Religious Education Networks Warn of Collapse Over Frozen Funds

Religious education networks in Israel are warning of a potential collapse as approximately 30 million shekels designated for the state-religious education system remain unfrozen due to an interim court order. With the new school year commencing, these networks have appealed to Education Minister Yoav Kisch and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, urging their intervention.

The frozen sum is the remaining portion of an 80 million shekel budget allocated to the state-religious education system, which was partially frozen over the past year following a petition to the High Court of Justice. While 50 million shekels have been released, the remaining 30 million are still held up. This hold is reportedly due to a separate petition filed by MK Naama Lazimi against budget transfers approved during the Knesset recess.

To bridge the funding gap, the education networks have resorted to loans and independent sources to cover essential expenses, including teacher salaries, religious studies programs, and identity-building initiatives. These measures were taken to ensure the continuity of educational activities and shield students from the immediate impact of the budget delay.

However, with the school year beginning, the networks state their capacity to continue self-funding is diminishing. They fear further delays will severely impact the institutions, teachers, parents, and students. "For a year, the networks have held the system together by force. We took out loans, found funding sources, and paid for things the state was supposed to fund," a senior official from one network stated, emphasizing that the situation has reached a critical point and is causing real damage.

The networks are demanding immediate action from Kisch and Smotrich, asserting they have reached their limit in financing the religious education system on credit.