"At the end of last week I heard from some parents that not only has
enrollment begun, but it will conclude by the weekend. When I asked the
kindergarten teacher for an explanation, she told me I haven't been
notified since the daycare will be available next year only for
haredim.”
Haredi Rabbis Force Daycare To Ban Zionist Orthodox Children
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The Hadas Daycare is located in the Kiryat Herzog neighborhood of Bnei Brak, one of the few neighborhoods in the haredi city that has a Zionist Orthodox population.
Moshe and Hadas Alharar, who own the daycare, allegedly told Zionist Orthodox parents that their children would no longer be able to be enrolled in Hadas Daycare, because it is now a haredi only facility.
"We will not have anyone belonging to the Zionist Orthodox sector enroll in the daycare," the facility's operator allegedly told a parent over the phone.
Until now, Hadas Daycare had both haredi and Zionist Orthodox children enrolled.
But according to a report in Ynet, all that changed after haredi threats, causing the owners to have a special secret early registration for haredim only. It was just by chance that Zionist Orthodox parents found out that they were being excluded.
"At the end of last week I heard from some parents that not only has enrollment begun, but it will conclude by the weekend. When I asked the kindergarten teacher for an explanation, she told me I haven't been notified since the daycare will be available next year only for haredim,” Tehila, the Zionist Orthodox mother of an eight-month-old, told Ynet.
Tehila called Moshe Alharar that evening. He defended excluding Zionist Orthodox children, claiming that haredi rabbis would not allow their followers to enroll their children as long as Zionist Orthodox children are present.
"Maybe we'll succeed in eliminating only 90% [of the Zionist Orthodox], but the aim is currently to completely remove them. We can now service only the haredi sector," Alharar allegedly told the Zionist Orthodox mother.
"I was told they wouldn't be able to accept my son. At first they discussed signing a modesty clause, but the next day they said even that's impossible, since they just don't want the Zionist Orthodox,” another Zionist Orthodox mother claimed.
Zionist Orthodox parents filed a complaint against Hadas Daycare with the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry. The ministry responded by making it clear that Hadas Daycare was breaking the law.
“The ministry opposes any form of discrimination in acceptance to daycares,” the ministry said in a statement.
Hadas Daycare, chastened, decided to void the early registration and reopen registration to everyone, haredi or not.
“Registration will be reopened in accordance with the by-laws, and will be open to all, without any demands for signing a modesty clause or any other clause which isn't in the ministry's by-laws,” it said.
"The spirit of the issue was completely different, and was taken out of context. We operate under the ministry's by-laws, and will continue to do so. The early registration was made by mistake, and has been cancelled,” Moshe Alharar said.