Residents of the controversial Kiryat Yovel neighborhood of the capital have announced they are opening a private school for the coming school year as they are tired of their children having to travel to a different neighborhood to attend a chareidi school.
The problem stems from the reality that over the past decade, the community is becoming increasingly chareidi and the veteran secular residents are fighting to prevent the continuing trend. Jerusalem Councilman (Shas) Tzvika Cohen explained to Kol Chai Radio on Sunday morning 3 Menachem Av “one must understand. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat was backed and elected with certain understandings, one being a commitment not to open a chareidi school in Kiryat Yovel”. Cohen explains for as long as a chareidi mayor was not elected, the chareidi tzibur must understand certain realities exist and this is included in that group. Cohen holds the city’s chareidi education portfolio.
At present, the climate in the community among the significant chareidi tzibur is that the school is going to be opened “at all costs” and they are willing to go to war over the matter – simply fed up with having to bus their children.
Cohen explains that while he personally backs the initiative, the fact remains that as a councilman, there is little he can do for as long as Barkat remains opposed to a chareidi school in Kiryat Yovel and he does not believe chareidi pressure is going to change this any time soon. Cohen added that work is taking place at this time to open another school in Bayit Vegan which is close to Kiryat Yovel and it will be a proper school with regulation classrooms.
Cohen explains the building is intended to serve first to fourth graders from Kiryat Yovel as well as relieving the overcrowding in the current school in Bayit Vegan. Cohen remains confident the new Bayit Vegan venue will be ready in time for the opening of the school year.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
It’s horrible that politics and anti-religious secularists can prevent children from having a school.If they hate religious Jews so much why don’t they move to Tel Aviv?