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The Israeli government on Wednesday approved an additional 39 million shekels to increase the salaries of preschool teachers in Chareidi mukar she’eino rishmi educational networks, adopting a new funding formula that recognizes teachers’ actual years of experience.

Under the new policy, government funding for preschool teachers’ salaries will now be based on each teacher’s actual seniority rather than on a capped average of up to 16 years. For years, the Chareidi preschool networks have been required to pay teachers according to their true seniority, education, and professional rank, while government funding failed to cover those actual costs.

The government resolution allocates 39 million shekels from the Finance Ministry to implement the revised funding model during 2026.

Officials from the Chareidi preschool networks hailed the decision as a historic breakthrough and an important first step toward correcting what they describe as a longstanding funding inequity that had pushed many schools toward financial collapse, threatened the livelihoods of thousands of preschool teachers, and cast uncertainty over the opening of the upcoming school year.

At the same time, the Association of Directors of Mochshar Preschool Networks stressed that the newly approved funding represents only a partial solution. The organization said it will continue pressing the government until Chareidi preschool teachers receive full and equal funding comparable to that provided to teachers in Israel’s general education system.

The campaign was spearheaded by Agudath Israel’s Ganim Network under the leadership of Director-General Yisrael Golomb, together with senior representatives of the Chareidi parties and administrators from other educational institutions.

Golomb welcomed the government’s decision but emphasized that significant work remains.

“The work has not yet been completed, and a long struggle still lies ahead until full funding is provided based on the actual profile of the preschool teachers. Nevertheless, we welcome the recognition of teachers’ seniority and thank everyone who worked on this effort, especially MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni. This is an important first step toward achieving real change.”

Golomb also expressed appreciation to his partners in the campaign, including Yaakov Segal, director-general of the Etz Hadaas educational network, the various school administrators, and CPA Avigail Shikovitzky, thanking them for their determination, dedication, and close partnership throughout the effort.

{Matzav.com}

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Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

Under ONE ROOF, from 6:00 am – 6:00 am, 10 kollelim fill successive learning shifts. Each kollel focuses on a specific area of in-depth Torah study. The “Torah-24” Kollelim include: Boker (Gemora), Yerushalmi, Bavli, Zeraim-Taharot, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Erev (Gemora), Chatzos- Zohar/Kabbolah, Erev Shabbos (Chumash / Medrash b’iyun). 

Already there are 52 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

Endorsements & Letters

Endorsements include Maranan Hagaonim shlit”a: Harav Gershon Edelstein, Harav Berel Povarsky, Harav Shimon Badani, Harav Dovid Cohen, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Harav Chaim Feinstein, Harav Shimon Galai, Harav Shraga Shteinman.

Letters of support-encouragement have been received from Maranan Hagaonim, shlit”a: Hamekubal Harav David Bazri, Hamashpia Hagadol Reb Elimelech Biderman, Hamekubal Harav Yaakov Meir Schechter, Harav Moishe Sternbuch, Harav Yitzchak Tuvia Weiss.

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022

Rav Yitzchak Yosef, nosi of Shas’ Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, sent a special letter to Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri congratulating him on the passage of the historic Basic Law: Torah Study, praising the legislation for elevating the honor and importance of Torah and its learners.

In the letter, Rav Yosef wrote that the law “has greatly increased kavod Shamayim and elevated the importance of Torah and those who study it.”

He continued by emphasizing the indispensable role of bnei Torah in protecting the Jewish people.

“Those who study Torah are the protectors of the Jewish people and ensure the transmission of Torah from generation to generation. May it be Hashem’s will that this will lead to a complete end to the persecution of Torah scholars and restore the situation to what it once was.”

Rav Yosef also praised the repeal of former minister Matan Kahana’s kashrus reform, offering special recognition to Religious Services Minister MK Michael Malkieli and ministry Director-General Yehuda Avidan for their efforts.

