Racial Discrimination Continues: Almost 200 Students, Mostly Sefardi, Denied School Placement

The students make up 7% of the city's ultra-Orthodox female students. "The [admissions] list is closed way before the official registration opens. The registration and entrance exams are only done [for show]." "There are some elements in the [city government] who deny the existence of quotas [on one hand] but do all they can to help the seminaries maintain a quota of [no more than] 30% Sephardic students [on the other]."

 

No school for 180 Sephardic girls
Racial discrimination continues: Many haredi students yet to be admitted into educational institutions in Jerusalem for 2011-2012 school year. 'Student list is determined before the registration begins,' says local association
Kobi Nahshoni • Ynet

The 2011-2012 school year will open in four months, but it seems racial discrimination is already raising its ugly head: Ynet has learned that nearly 200 haredi girls in Jerusalem have yet to be admitted into educational institutions in the city, although registration has already ended.

The students, most of them of Sephardic descent, make up 7% of the city's ultra-Orthodox female students and are slated to begin studying in a seminary (high school for girls) next year.

Almost a year after the arrest of parents of Ashkenazi students in the community Emmanuel over local schools' discriminatory policies, it seems racial discrimination in Israel is still alive and kicking.

Mystery of 'missing' students

According to Jerusalem Municipality records obtained by Ynet, some 180 students our of 2,500 have not been admitted into educational institutions ahead of the 2011-2012 school year. These numbers may drop, but past experience shows that the situation only gets worse.

In Jerusalem there are several students who are not studying at all – six weeks before the end of the current school year – as the municipality has failed to find them suitable educational institutions since September 2010.

The municipality's haredi education department, rabbi committees handling the matter and the institutions' principals reached an agreement several days ago, allowing these students to begin studying for the short period left until the end of the school year. And yet Ynet has learned that two of the students have not been included in the deal.

In addition, there is still a small number of girls who have been sitting at home for more than 18 months – for the same reason – since the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. The Municipality says it know of only three such students, but according to its own records there were about 20 girls "lacking an institution" that year.

A knowledgeable source explains that "after a year and a half at home, most of these girls have already dropped out completely and have 'gone on the streets', and have therefore 'disappeared' from the records of the municipality and rabbi committees. It's sad, but no one is looking for an institution for them, so they're no longer counted."

'Entrance exams only for protocol'

The Noar Kahalacha ("halachic youth") association, which fights racial discrimination in the haredi education, confirms that there is no room in the prestigious seminaries for every girl seeking to study there.

The association claims, however, that there is no equal opportunity for every candidate, as the institutions always favor Ashkenazi students, preferably from a "known" family.

"In fact, the list is closed way before the official registration opens," an association official says. "The registration and entrance exams are only done for the protocol.

"This is why the daughter of a prominent rabbi from northern Jerusalem is admitted to a school located in the city center, while girls living next to the school are left out. The regional registration issue must be advanced."

Attorney Yoav Lalum of Noar Kahalacha said in response to the figures that "the Jerusalem Municipality is washing its hands of the situation year after year. The problems repeat themselves every year because there are some elements in the municipality who deny the existence of quotas but do all they can to help the seminaries maintain a quota of up to 30% Sephardic students."

Council Member Asher Mishali of Shas, who serves as the Jerusalem representative in a rabbis' committee appointed by the haredi party to handle racial discrimination, said the problem had been solved for this school year and expressed his hope that an educational institution would be found for every girl before the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year.

"Up until two months ago, 35 girls were left out. The problem was solved after the seminary principals – most of them Lithuanians – were pressured by our rabbis' committee and the Ashkenazim," says Mishali.
 
"Last week, a registered letter was sent to the institution principals, and in my meeting with the mayor we agreed that principals who refuse to take in the students will face sanctions."

Municipality: Working for all sectors

The Jerusalem Municipality said in response that it was "working on many levels to provide an overall response to the educational needs of all of the city's sectors."

As for next year's registration problem, the municipality said: "Some 180 students did not get their first selection for a school, and the municipality is presenting them with options for suitable educational institutions. The registration is expected to be completed in August 15, 2011."
 
A Ynet inquiry revealed that even after the agreement was reached, two girls who were slated to begin studying this year have yet to be admitted. The same applies for 20 students who were scheduled to begin studying more than a year and a half ago.
         
