Israeli Finance Committee Approves $75 Million Budget Boost for Haredi Education System

The Knesset Finance Committee approved extensive budget transfers totaling approximately 250 million shekels (around $75 million) aimed at strengthening the Haredi education system across all its sectors. This significant funding package addresses longstanding gaps in financing for educational institutions, teaching staff, and welfare programs within the Haredi community.

A key component of the budget is the full adjustment of salaries and seniority benefits for Haredi kindergarten teachers, marking the first time since Israel's establishment that their pay will be fully aligned with their years of experience, closing a multi-year disparity with their counterparts in the general education system. The budget also allocates substantial resources to regulate student transportation in major Haredi education networks such as "Hachinuch Ha'atzmai" and "Bnei Yosef," resolving ongoing logistical and financial challenges faced by parents and school administrations.

Additional funds will subsidize after-school programs (tzoharim) in Haredi institutions classified as "exempt" or "unofficially recognized," aiming to equalize these services with those available elsewhere in the country and ease the financial burden on families. The budget further supports social and educational initiatives targeting at-risk and dropout youth in the Haredi sector, alongside funding for Jewish cultural activities.

Moreover, the plan includes special provisions to subsidize and expand teacher training programs in Haredi seminaries to ensure high-quality education for future educators. The budgetary move was spearheaded by Finance Committee Chairman and Degel HaTorah MK Moshe Gafni, who emphasized the importance of continuing to support the Haredi education system despite current challenges. Gafni stated, "These approved budgets are an important message to kindergarten teachers, educators, students, and educational institutions, helping to correct long-standing inequities and close gaps. We will persist in securing full rights and resources for the Haredi education system."