The Jerusalem Society for Equality has filed a report which examines schools buildings in the capital. The report documents a significant increase in discrimination against the chareidi sector living in Yerushalayim – pointing out students are often compelled to sit in caravans and trailers instead of proper classrooms, frequently in overcrowded conditions, while there are many empty classrooms in proper school buildings which are simply not allocated for the chareidi sector.

As the chareidi sector continues to grow at an unparalleled rate, official numbers state that in the beginning of the 5772 school year, an additional 9,000 chareidi children will enter the system, as opposed to a total of 200 in the secular and state religious schools combined. Despite the demographic realities, the city fails to adjust its plans to accommodate the numbers, leaving the chareidi students without proper school buildings and classrooms, often compelled to use facilities with major safety and fire hazards.

Some of the city’s neighborhoods are still listed as secular of mixed neighborhoods, but in reality, they are primarily chareidi regarding school aged children. One such neighborhood would be Ramot, with 13,000 children. Over 90% of them are in chareidi mosdos. In Givat Shaul, 84% of the children in kindergarten and elementary schools are chareidim. In Kiryat Moshe, 50% of the neighborhood’s children identify with the chareidi educational system.

In Ramat Eshkol, now a bastion for American chareidi families, 90% of the little children are in chareidi mosdos as are 80% of the area’s older children. In Givat Mordechai, 50% are chareidi. In Rechavia (40%), Musrara (90%), Lev Ha’Ir (70%), Kiryat Yovel (36% of kindergarten children), Gilo (24% of kindergarten children), and N’vei Yaakov (71% in schools and 84% kindergartens).

The report documents that hundreds of chareidi classrooms are nothing more than temporary structures, some from tin and plasterboard, with too many posing an array of hazards. Another hazard posed by some of the temporary structures still in use is asbestos, a known carcinogen. This is the case with Talmid Torah Chochmat Shlomo, which has 1,500 students enrolled. A similar alarming situation exists in other yeshivos as well in neighborhoods including Ramot, Givat Shaul, and N’vei Yaakov.

On the other hand, in the non-chareidi schools, too often one can find classrooms designed for over 30 students serving classes as small as seven or eight pupils.

The report adds the city allocates buildings while ignoring protocol and procedure as per the Ministry of the Interior and Jerusalem City Hall. Examples include the Maimon School in Kiryat Moshe which became the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva L’Tzeirim (high school), citing most of the pupils are not residents of the capital. In the Rechavia area there is the Evelena DeRothschild High School, which was turned over to Hartman Institute; and in Ramot, three large buildings were turned over to Noam and Ohr Torah Stone, none affiliated with the chareidi system.

According to attorney Yeshayahu Horowitz, who stands behind the report, “Chareidi children in Jerusalem learn in unacceptable condition, worse than in Gaza. The report is based on months of research and it is being submitted to the Office of the State Comptroller, the Ministry of Education and Members of Knesset”.

The report address many problems; security and safety concerns, including access, emergency exits, water availability, fire extinguishers, integrity of stairwells and more, all towards averting a disaster chas v’sholom.

Horowitz accuses education officials of acting improperly, at times with ulterior motives, ignoring the needs of the city and the rights of the children, who after all are the victims of blatant discrimination.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)