New York – Rabbi Lipman: People Have A Skewed View Of Yesh Atid

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    FILENew York – In an interview that aired last night on Zev Brenner’s Talkline program, Knesset member Rabbi Dov Lipman spoke about a number of topics including the recent controversy sparked by his words on introducing basic secular education in Chareidi schools, the Women of the Wall and his thoughts on drafting Chareidim into the Israeli army.

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    Rabbi Lipman said that he does not view the debate regarding his stance that any school that accepts money from the Israeli government should be required to incorporate basic math and English into their curriculums as a major controversy, but instead explained that dialogue regarding the issue can only be productive for b’nei yeshiva and the Torah world.

    The full radio interview below:

    Asked how he felt about being informed that his remarks marked him as someone who was no longer a member of the Chareidi community Rabbi Lipman responded, “As far as I know, it is Hakadosh Baruch Hu the one who is bochen k’layos v’lev and not really for basar v’dam to do that.”

    Holding strong to his stance that many within the Chareidi community are starved for the basic educational skills that would give them the ability to find meaningful jobs, Rabbi Lipman explained that the program being discussed would be specifically geared to the yeshiva system.

    “Keep in mind, and I have actually been tasked with this, we are talking about using books that are used in the yeshivos in America that great roshei yeshiva and gedolim have in their own yeshivos and translating those books to be used here,” explained Rabbi Lipman, adding that in the interest of fairness, the budget would continue to provide thirty percent of the funding previously given even to schools that refuse to implement a general studies program.

    Rabbi Lipman outlined the proposed plan for drafting Chareidi young men, which would not begin until the age of 21, saying that yeshiva study for boys between the ages of 18 and 20 is crucial. Given a number of approximately 7000 chareidi boys reaching the age of 21 each year, the proposed plan would allow 1800 Chareidi boys to remain in yeshiva. The remainder would either go into a Chareidi unit, which would offer minyanim, learning and bases that would be religiously appropriate or would spend their time performing national service, after which time they would be permitted to enter the work force.

    Rabbi Lipman described the plan as, “A historic moment for the Torah world. This is going to be the first time in the history of the state that Torah learning is actually being viewed as doing service for Am Yisroel. It is going to be part of the program…We recognize that these boys who are learning, it’s not that they’re exempt. Their learning is significant enough that we view it as service.”

    Rabbi Lipman dismissed the notion that Ner Israel was considering revoking his semicha, calling it nothing more than a baseless rumor and characterized much of the emotional exchanges that can take place in the Knesset as grandstanding.

    “You don’t understand that Moshe Gafni of Degel Hatorah can get up on the Knesset bima and scream chai v’kayam and then five minutes later I see him in the Knesset cafeteria for the members of Knesset and he is sitting with Yair Lapid and they are talking and laughing. People don’t see that and that is unfortunate.”

    Reiterating again that many people have a skewed view of Yesh Atid, Rabbi Lipman insisted that there is no agenda to secularize the Chareidim and that while the Chareidi political leadership is against offering any form of secular education, the average Chareidi citizen is just looking for a way to feed his family.

    “The words of support have been continuous my email box is full, especially from Chareidim and from people who come to meet with me who say ‘Keep going, we need this to happen.’ And it is clear from so many angles that this is the right thing, it is the best thing for the community and there is no sinister intention…It is not just me saying that. People don’t know Yair. People don’t know education minister Shay Piron, they don’t know the people in the party who I have had a chance to have gotten to know…Hopefully over time people will come to realize that the goal here is not that anybody should be less religious, the goal is that the community itself should be more sustainable and thrive and really contribute to the State of Israel.”


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    37 Comments
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    favish
    favish
    10 years ago

    ‘ im hurav dome lealach hashem tzvuous yevakshu torah mipihu vim lav al yevakshu torah mipihu’ 1) according to him there is no such thing as onlt hashem ‘bochen libos’ but we psat is not like him 2) lipman is a perfect example of the memrah…especially the picture of privious article regardim him..picture the igros moshe, minchus yitzchok etc etc like that

    10 years ago

    What’s clear is this. Yesh Atid is fighting against Shabbos, Giyur, Jewish marriage, Pesach Yeshiva’s, and everything Jewish. If an american politician would have said half the things he said, against any minority group he would’ve been arrested. anyone who doesn’t agree with this doesn’t know the basic facts and should please learn them before commenting. Lipman is a partner in this all out war against god, that’s a fact, completely regardless to anything related to education. The rest is irrelevant.

    10 years ago

    He is being played by the chilonim, at best. His agenda is parnassah. He will have all the weak hands supporting him. His agenda is not more Torah. Look at the amount of Torah being lost here.

    Being punitive to Yeshivos who don’t care for Ner Yisroel style Chinuch, is being punitive to a large portion of klal Yisroel. Punitive has no place here. If Yesh Atid really cared about the charedim, If we really didnt understand who they really are, they would offer benefits to those who had some level of math or english skills, not punishment to a majority of Yeshivos. It would also yield a healthier result. This result is a war, and will never work. Period. End of story.

    chosid
    chosid
    10 years ago

    He will bezras Hashem fail in his misguided attempt.

    radrad
    radrad
    10 years ago

    I guess we should keep the status quo.
    I only had four people from eretz yisrael today knock on my door becasue they have parnasa problems; Can’t get a decent job, government cutting subsidies etc
    Story is always the same; beard and paiyos different color and length though…

    Maybe we are no different than the Arabs; maybe our so called leaders want us to remain in poverty so that they can mind control – chalila.

