"Lapid wants to destroy us" • Roshei Yeshivas speak

Roshei Yeshivas and managers of Yeshiva Ketana's are concerned of the Arrangements Law, which includes cutting funding to non-governmental educational institutions and severe budget cuts to institutions that do not teach core curriculum.

"There is great concern that the cuts will hurt us," said Rabbi Yaakov Zadka, chairman of the institutions Ohr Hapardes, and the Rosh kolle of Kol Yehuda in Pardes Chana. "We find it difficult to support our students," he says. "Large part of our budget is based on state funding, and to fund the other part we sweat all year. If the situation exists that the half will be taken from us, we'll have to deal with the new reality. I do not know how we'll succeed in the mission."

However, Rabbi Zadka believes that Torah study is not dependent on the country or budget. "If the world of Torah gets hurt, it's just proof that state cabinet doesn’t have the merit to hold the Torah scholars. We will have to find an alternative way to raise funds, even though the road will be very difficult.
"Yair Lapid is cutting from the yeshiva world to shut the mouths of social activists that may complain that he is also planning to hit the weaker sectors. He thinks that this way he will lay the foundations."

Rabbi Zadka determines that the reduction is due to attempt to destroy the world of the Torah: "We are aware of his intentions to destroy the Torah world. We need to make an effort that these things will not be reflected in the general media. The more we will protest, the more it will backfire, and it is easy to do so. We must not cooperate in this game. "

Yehuda Kowalski, Yeshiva director in Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem, believes that cuts on the haredi educational institutions are due to "jealousy of the secular of our education system."
In a conversation with B'Chadrei Charedim, he says: "The secular cannot understand how could a yeshiva student who studies 16 or 18 hours a day, does not lose his temper, does not throw objects on his rabbi. How there are no stories with us existing in the secular youth school."

Kowalski says: "It will be very difficult to recover if such cuts are carried out. Torah is not eliminated. But there is no doubt that if it will be more difficult to obtain funding to 70 students each year, the value of Torah study will be greater."

Rabbi Chaim Illouz, Rosh Yeshiva of Bach (Knesset Menachem) in Jerusalem says that as soon as the funds are cut, "I am closing the yeshiva."
He is also very concerned about the possible cuts. "I have no doubt that they are able to carry out the cuts. Goal is the same: to bring Israel to be less haredi and less Torah scholars. They are afraid that within 10 or 15 years, the government will be in our hands. This is also why all the time looking to hit the ultra-Orthodox."

Rabbi Illouz says that last week an avrech told him that he is afraid to bring another child into the world, "I barely end the month," he said. "I have no money to buy milk at the grocery store."

That he says: "You see what condition they bring us to? We are afraid to have children and this is their goal."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!