Once again the politicians are exclaiming there is no discrimination against Sephardi girls and that all girls in the community of Elad have been assigned a school for the coming school year. City Hall explains all the girls have been assigned and the days of girls remaining at home are a thing of the past.

It is pointed out that most of the ‘unassigned’ girls are generally Sephardim but there is also a small number of Ashkenazi girls as well.

Contradicting the possibly premature self-congratulatory statements, a Kikar Shabbos News report states dozens of girls remain unassigned, with the overwhelming majority being Sephardi, graduates of Beit Margalit. There are a number of graduates of Beis Yaakov too, albeit relatively small in number.

Some of the girls were accepted to Sephardi high schools, not Ashkenazi. Girls registered Erev Tu B’Shevat so it is not a matter of late registration. They waited six months for a response and now realize they are left unassigned.

When questioned about the matter, Elad Mayor Yisrael Porush confirms there are dozens of graduates from Beit Margalit and about ten from Beis Yaakov without schools.

Kikar reports it obtained an audio tape in which an aide to Shas leader Aryeh Deri speaks to a mother of one of the Beit Margalit girls. The aide explains Deri spoke with mayors of chareidi communities, including Elad, and he was told all schools were assigned to schools.

The aide had harsh words for principals of these high schools in Elad. He accuses them of being corrupt and of being defiant of gedolei yisrael, adding “I do not envy them in Olam Haba. We are dealing with a mess of terrible racism”.

A mother is heard speaking with Mrs. Rochel Suleiman, the Ministry of Education supervisor for Elad. Mrs. Suleiman tells the mother “the municipality must provide a solution for all the girls. We have a large group of girls. I am pressuring them daily”.

Mayor Porush told Kikar he and other officials met in the beginning of the week to make certain to find a solution for each and every girl and if there are still some who have not been assigned, they will be hearing from the municipality in the coming days. Deputy Mayor (Shas) Tzuriel Krisfel confirms the validity of the mayor’s statements, explaining the matter has been addressed and he remains in constant contact with the persons responsible for the city’s education portfolio.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)