any way, shape, or form? Hareidim don’t work, they don’t pay taxes, they don’t serve in the army, and they incite against the state… Did I happen to mention income tax in Israel is roughly 50% and that most Israelis I know work two jobs and still live below the poverty line? WTF?

11 thoughts on “Freeloading Bachurim Get 44M Shekel Holiday Bonus

  1. Damn. I should grow out my peyot. Then I’ll get free money and a “get-out-of-Tzahal-fre e” card, and all I’ll have to do for the rest of my life is sit on my ass while my wife works and takes care of my nine children. And I’ll never have to worry about what to wear again.

  2. mmm… 720NIS/month… let’s seem that’s a whopping, umm, ermm… well, less than $200/month. right. that would buy me a metro card, and one week’s groceries in NYC. while it may buy a little bit more in mea shearim, such a pittance couldn’t possibly be the sole means of support for the haredi families who receive it, especially with all their children. my question is… how do they all really get by?
    probably in the same mysterious way that they get away with not paying taxes…

  3. bachurim who live at their yeshivas or with their parents don’t need much more than that, especially if their faces are buried in gemara all day

  4. I support this… Call me whatever…
    I pay taxes here in America. I don’t bitch and moan about it because I want my money to go to good causes. Here in America we have seperation of church/state, but Israel is supposed to be a Jewish state and therefore a Jewish state should support Torah learning. I see this as a good thing… Even as a hard working software engineer, I would support the spreading of Torah knowledge {and I do give Charity to some Torah organizations, including Aish.com}.
    My opinion! Michael U

  5. I have to agree with Mobius on this one (gasp!). There’s no basis in Jewish tradition or in common sense to have an entire population be deliberately dependent on the rest of the people. Especially when the rest of the people are not wealthy and are struggling to survive against many millions of neighbors who want to murder them.
    I’m certainly not against Torah study. I’m also not against privately subsidized Torah study (which is voluntary, unlike taxes, and allows the donor the option to carefully monitor his investment). I’m even in favor of publicly subsidized Torah study, under the following conditions: Only a reasonable certain number or percentage of the population would be eligible (maybe 10%); those selected would be selected solely on merit; there would be regular testing to insure that the learning was actually done; attendance would be enforced as it would be with any job; and at least some of the learners and alumni would be expected to serve the public directly through lectures, articles, books, one-on-one study and advice, and leadership.
    As it is now, the system is an abuse of the non-Chareidim, allows the Chareidim to move further and further away from reality, which harms them as much as everyone else, does not provide Torah study and leadership as well as it should, and is, I believe, a Chillul Hashem. Not to mention an insult to the old wine merchant and the physician whose works are studied.
    As for inciting against the state…I don’t tolerate this from the Right any more than I do from the Left.

  6. Sorry, there’s just way too much palpable negativity, hostility and anger in soooo many of Mobius’ posts, and this is no exception.
    You might want to look into the reason for that. (No lashon hara intended.)
    It saddens me.
    Haredim
    “Don’t work?”
    My Haredi brother-in-law works. And so do most of his friends. Maybe not 9 to 5, but being a shohet, mohel or sofer stam IS work.
    Haredim
    “Incite against the state?” I would say indifferent to the state is more accurate.
    I don’t know exactly how you can make such a generality.
    You want to talk incitement, start with Azmi Bishara.
    THAT’S incitement.

  7. fair isn’t usually what happens in government spending.
    Just look what the US did recently, cutting all those social programs and shifting the money to tax cuts for people making over 1 million dollars. (Of course, many people here think that’s fair…i think they’re greedy.)
    I think they should subsidize Torah study, but I also think those people who are able to gain employment should do so, however, i challenge your assumption that all of them are able to but don’t.
    And Mobius, since when did you care about people inciting against the state? I thought you were an anarchist. Forgive me if I was incorrect in this.

  8. i didn’t say i was against it… i just don’t understand the logic of funding people who are fighting against you

  9. “i didn’t say i was against it… i just don’t understand the logic of funding people who are fighting against you”
    YES!! Next on Jewschool… “Welfare payments to Palestinians – hang me if you must, but don’t charge me for the rope!”

  10. Never mind, I assume now that bachurim are yeshiva students.
    “In Monsey, New York, there are a lot of bachurim.”

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