Two Separate Religious Schools Open in Rishon LeZion After 40 Years

For the first time in Rishon LeZion, the "Ma'aleh Shimoni" religious educational institution has been divided into two separate schools, one for boys and one for girls. Previously, the boys and girls attended classes and had breaks separately, but the Ministry of Education recognized them as a single institution. This arrangement created limitations, sometimes forcing the school to alternate which group of students would have smaller classes, while the other group faced classes of nearly 40 students.

This year marks a significant change, with both the boys' and girls' schools receiving separate institutional symbols, now operating as independent entities under the Ministry of Education. This move is expected to facilitate the growth of both schools and allow for the opening of additional classes to accommodate rising student numbers.

Rabbi Shlomo Levi, head of the Hesder Yeshiva in Rishon LeZion and rabbi of the city's religious core, celebrated the development at the opening ceremony for hundreds of female students. He described the achievement as a 40-year dream realized, thanks to city council member Noam Haddad, establishing distinct state-religious Torah schools for boys and girls. Rabbi Levi called it a historic moment for religious education in the city, noting it's the first time such a division has occurred in Rishon LeZion's 140-year history.

Rabbi Levi connected the opening of the new institutions to the biblical matriarch Sarah, referencing a midrash about the blessings present in her tent, which returned when Rebecca entered. He encouraged the students to emulate Sarah's legacy of bringing divine light into the world, wishing them a good and blessed year.