Ultra-Orthodox school nixes girls from Sephardi kindergarten - Haaretz

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Last update - 12:27 04/09/2008

Ultra-Orthodox school nixes girls from Sephardi kindergarten

By Or Kashti, Haaretz Correspondent

Tags: ultra-orthodox, Israel

The ultra-Orthodox Beit Yaakov school in Elad is refusing to accept girls into its first-grade class if they attended the Agudat Yisrael preschool, where most of the children are from Sephardi families.

The school belongs to the Ashkenazi independent school system that is funded by the Education Ministry but has broad pedagogic freedom. The parents of one of the girls filed an administrative petition against the school earlier this week at the Tel Aviv District Court. Until a ruling is handed down, the girl will be staying at home.

"We are sticking our neck out for a large number of families in Elad who cannot get their daughters into Beit Yaakov," said the girl's mother on Tuesday.

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Thursday the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a similar petition against the Emanuel Local Council and the independent education system over the segregation of Ashkenazi and Sephardi girls at the local Beit Yaakov school.

When the petitioning parents tried to register their daughter, L., for first grade this year, they said they were required to fill out a questionnaire asking for information such as "the name of the synagogue where the father prays" and "parents' country of origin." The petition, filed by attorneys Ronen Milrad and Shneur Tsoref, states that most of the questions are invalid.

Last year L. attended an Agudat Yisrael preschool. The petition indicates that Beit Yaakov's administration decided not to accept any girls from Agudat Yisrael preschools, and that the parents were told their daughter would not be accepted to Beit Yaakov anyway "because her brother attends a Sephardi elementary school."

L.'s parents received the official notice rejecting her registration on June 16, and three days later filed an appeal to the Education Ministry. According to the petition, the appeals committee did not convene until August 6, and decided only a few days before the commencement of the school year that four girls whose registration had been rejected must be accepted to a Beit Yaakov school in Elad. In the meantime, the administration of the independent school system had decided to accept L. to a Beit Yaakov school in Rosh Ha'ayin, because "the classes in Elad are completely full." Only L's parents filed a petition.

L.'s father is studying to become a rabbinical court judge and her mother used to teach in an independent school. A source close to the family commented that L.'s rejection was based on ethnic discrimination.

"The school administration thinks the Sephardi families are meek and won't fight back," said the source. "The school is thumbing its nose at all the Education Ministry's directives that forbid discrimination. This is an embarrassment to religion."

"The petition is currently being heard by the court," responded an Education Ministry spokesman, "and the ministry will act in accordance with a [court] ruling."

Attorney Menahem Yanovsky, who represents the independent school system, was unavailable for comment.

Related articles:

Ultra-Orthodox school bars girl over her 'mother's immodesty'

Ultra-Orthodox program taught in schools despite ministry ban

The Bottom Line / Ultra-Orthodox girls' education downgraded

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1.	one Israel one people?	03:07	\|	K	04/09/08

2.	Ultra-orthodox school system rejects Sephardi girls	04:18	\|	j-practical	04/09/08

3.	When will Israel make these clowns serve in the military?	04:52	\|	Jon	04/09/08

4.	Jewish against Jewish	05:14	\|	Ariel	04/09/08

5.	Beit Zevel	05:59	\|	Yoav Ben Zakai	04/09/08

6.	This is embarrassing	06:34	\|	Slappy	04/09/08

7.	well said Yoav. Ashkenazis need to learn from Sefardi flexibility	07:00	\|	Moshe Assouline	04/09/08

8.	Hoax article	07:01	\|	judith	04/09/08

9.	#5 and others	07:26	\|	itzchak	04/09/08

10.	yet all is equal	07:30	\|	Mark	04/09/08

11.	Haredi cult	07:43	\|	Observant Jew	04/09/08

12.	Leftist fight funding religious schools yet scream racism??	07:55	\|	Binyamin Dissen	04/09/08

13.	Reply to Yoav	09:22	\|	Yitz	04/09/08

14.	I am saddened to read this, if reported truthfully	10:01	\|	Harvey	04/09/08

15.	what should you expect at teliban training school	10:04	\|	SJ	04/09/08

16.	Fine-tuning apartheid	10:11	\|	Chanalau, Tova	04/09/08

17.	Ultra-Orthodox school system	10:11	\|	Ralph	04/09/08

18.	Yoav, turnabout is fair play!	10:49	\|	Zev Davis	04/09/08

19.	joining	11:10	\|	aryeh shore	04/09/08

20.	cancel funding to this Bet Yaakov school until they change...	11:39	\|	Taly	04/09/08

21.	Why is anybody surprised?	12:44	\|	wibism	04/09/08

22.	Why is anybody surprised?	12:46	\|	wibism	04/09/08

23.	CHANALAU.Apartheid could not be appealed.Did you read it	12:50	\|	PETER SM	04/09/08

24.	Segregation of Sephardi and Ulra-Orthodox Jewish Children.	12:56	\|	Maureen Ann	04/09/08

25.	Ashkanazi & Sephardi	13:02	\|	London Jew	04/09/08

26.	This must be stopped!	13:32	\|	Joseph	04/09/08

27.	Reply to # 8 Hoax?	13:36	\|	Avi	04/09/08

28.	Reply to # 18	13:41	\|	Akiva	04/09/08

29.	Insane?	13:46	\|	Motic	04/09/08

30.	why the hell would sephardi put thier kids here????	15:55	\|	Gabriel	04/09/08

31.	Bais Yaakov rejection is understandable	16:07	\|	Sara	04/09/08

32.	shut them down	16:33	\|	effie	04/09/08

33.	Akiva, I know that is true, but . . .	16:39	\|	Zev Davis	04/09/08

34.	Reply to Akiva (london) #28	16:40	\|	Moshe	04/09/08

35.	Sarah Montreal	17:25	\|	judith	04/09/08

36.	TALY # 20 , CHABBAD SEPHARDI TRADITION AN OXYMORON...	17:57	\|	Gabriel	04/09/08

37.	Reply to #31	19:23	\|	Outraged	04/09/08

38.	El`ad	19:32	\|	Outraged	04/09/08

39.	Sara from montreal	19:50	\|	Yoav Ben Zakai	04/09/08

40.	Aschkenazi contra sefardi	14:34	\|	nada alami	05/09/08

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