Free Republic

Once again, Israel is witnessing protests calling for the end to the stipends given to married men with families who study Torah full time. One of Shas Party members, Chaim Amsalem, has spoken out siding surprisingly against the continuation of the stipend for Kollel members. Bringing communications from leading Sephardic Torah sage, Rabbi Meir Mazuz, purporting these Torah scholars earn their own keep. Rabbi Mazuz wrote as praising review for one of Amsalem’s book, states, “Students must be taught as early as age 16 various trades such as shechita (ritual slaughter), milah (circumcision), hazzanut (the art of being a cantor),...

Congressional investigators are questioning a half-dozen lawmakers for possibly misspending government funds meant to pay for overseas travel, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation follows a Wall Street Journal article in March that said lawmakers had used daily cash stipends, meant to cover certain costs of official government travel overseas, to cover expenses that appeared to be unauthorized by House rules. An independent ethics board has referred the matter to the House ethics committee. Congressional rules say the daily travel funds, called a per diem, must be spent on meals, cabs and other travel expenses. But when...