“I also extend my blessing to those engaged in safeguarding the walls of kashrus—MK Rabbi Michael Malkieli, together with the energetic and devoted Rabbi Yehuda Avidan and all those involved in this sacred work—who, with Hashem’s help, merited bringing this effort to completion and eliminating the danger that hovered over the kashrus standards in Eretz Yisrael.”

Last week, Rav Yosef took the unusual step of publicly intervening in the legislative process, sending a letter to Deri urging him to prioritize passage of the Torah Study Law.

Quoting the famous words of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, Rav Yosef wrote, “Ten li Yavneh v’Chachameha. There is no room for delay, and under no circumstances should the passage of the Torah Study Law be jeopardized. Regarding kashrus, we must save the Jewish people from eating neveilos and treifos and support the current version of the law. It is not sufficient merely to refrain from doing wrong.”

Following Rav Yosef’s appeal, Shas intensified its efforts to advance the legislation. Over the past day, both measures were approved in their final Knesset readings. The Basic Law: Torah Study formally recognizes Torah study as a foundational value of the State of Israel, while separate legislation repealed Kahana’s kashrus reform.

The new kashrus law, promoted by the Ministry of Religious Services, significantly restructures Israel’s kashrus supervision system and eliminates the longstanding direct employment relationship between supervisors and the establishments they oversee. Supporters say the legislation strengthens the integrity of the country’s kashrus system and reverses reforms that had drawn widespread criticism and prompted legal challenges before Israel’s Supreme Court.

In his concluding brocha to Deri, Rav Yosef wrote that the passage of the Torah Study Law had increased kavod Shamayim and affirmed the central role of Torah scholars in safeguarding the Jewish people. He expressed hope that even those distant from Torah and mitzvos would come to recognize the greatness of Torah learners and that the legislation would ultimately bring an end to the persecution they have endured.

{Matzav.com}

Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu sharply defended the recently enacted law freezing the arrests of yeshivah students during private conversations with government ministers, reportedly condemning the arrest of Torah scholars and comparing the practice to religious persecution in Soviet Russia.

According to a report by Channel 14 correspondent Moti Kastel, Netanyahu expressed anger over criticism of the law, which was temporarily suspended by Israel’s High Court pending its review of petitions challenging the legislation.

During the conversations, Netanyahu reportedly urged ministers to push back forcefully against opponents of the law.

“We need to push back against this false propaganda. This law causes no harm whatsoever!” he said.

Netanyahu argued that freezing arrests would actually encourage military enlistment rather than discourage it.

“We want recruits. We don’t want arrests. The more arrests there are, the fewer recruits there will be. We’re hearing this from the heads of the hesder yeshivos. The moment this threat exists, everything stops. It only sows hatred and division. Anyone who is not learning should face the full force of the law.”

The prime minister also strongly criticized the ongoing arrests of bnei Torah, invoking the persecution of religious Jews under the Soviet regime.

“Taking Torah learners? They did this in Russia, and we cried out against it! This is not the solution. The Torah is our Jewish heritage for hundreds of generations! It is what has sustained the Jewish people.”

Netanyahu also addressed the recently approved Basic Law: Torah Study, dismissing criticism of the measure.

“What do they want? The law states that Torah study is a foundational value in Israel’s heritage. Wow! What’s the big deal? There’s nothing more to it.”

{Matzav.com}

A dramatic coalition showdown erupted in the Knesset on Wednesday evening just before the final vote on the government’s landmark judicial reform bill, after MK Moshe Gafni threatened to block the legislation unless funding issues affecting Chareidi preschool teachers were resolved. Following hours of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Gafni prevailed, clearing the way for the bill to move forward.

The legislation, championed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Constitution Committee Chairman MK Simcha Rothman, reached its final stages after roughly 70 committee meetings. However, moments before the decisive vote, the process came to an abrupt halt as Chareidi parties threatened to withhold their support, triggering a direct confrontation between Gafni and Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich.

As coalition leaders scrambled to prevent the bill’s collapse, Rothman deliberately prolonged his speech from the Knesset podium, buying time for intensive negotiations behind the scenes. Those talks ultimately ended with the coalition accepting Gafni’s demands.

