Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on Tuesday morning 2 Adar addressed new Education Ministry regulations aimed at eliminating discrimination among Sephardi girls.
Speaking to Kol Chai Radio host Mordechai Lavi, Deri explained the new sanctions will be serious and painful, adding, “one could say the new regulations were written with the tears of many”.
Deri explained that the process involved the high schools (seminaries), local authorities and the Education Ministry, and the lessons have been learned. “When a girl finishes elementary school and heads for [summer] vacation, she and her parents will know what school she will be entering in the beginning of the new school year”.
He stressed that the former situation in which some girls were not assigned until Chanukah is a thing of the past. As per the new regulations, every girl will be assigned to her new school by June 30th. “We hope the seminaries will accept this and comply as the sanctions accompanying the new regulations will be very difficult” he adds.
Deri explained that until now, the heavy sanctions involved holding back funding. To date, either the parents broke and sent the girl elsewhere or the school gave in and accepted the student. However, under the new regulations, the money will be withheld retroactively. That means if the girl was prevented from entering for a month, that money is deducted and will never be returned. “That money is no longer theirs”.
Deri explained it is know he favors regional registration, which he feels is best for girls. However, this requires legislation and to pass this, 61 votes are required in Knesset, and he does not feel they have sufficient support at present as he mentions both the Machane Tzioni and Yesh Atid parties are not his working partners. This he feels leaves two options; go for broke and this he fears would result in Yesh Atid forming another coalition which might again include Bayit Yehudi and the chareidim would be in opposition once again. He explains this was played out once “and the educational institutions almost collapsed as a result”.
Hence, Deri explains he has come to the realization he must do the best he can in the existing framework, adding “Our partners know where we are and if [Deputy Minister Meir] Porush tries to sabotage things, I will go for broke and the coalition will fall” he threatened.
He cited the dire need for additional classrooms, particularly in Jerusalem as the tzibur continues to grow but there is no new classroom construction. He laments there are too many frum girls in classrooms of 50 or more girls and this is unacceptable.
He speaks of a plan in progress for additional classrooms, adding “I don’t want to say which will occur if the girls are not accepted in schools”. He warns again that high school which do not adhere to regulations comes Elul will not be permitted to open for the school year for there will be no funding and this is without even addressing the legalities involved in discriminating.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Can someone clearly state what the issue is with Sefardim entering Ashkensic schools considering the students adhere to the rules of the school. Please respond with just the facts. Thank you
#1 The Ashkenazic schools generally include about 35% Sephardim. Those Sephardim adhere to the rules of the schools and their homes are suited for the schools.
The Sephardim who are not accepted have at least 1 of the two problems.
A better question, how could the High Court who discriminates against Sephardim themselves accuse religious schools? Throughout their 70 years there was only 1 Sephardi judge among them.
sfardim are considered second class citizens in israel. the overcrowded highschools are forced to accept a certain amount of sfardim and they dont want to take any more than they have to. also the sfardi high schools are considered to be “not good schools” i am sfardi and when people hear that im looking into a sfardi high school for my daughter they say that i am crazy.
As #2 puts it, they must be suited to the school. I have girls in a chareidi seminar which seems to act fairly when taking girls. The main thing they are looking for is not at all about yichus or Sephardi vs Ashkenazi, but simply: will this family/girl follow our takanon (rule list). The main issues these days are tznius and technology rules. The rules about phones and computers are meant to be a safeguard for all the girls. I would not be happy to hear about any girl breaking these rules no matter what her background is. Which is why the seminars protest so much when they are forced to take in girls who are not appropriate for their school. When this is based purely on bias it is a terrible thing. However when this is based on the unwillingness to follow the rules then I side with the school.