“Israel – a hybrid solution between U.S. and European Economies?”

Devotee, June 28, 1976, Vrndavana: […] We are escaping from reality.

Prabhupada: There is the question. (devotees laugh) but their reality is dog’s race, and our reality is to advance in self-realization, Krishna consciousness. There is difference. Therefore karmis have been described as mudha, asses. Asses. And asses, why the example is given to the asses? Because the ass works very hard.

"The ass carries the woman’s load of bricks, two tons of, but not a single brick belongs to him. So the ass has no such sense. Ass means he has no such sense. He is thinking, It is my duty. To load upon me so many bricks, it is my duty."

It loads on the back tons of cloth of the washerman, and the washerman in return gives him little morsel of grass, and he stands at the door of the washerman, eats the grass, again loading. But he has no sense that “If I go out of these clutches of washerman I can get grass anywhere. Why I am loading so much?” The karmis are like that. They’re busy in the office, very busy. Full Conversation

Israel – a hybrid solution between U.S. and European Economies?

Posted by Thomas Smith, Oct 13 2010: […] The Haredi (Wikipedia: “Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism”) don’t serve in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) because of the Tal law.
They run schools that don’t teach the “core subjects” (We don’t need to teach literacy, English, math, science, etc. we have religion and that is enough)
They don’t work, and live off welfare.
They have massive families.
A key issue is the Haredi refusal to provide general studies at their schools. Most Haredi boys spend their entire day studying Torah. They do not matriculate. Among girls, the situation is better: They do receive practical training, mainly for teaching but also careers in design and accounting, for instance. A pitched battle is being waged over providing basic education in mathematics, English and the sciences at Haredi education institutions.

Recently the High Court of Justice ordered the state to explain within 120 days why institutions that do not teach “core” subjects should continue to receive funds. The hearing will be held before an expanded panel of nine justices.

The Haredi position, which arose at the Bank of Israel meeting, is that they shouldn’t be forced to provide basic education. “Haredi men can supplement their studies inside a year if they want to work,” it was said.

As some relatives have told me more than once:  Everyone is equally broke in Israel. I have not met many wealthy people there and my relatives have not lived like they did in America. But, as far as happiness goes, they enjoy the freedom from worrying about health care and education expenses. Of course I have met people outside my relatives who have some money in Israel, but just driving around Jerusalem and other parts of Israel, you don’t see as many McMansion type dwellings, or even big homes, in general.

I heard something like 40% Israelis don’t own cars.

Sufficient investment in education – sounds like a growing chunk of education tax money is being provided to the Haredi. Many Haredi don’t work, so they are being subsidized by the rest of the Israeli taxpayers which pisses them off. I am not religious, but from what I have seen, a very nice life style to be able to study all day and not have to worry about making a living!

Would not go over well in the U.S. – would be 100% impossible here, though I suppose you can apply for a very limited number of Yeshiva or Monastery programs in the U.S. where you might not have to work for a while…. Here, in the U.S., you have to be a great scholar to be subsidized by society and there are extremely limited numbers of permanent scholars here…