how come that everyone can study at the yeshiva without passing an entrance examination to see whether he is capable of studying??? students at the universities have to prove to be able to study.

a insult to normal jewish people, that these religious bigots are given free reign to suck the life out of the country that protects them no matter how nonsensically insane they are.

The notion that there is "no poverty" in Haredi society is untrue and perhaps the interviewee was being a little disingenuous. I would suggest fundamental failure is not whether or not the State gives out grants. Its in the mutual abdication of the responsibility for secular education and ensuring independent earning power. The State has a responsibility to ensure proper education for access to economic welllbeing, even at the expense of forcing secular studies into Haredi schools. Similarly, these young men have a responsibility to demand from their communities a similar status for working "Baalei Bayit" as much as for those "in learning" and say no to the pressure to be treated as "prizes" for their parents and in-laws. Both need to acknolwedge that handouts are a terrible thing unless attached to specific study programs leading to Rabbinic or Academic positions (even the Yeshiva systems can be run on professional lines), and grants should only be available as part of a wider system of grant maintained higher study at Iniversities or Yeshivot alike. If society cant afford this expense, then going to work is the only acceptable alternative. There needs to be a national curriculum mandated across the country, and if the draft becomes universal, perhaps the length of service could be reduced to ensure its no longer seen as such an issue. A 2 year enlistment for all young Israelis, (Jewish, Arab, Secular and Religious) would be the best way to build cross-community cohesion for a country clearly at risk of crippling itself through parochialism.

As a former secular, living in Jerusalem for the past 32 years, working and learning in yeshivot and kollelim, some of what he says is correct, but is very slanted. Most men in kollels learn, there are a few slackers in any organization, including the government who do nothing so is true of kollels. Most men in kollels take their studying seriously, a small few mess about, but I would put the number much less than the slackers I worked with at the Jerusalem city when I worked there. The city employees would take time off disapear, shop downtown on work time and the supervisors could do nothing. One time a supervisor tried firing a secretary who did little and it backfired, she ended up with a secretary that hated her, refused to give her messages, did everything to sabatoge her. The other supervisors took heed not to disipline any employee. The city was a total mess. I worked in the IDF also. There I watched the office workers mess about flirt and avoid work. Kollels pay little; no one is there to become rich or avoid work. If they paid so much, why don't the seculars join them and live easy. Because only some one dedicated to learning Torah will live on a small subsistance for his ideals.

It really doesn't matter if they take their studies seriously or not. There can be no more than 500 or so full-time Torah scholars funded by the state. All the rest must lose their stipends and integrate. In addition, the state must end all new child allowances.

Bullsh!t - ask this lady - http://matanbseterbambi.org - you know how much she has to deal with? I've been in her house, I've seen it. This guy may or may not be right regarding the kollel issue, but he lost all credibility when he told me there is no poverty.

You have greats reporters and your articles are often very good, but WHY? WHY do you have to continue that path? I mean what do you get not stopping criticizing the haredis. The most you'll get is to put face to face the religious Jews and the secular ones. Is that what you want? I'm sure not so stop showing the bad side of the haredim that won't help them to be accepted. Even if I think that people have nothing to expect. I hope that you'll understand that this message isn't written to put fire on the oil. It's just to ask for peace between us. The hate, the war we already have it with our ennemis, the real ones that stand at Israel's borders and even inside. Thank you.

Let's assume that "Yehoshua" really does exist and is not the result of the reporter's overworked imagination. As a working chareidi, and a member of a chareidi community, and as a parent of teenage boys in the yeshiva system, I am sure that if Yehoshua really feels that he's wasting his time in kollel, he would have given way to depression by now and wouldn't be writing letters to MKs and getting interviews with the most anti-chareidi media website available. There are "bummers" around to be sure; but as mentioned by others, there are also bummers in almost every Israeli office you go to. This doesn't make it correct, and yes - I am agreement that all but the most dedicated learners should learn for 2-3 years after marriage and then get themselves a career. All this being said, I am afraid that "Yehoshua" either has his own personal agenda to destroy the fabric of society, or is a figment of imagination.

You would not write an article like this about Arabs. I have relatives in Mea Shearim and I have seen how they live, trust me nobody is the life of "Riley" on a kollel stipend. How about, instead of making stuff up you hear from an "anonymous" source, a YNet reporter go undercover and actually learn in a kollel for six months and live on a yeshivaman stipend, then write about what it is really like. Otherwise, this is just pure incitement.

Oh yeah...keep on bashing the religious, the only ones who will keep the JEWS JEWISH, while ignoring the real menace in Israeli society...the booming anti-Israel Arab population. The Religious may bore you, however, the Arabs will end up killing you.

