The Jerusalem District Court on Monday, 8 Adar, ruled in favor of regional registration for girl’s entering high school in Elad. The ruling is contrary to the position of Gedolei Yisrael Shlita, including Maran HaGaon HaRav Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita.

The consequences of the ruling is that the local schools are compelled under the law to accept all schools applying for registration. The entire case surrounds ongoing discrimination against Sephardi girls, some remaining at home while others find a place in a classroom in a school elsewhere.

Attorney Yoav Lalum took his case to court, seeking to compel Elad City Hall to accept all the girls wishing to enroll in high school/ Justice Naveh Ben-Ohr ruled the city must announced when registration opens as per the agreement with the court. Justice Ben-Ohr added the municipality will be fined NIS 1,000 daily for each day this announcement is delayed. The municipality was also ordered to cover Lalum’s court costs amounting to NIS 15,000, which will be paid to his Noar K’halacha NGO. Interestingly, the organization’s Hebrew page’s URL used the term “Frenkim”, which is how chareidi Ashkenazim often refer to Sephardim in a derogatory way.

As per the court, the Elad Municipality is immediately compelled to publish the following in newspapers and on bulletin boards; “The decision to enroll children in seminars (girl’s high schools) in Elad has been accepted by Darchei Chana. That is to say, Darchei Chana will be balanced with students from the Beis Yaakov from the upper area of Elad. Students from the Beis Yaakov in the lower area of Elad will be accepted in the Ladaas Chachma High School and therefore this school will be balanced with the girls from the lower area Beis Yaakov”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)