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Friday, October 26, 2007

Israel Pulls Support for Foreign Yeshiva Students

(via DAG) This is interesting, but let me explain why.
During a party meeting it was explained that the government has decided to execute the following:

1. To stop funding payments for students from abroad studying at yeshivas in Israel. As such it was decided to cut NIS 18 million ($4.5 million) from the foundation of the 2008 budget from the area of support for Torah-based learning institutions.
In case you're wondering why it's so much money being pulled just for that, I remember an interesting detail a Rebbe in one of the yeshivos I attended in Israel telling. He was an American living in Israel, and he noted that while he learns in Israel, he is not an Israeli citizen. He was willing to refuse the perks of making aliyah, which surely would have saved him a lot of money, to avoid the responsibilities that come with it (as is his right). But as I understand it, he still was able to receive some perks as a foreign yeshiva student learning in the Holy Land.

From a logical and economic standpoint, this cut makes a lot of sense. Why allow people who won't become citizens to take government money for providing the State with nothing? Of course, a person doesn't need to become a citizen, but it doesn't help the State to encourage it. This move could put a lot of Americans who live in Israel without citizenship into an interesting dilemma.

16 comments:

  1. Ez alot of the money goes to regular american yeshivas learning shana alef and beis.

    I'm willing to bet our contribution to the economy is more than what our yeshivas were gettin paid for our attendance, which i believe was 100 bux a kid or something like that.

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  2. >>>Why allow people who won't become citizens to take government money for providing the State with nothing?

    Easy - because the exposure to Israeli life during that year or two of learning plants the dream of aliya in the minds of many American and European students, who then do become citizens and who do contribute to Israel. I would guess the return on investment when these people eventually make aliya may exceed the funding put in.

    The better question is why the government should be forced to subsidize so many Israeli avreichim, placing the burden of the choice of their religious lifestyle on the society as a whole (secular taxpayers included), with little hope of any return. But that's another discussion...

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  3. Never understood this payout from the gov. in the first place

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  4. Those years of aid did come with a price. If someone subsequently made Aliyah it would reduce their zechuyot. (I'm not sure if they'd just lose one year of zechuyot or if the clock started running once they got them.)

    Yeshivos, though, made students sign for these zechuyot so they'd get the money.

    In other words, this benefit didn't come without strings to the student in the first place. So this is probably not a bad thing.

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  5. Everyone - While some of it is going to those 18-20 year olds, I'm not really referring to those. I'm talking about the 30+ Kollel men who are taking this money.

    Easy - because the exposure to Israeli life during that year or two of learning plants the dream of aliya in the minds of many American and European students, who then do become citizens and who do contribute to Israel. I would guess the return on investment when these people eventually make aliya may exceed the funding put in.

    Interesting idea, but I doubt it. These people aren't coming because of this extra money.

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  6. All I know is that the day the gov. officials came to my yeshiva in E"Y was known as the only time the whole year that the Rosh would visit the dira's where we lived.

    He would make a few tours through the rooms to make sure that everyone made their way to the bais (w/ their passport) to verify they actually where attending, y'know, not just a fake name used to get some extra $$$.

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  7. Funny. I rarely saw him leave the front of the room, except during davening to throw out the guys who couldn't find their hats.

    (Sorry, bad experiences there...)

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  8. This post is an ironic contrast to one Jameel posted earlier this week: Discovering America.

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  9. Funny. I rarely saw him leave the front of the room, except during davening to throw out the guys who couldn't find their hats.

    Having a hat is more important than davening? That must have done wonders for your kavannah. ;-)

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  10. Hold on, let's back up the bashing truck a moment.

    Now, I am the last persom person who would normally come to the defense of an athourity figure. However, as silly as one might view it, a dress code is a dress code.
    I chose not to adhere and therefore would daven in the community as apposed to picking this particular fight.

    --Having a hat is more important than davening? That must have done wonders for your kavannah.

    Not the point. Everyone knows the rules. Ez did the right thing and left when he saw that it was not the right place for him.

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  11. Almost forgot, what is this "kavannah" of which you speak?

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  12. ez i never knew u went to **** *******. i had a rebbe tell me he was told it was better to steal someone elses hat then daven without one

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  13. "--Having a hat is more important than davening? That must have done wonders for your kavannah.

    Not the point. Everyone knows the rules. Ez did the right thing and left when he saw that it was not the right place for him."


    Obviously if someone is in a situation which is hurting their spirituality, they should leave. That being said, you really think it is a good idea to make something like a dress code more important than praying? Would you ask someone to leave your shul because they wore a navy suit instead of a black one?

    "Almost forgot, what is this "kavannah" of which you speak?"
    Kavannah means the "spirit" or "intention" that you are praying with. If you are really concentrating and praying in a meaningful way then you are praying with kavannah. If you are distracted or upset and you are just going through the motions then you are probably not praying with kavannah.

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  14. That being said, you really think it is a good idea to make something like a dress code more important than praying?

    --Nobody said that.

    Would you ask someone to leave your shul because they wore a navy suit instead of a black one?

    --If part of membership in the shul was an agreement that THEY WOULD wear a black suit AND WOULD NOT wear a blue one? Would I, no. Would I have a valid argument on which to stand if someone else did, no.

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  15. ez i never knew u went to **** *******. i had a rebbe tell me he was told it was better to steal someone elses hat then daven without one
    -----

    Really! Now THAT'S impressive.
    I was fortunate with the rebbeim that I dealt with there.

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