Rabbi Amar: Distribute stipends equally

Chief Sephardic rabbi tells union yeshiva student bill should apply to secular students too

Kobi Nahshoni|Published: 11.04.10 , 14:20

Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar met with student representatives Wednesday and said that the yeshiva student bill should be made to apply for students in higher education establishments too. He did not discuss ways to implement his proposal.

In a meeting with representatives of the National Student Union held in his chamber, Amar called on students to keep a lower profile in their campaign so as not to be perceived as harboring anti-haredi sentiment.

The Chief Rabbinate said that the meeting was held in good spirits.

The National Student Union also described the meeting as friendly and noted that the rabbi agreed with their demand for equality and the integration of the ultra-Orthodox public into the workforce.

National Student Union Chairman Itzik Shmueli said: "We told the rabbi that we are not against the haredim but in favor of equality for all.

"The rabbi mentioned that he was initially wary of meeting with us as he thought we would be too eager after the protest but he said he found us to be mature and responsible. He respected our ideas and promised to urge the haredi Knesset members to meet with us and hear us out."

Tomer Velmer contributed to this report