At the heart of the dispute was growing frustration within United Torah Judaism, particularly from Gafni, over the government’s failure to approve promised seniority-based salary increases for Chareidi preschool teachers. UTJ accused Smotrich of intentionally delaying the funding and removing it from the government’s agenda in an effort to pressure the party politically, specifically to secure representation for his Religious Zionism Party in the municipal coalition in Beit Shemesh.

In response, UTJ informed coalition leaders that it would not support one of the government’s signature judicial reform measures, a move that would almost certainly have doomed the legislation.

Religious Zionism fired back with an unusually sharp public response. Associates of Smotrich argued that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara should “send flowers” to Gafni because, by threatening the bill, he was effectively preserving what they described as her judicial “dictatorship.”

Party officials also warned that if Gafni and his colleagues were responsible for defeating legislation intended to curb the attorney general’s authority, “they will not be able to show their faces in the Chareidi street,” adding bluntly, “they should not threaten us.”

Despite the heated rhetoric, Gafni’s political pressure ultimately succeeded. After marathon negotiations, Smotrich’s camp agreed that funding for the salary increases would remain on the government’s agenda, officially resolving the crisis.

The confrontation unfolded despite an earlier coalition agreement under which the Chareidi parties had pledged full support for the attorney general legislation as part of a broader package negotiated with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. In return, the coalition had advanced several key Chareidi-backed measures, including the Basic Law: Torah Study, the law freezing the arrests of draft evaders—which was later suspended by the High Court—and legislation repealing the kashrus reform.

Gafni’s last-minute threat briefly cast doubt over the entire agreement. Once the dispute over the preschool teachers’ funding was resolved, however, coalition unity was restored and the legislative package remained intact.

The legislation at the center of the dispute is designed to significantly reshape the relationship between Israel’s government and the attorney general. Its primary provision removes the binding status of the attorney general’s legal opinions, making them advisory rather than mandatory for ministers and the cabinet.

Under the proposal, the attorney general will continue serving as the government’s chief legal adviser, offering legal guidance and outlining available options while helping ensure compliance with the law. Final policy decisions, however, would remain with elected officials.

The bill further provides that while written legal opinions from the attorney general will reflect the government’s legal position, they will not themselves determine the law. The government will be permitted to conclude that an opinion does not accurately reflect existing law, provided it reports that determination to the Knesset Constitution Committee.

In addition, the legislation grants the government greater authority over its legal representation in the courts. If the attorney general declines to represent the government’s position, ministers will be authorized to retain private outside counsel to argue the government’s case. With the coalition crisis resolved, the legislation is now expected to proceed to a final vote.

{Matzav.com}

The struggle over Israel’s military draft law is set to intensify dramatically after the Sanzer Rebbe announced that he will personally lead a mass tefillah rally and protest outside Military Prison 10 following the arrests of two members of the Sanz community over the draft issue.

The move comes less than a day after emergency meetings were held by senior Sanz er activists to coordinate a series of nationwide demonstrations in response to the arrests. News of the Rebbe’s personal involvement surprised many Chassidim and is being viewed as a major escalation in the campaign.

According to organizers, the decision was made after an avreich and a yeshivah bochur from the Sanzer community were arrested in recent days under Israel’s military draft law. The Rebbe will interrupt his stay in Caesarea, where he had been resting, and is expected to arrive Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. at the entrance to Military Prison 10.

He will be accompanied by thousands of Sanzer Chassidim from across Israel, who are expected to travel to the prison on organized buses for what organizers describe as a massive prayer gathering and protest outside the prison walls.

Those coordinating the event say the Rebbe’s decision represents a significant breakthrough in the campaign against the draft law. He will become the second member of the Chassidishe Agudas Yisroel’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah to personally lead a demonstration outside the military prison together with his Chassidim. The first to do so was the Gerrer Rebbe.

{Matzav.com}