    Rabbi Lipman-Kol hakavod. I think what you are attempting is nothing short of heroic. HKB’H does not want us to be an army of shneurers

    10 years ago

    Yesh Atid is the up in coming jewish circle these days. I am quite amazed at the ditties all over the internet coming from these new jewish political parties in Israel today. If there is a skirmish that goes far, it is likely to be under the auspices of the heavens themselves. And if there is a fraud that we do indeed respond to such as the WotW, we are likely going to see a bigger envelope of freedom emerge for all who fight the indiscretion in the World To Come.

    jack-l
    jack-l
    10 years ago

    Those 1800 boys are going to be the cream of the crop. They will be such incredible talmidai chachamim that all of klal yisroel will admire them and follow their leadership willingly.

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    10 years ago

    Rabbi Lipman seems sincere,but somewhat naive. He’s an accidential Kenesset member since his part never expected to win enough seats for him to serve in that body, and they just don’t know what to do with him.

    berelw
    berelw
    10 years ago

    WHAT ARE ALL YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT? he has valued points. i think this guy is sincere. i dont which world you guys come from but there is a big huge problem in eretz yisroel why are almost all charaidim are poor and here in the us most are comfortable….because here we have some knowledge and work…in israel its tabo..its nuts….a little knowledge of arithmetic writing spelling is a good idea….i also would like to point out i have the greast respect for gedolei yisroel…but a few years ago one of our gedolim didnt know what a credit card was…!! he sees the pain and backwardness of his fellows and want to help. hes in a great position as its from a non charadi party…charadi party’s in israel lost a tremendous amount of credibility.

    Halaivy
    Halaivy
    10 years ago

    all he is trying to do is to enforce the modern orthodox agenda on the ultra orthodox and he will not be successful while even the Mizrachi rabbis and the rosh yeshivah of the modern yeshivah agree that the charedim are entitled to their way

    shalom36
    shalom36
    10 years ago

    I would love to see Dov Lipman serve in the army before he shoves his policy down the throats…. He is very athletic and a great basketball player. He could use those skills in the Israeli Army. He is really good. An Amazing athlete at sports Star.

    Facts1
    Facts1
    10 years ago

    “The remainder would either go into a Chareidi unit, which would offer minyanim, learning and bases that would be religiously appropriate”

    “Religiously appropriate” is something that each communities rav should decide not a fringe barely modern orthdox group!

    For them “Religiously appropriate” is something like having them listen to women sing for cohesive reasons or inspected in their private areas by woman!

    Given Israel’s history with the “Yemen” Jews who were also going to supposedly be handled “Religiously appropriate” but then had their children “stolen” from them and sold on the black market for a few shekels and the remaining forcfully stolen their identities by the mechanisms of the Zionsits, who would hand over their religion to them? Who?

    derecheretz
    derecheretz
    10 years ago

    What happened to simple common decency when we speak of other people? What happened to “tochehcha” being done in a way that does not shame and embarrass others? What happened to respectful disagreement on issues? If we who are Bnei and Bnot Torah are not refined enough to find the right words to rebuke or chastise someone, if we can’t do it in a menchlich way, what has the Torah done for us? Let’s turn down the heat and not scream and yell or throw chairs at each other. We should all have a joyous and deep Chag Kabbalat HaTorah.

    SandmanNY
    SandmanNY
    10 years ago

    Most of you are missing the point. You think if the yeshivas add adapted math and English to their curriculum, the talmidim will be compromised. Not true. In a world in which business is global and math and English are essential, how do you expect the talmidim to have any functional edge in the job market? Personally, the chareidi tendency to react rather than respond just makes me sad. The attitude perceived by the watching world is one of elitism, condemnation, ignorance and just plain meanness. This is not the Torah way. The Torah mandates that a man must work AND labor in Torah. A few have full time labor in Torah. Why don’t you all see this?

    ChaimAharon
    ChaimAharon
    10 years ago

    Israel is not America. Doesn’t everyone know this? What is good for American frum Jews is not necessarily good for Israel’s. Lipman wants to help those chareidi youths who cannot sit and learn, to get a job. Good. Do it! But why force it on those boys who do want to continue learning Torah. If there are 7000 21-year olds each year, Lipman wants to FORCE close to 5200 of them to leave learning even though they want to! He should help those who want to work and equally (or more) help those who want to learn. He will have on his G-dly scorecard that he will be forcing 5000 boys every year to leave learning.
    Another issue is: if Lipman is indeed Chareidi as he claims, who is his Rav TODAY who guides him? Does his Rav advise him to force boys to stop learning? Non-chareidi frum Jews also have guiding Rabbonim. Who is Lipman’s??? If Lipman does not have a guiding Rav, then he isn’t acting like a frum Jew.
    And lastly, does Lipman know better than the chareidi gedolim what is good for chareidi society??? Does that not border on chutzpah?!

    Barsechel
    Barsechel
    10 years ago

    Please read Lipmans stance on Geirus, it will be clear to anyone that Lipman is an Apikoires –
    He is a disgrace he is the Askenazi counterpart of that other Apikoires Am Salem who was kicked out of Shass.
    Both of them ahould be put in a cherem – !