Fake Rabbi Soldiers?

Fraud by a religious organization is not a good thing.

But I don't understand the underlying premise here. Even if the degrees were real, why should soldiers get a raise for obtaining a rabbinical degree?

There is no possible professional benefit for the State to have a soldier who knows Talmud.

Justice Ministry uncovers rabbi ordination fraud
Ministry considering indicting senior member of Rabbinate, police, military, prison service officers in wide range ordinations fraud
Aviram Zino
Published: 07.18.07, 13:33 / Israel Jewish Scene

The Jerusalem district prosecutor's office announced Wednesday that it's ready to indict in what it now called the "rabbis' case".

"The Justice Ministry along with the National Fraud Unit (NFU), Military Police and the Police Investigation Unit (PIU), had conducted a comprehensive, complex, four-year investigation into the fraudulent ordination of military and police personnel as rabbis," a statement by the ministry said.

Since 1999, and as part of the Ministry of Education's wage agreement with the Teacher's Association, the ministry has acknowledged "advanced religious studies" accompanied by a rabbi's certification as grounds for additional pay benefits.

Various educational facilities aimed at training armed forces personnel as rabbis were soon established. Student at these schools were ordained by the Chief Rabbinate, making them eligible for pay benefits.

"Following a lead given to the ministry, the Department of Financial Crime in the NFU began investigating senior members at the Rabbinate as well as those attending the schools providing rabbi certifications," said the statement.

"The evidence gathered revealed that some of the suspects formed 'colleges' where armed forces personnel attended religious studies classes… with the cooperation of the Chief Rabbinate's director of ordinations, the suspects received false documents stating they graduated a five-year program in a Yeshiva licensed to ordain rabbis.

"These documents were presented to their superiors (in the armed forces), making them eligible for benefits reaching hundreds of millions of Shekels."