Yoav Lalu is petitioning the Supreme Court regarding what he perceives is blatant discrimination against Sephardi girls in the Beis Yaakov of Emanuel.

Lau has experience, having turned to the courts two years ago when his own daughter was refused from a school in Beit Shmuel.

Lalu explained that in Emanuel today, 73% of the students are Sephardic, yet they are being discriminated against by Chinuch Atzmai, to the extent that the Ashkenazi girls have been separated from them and issued different uniforms to accentuate the different streams.

Lalu explained that in his previous case, he tried summoning the principal, who he stated is the wife of a well-known rav, but she did not appear before the beis din of Rav Avraham Dov Levine. Eventually, a seiruv was issued against her.

Lalu also explained that he has in the past and continues today to call for the establishment of a Chinuch Atzmai beis din, or a beis din by Gedolei Yisrael that would decide such matters, stressing here we are dealing with “denei nefashos” and the lives of too many girls are being ruined as a result of ongoing discrimination.

The Ministry of Education has already been involved, and according to Lalu, is now aware that the Ashkenazi segment in Emanuel used fraudulent means to obtain funding, stating they reported the entire student population in the new school while in actuality, it only represents 27% since the remainder are Sephardim.

Supporters of the split call the move “educationally motivated and not discriminatory in any way.”

Agudas Yisroel’s Yaakov Litzman this year also released statements calling for order in Chinuch Atzmai, stating the situation is urgent, making reference to this very problem.

When asked if Shas is assisting, Lalu explained “they do not care. The children of Shas leaders are in the best schools, any schools they wish, so why would they make noise and jeopardize a good situation?”

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)