This report is simply not credible. First we are told these remarks come from a man who "claims" to be in a "kollel" and "120% haredi". But the call could not be traced to the kollel as it was "made from a pay phone on a noisy street." Again, we're told it was phoned in. Then we are told he "arrived at our meeting" with his face covered by his hat. Which is it? Your story came from a phone call, or a meeting? Why did he have to disguise himself at the meeting? He could be anyone - a dropout, a disgruntled, disgraced or failed student with a grudge, or even someone disguising himself as haredi who is actually anti-religious.

Light side curls hide behind his ears and his cheeks are adorned with a stylish beard" Well, now, that should narrow it down if they start searching for the snitch. He's sure to stand out like a sore thumb..... Very brave boy to come out with this. I respect that hugely!

If the government lacks the courage and integrity to stand up to outrageous extortion that will further undermine the fabric of society it would be better if they resigned. The gimmick of extending the absurdity to secular students will not do anything to reduce the extent of the threat to our future.

Yet another Ynet anti religious report. And tomorrow your be waving rainbow flags because Harel Skaat will reveal tonight that he is "gay"

We have the same problem with Marxist students and faculty at all the major Colleges and Universities here. Why should citizens be forced to subsidize THAT crowd of lazy bums?

fryer in yidish does not mean sucker . fryer by the observants mean free, refering to one who made himsef free from the bible commendements.its only by secular israelis that fryer mean a sucker. therefore although i agree with a lot of what he says i totally discredit him he has a personal agenda and grudge.

I have discussed this article with several friends today and am becoming more convinced that this story is little more than a work of fiction. Why wasn't it printed in hebrew? perhaps because it is easier to disprove?

I know of a family where the father works - he has his Rabbis permission because he got his degree before he became religious. But all his sons are in Yeshivot. One is not coping, so he "learns" part time and has started a small business the rest of the day. He still gets from the Government and does not declare his business to the government. People like this are the problem, not those who really are studying. But the fault is with the Rabaiim who allow and even promote this. Not with the seculars who fund it.

A person learning in kollel receives around 700 NIS a month. That's it. That's not enough to "suck off of society".

If a person was not committed to a spiritual lifestyle why would anyone be stuck in a dead end low salaried (about $1050 per month) job.

As long as the major parties have to depend on a tough coalition deal to rule -our problem will be with us -perhaps forever. In the Zionist Yeshivas the rabbis don"t try to control their students lives-they can join the army and study in a university as they please. When younger Haredi leaders will be able to break away from their elders and establish yeshivot that are free from outside influences- right I mean the "Gedolai Hador" we will see progress. The Haredim are wonderful people and its a pity that the old Haredi leaders want to dictate how everyone should live. The old rabbis have to cut the umbilical cord that holds their own folk hostage!

Very nice work (in writing) though. Probably got many people fooled.

as Ynet didn't publish on the first attempt...wonder about a second one? The State of Israel keeps insisting on all of us Diaspora Jews to keep sending money to prop up this nonsense, all the while giving parties such as United Torah the balance of power in the Knesset. Along with the waste of resources, this government inhibits the lives of millions Jews inside and outside the state by forcing us to abide by their self-righteous dictums if we want to be recognized as Jewish within Israel. I say - enough! Kippah's off to the Haredi mench who broke the silence.

His mistranslation of frier does make me question the authenticity of this.

Just a comment on poverty in the haredi world: people do not necessarily agree on the definition of poverty. Haredi society, brought up on the idea of "איזהו עשיר? השמח בחלקו" ("Who is rich? The one who is satisfied with his lot", Pirkei Avot) do not necessarily view themselves as poor. By objective measures, most haredim are poor; by self-definition, almost no haredim are poor (source: Dr. Idit Weiss-Gal, head of the undergraduate program at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University).

They dont join them because those people grew up in Haredi families with that being the norm. To a secular person that whole lifestyle is foreign. They dont have parents who tell them to sit and learn ... on the contrary their families tell them to go get a damn job.

The entire story appears to have been made up. There was no reason at all for the snitch to meet with Novick since he phoned in his story. Therefore, it's not credible that, being so fearful of recognition, he would take the risk of a totally unnecessary meeting. Like the rest of the story, the meeting appears to have been made up so the author could say he saw with his own eyes that the coward was haradi. Also, why disguise himself during an arranged meeting that must have been in a secluded spot, given the coward's paranoia? Either the whole story was made up, or the snitch was a nut case!

With all the benefits any yeshiva student can make 3,000 nis or more, and is still considered little? Many other people are making their living cleaning toilets and earning the same ammount. Besides, what makes it really tricky is that this "small pension" doesnt let them get out of their confort zone. And probably, many dont have the skills to go to more qualified jobs where the salaries are higher. Vice circle.

Actually the word frier is yiddish for free- the name that was given over a hundred years ago to the free thinking haskala movement, referring to their being free of mitzvot. Second, the reason for not going to the army is not as stated "to not get killed" rather to not be influenced by the secular way of life.I myself was once haredi(now modern orthodox) and wanted to go the army but my wife didn't let since she was afraid i'd be influenced contrary to the lifestyle we lived(and in the end i did change-so she had a point!)