The municipality insists that "the registration for this school year has been 100% completed. It was a special achievement pointing to hard and thorough work…

"According to the Haredi Education Administration figures, there are three girls who have not been studying for two years now. These are girls with a very complicated and grave background. Our activities in this matter are ongoing."

Comments

[Jeff]

Solution: close down the religious schools, build public schools and force families to send their children there, or face termination of their benefits. Problem solved. Of course, the spineless fools will never do it.

In any case, if there are that many Sephardi families, don't they have the funds to start their own school - especially as they won't need expensive accessories such as lab equipment for science classes, etc.?

[seymour]

cut funding to those schools

simple solution you want our money it comes with strings attached

don't like the rules do not take the money

[Garnel Ironheart]

Keep an eye on Cross Currents for articles from YM, RYA, RYR and RAS explaining that this is all not true and the massaged statistics to "prove" it.

[Loshon Hora]

What do you care you are racist against all chareidim & anyone who has to with them?
Hypocrite

[ez]

this is one of the few things i actually agree with. its very sad that in israel there is this type of hatred. we are all jews. whether you come from eastern Europe, Syria, Poland, or Morocco.
then they wonder why all the other nations hate us? its bec there is no love for our own kind.
the funny thing is, its coming from this site which is racist to all chareidim whether they are chasidic sephardic or ashkenazic Lol.

[Jeff]

What do you care you are racist against all chareidim & anyone who has to with them?
Hypocrite

Posted by: Loshon Hora | May 17, 2011 at 07:52 AM

Typical. Deny, deny, deny - then, went confronted with evidence you can't deny, blurt out, "We're still better than you are!"

[Yissy-Ca]

Start their own schools! Maintain your heritage! I can't decide if is more religious discrimination or racial. If the Sefardim followed the taliban chumrot of the hareidim I doubt we would be reading this. They are looked down upon because they follow halacka while the the frumma want only kabala, chumrot, buba maaseh.

[Yehuda_ben_Yehoshua]

Whats new? Some of the biggest racists are in israel, now imagine if you are an ethopian or yemini jew in israel.

[Jay]

Hareidim aren't a race. So for any poster to claim people are "rascist" against hareidim is stupid.

It's also a pathetic and weak response- which does not in any way serve to deny or rebut the racism displayed by some Haredim.

[Ma Hei Li]

Lashon Hara,

It is a question about racism against haredim. First of all haredim are not a "race".

Most importantly Shmarya points out truths the haredi world don´t want to face. Truths like the swapping of the masoret of Torah me-sinai for a new torah. And, granted that there are great, kind and honest haredim. I´ve lived in Ramot Polin and I say this for my experience.

BUT, they are passive and they close their eyes for the most basic harms against a human being while overeacting to completely idiot matters. I´ll give you a real example.

One very very "frum" and "strong" kehila has this "talmid hakham" who beats his wife. For years. People knew that. One of the rabbis even tried to talk to him. He treateaned the rabbi. He is influential so nobody messes with him. He went on receiving all the kavod, alyot and so on.
This same place there was another young men who decided to wear a blue shirt instead of a white one...His son was expeled from school and he was - in practical terms - expeled from this same kehila. With the support of most people.

Another example: Once in a mehadrin bus one guy started to bully two ladies in their late 70´s to raise and move to the (crowded without seats) back of the bus. Nobody cared. I stand up and dared this idiot to repeat what he told them. I was ready to kick his ass and I asure you I have the backgrounds to do it. Suddenly he turned into a chicken.....Now, I could see the eyes of disgust in the faces of the men in the bus....

This situation would repeat in many places. The most basic is swaped to the most external and irrelevant. And people don´t raise their voices against it. This is corrupting judaism and our Torah.

Shmarya is doing this job.
I give him my blessings on his path and may Hashem give him strengh.

[Loshon Hora]

Look up the meaning of racism in a didtionary or Wikipedia if you wish & you will see that you are all wrong.
To single any group based religion or belief is racism.
YOU people have a rule for yourselves that Racism against Chareidim is allowed, & rules for Chareidim, that their religion & beliefs are not allowed.
It will bite all of you back one day.

[Jay]

Once again, Loshon Hora, you are proven to be wrong:
rac·ism   
[rey-siz-uhm]

–noun
1.
a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2.
a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3.
hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

[Jeff]

Ma Hei Li, I wish Israeli politicians had the courage to stand up to them that way. Kol HaKavod.