According to a report released by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, the chareidi population of the capital is shrinking and the number of secular residents is on the rise. The report refers to the number of students attending the capital’s public schools, both religious and secular.

The report cites that the number of chareidi students in Jerusalem elementary schools fell from 36,349 in the previous school year to 35,880 this year. At the same time, the number of students in the state schools, religious and secular, rose from 22,136 last year to 22,725 this year, a two percent rise.

It would appear the report focuses exclusively on the capital’s public school system and arrives at conclusions which may not reflect demographic realities since chareidim are less often attending public schools today than in the past.

Institute researcher Dr. Maya Hoshen explains that over the past decade, young chareidi families have been emigrating from the capital; heading for more affordable housing opportunities including Betar Illit, Modi’in Illit and Ramat Beit Shemesh. Dr. Hoshen points out that the percentage of chareidim leaving the city is at least the same as its proportion in the entire city population.

Dr. Hoshen however does point out that the new trend as it would appear may not reflect reality since statistics do not include those chareidim who attend schools unrecognized by the system, which in the case of the capital pertains to many elementary school students, such as in Meah Shearim.

It is important to point out that most of the increase in the non-chareidi schools was in the state dati leumi public schools, from 11,000 pupils last year to 11,460 this year. The number of students in secular public schools also rose, by 140 pupils. Once again, the major growth in the capital is among the population that does not enter the school system monitored in the report.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)