Author Recounts High School Battles Over Hair and Ideology
The start of the new school year prompted the author to recall his own challenging experiences at Blich High School in Ramat Gan. Upon entering first grade, his grandson quickly dubbed the school "the gates of hell," a sentiment the author shared from his own time there in 1968. Back then, Blich was known for its strict discipline and conservative atmosphere, a far cry from the author's dreams of attending a military boarding school. His father insisted he attend Blich, promising he could pursue other interests after graduation.
In 1970, as the counterculture movement influenced Israel, the author began growing his hair. This clashed with the school's strict dress code, enforced by Mrs. Blum, the discipline monitor. She repeatedly ordered him to cut his hair, citing it as untidy. The author argued for his personal freedom, but Mrs. Blum remained resolute. This led to a confrontation with Principal Herzl Limdan, who immediately sent the author home, demanding he return only with a properly cut haircut.
During the Sukkot holiday that year, the author, as student council chairman, attended a national conference in Jerusalem. He seized the opportunity to ask then-Minister of Education Yigal Allon a question about the ban on long hair for boys. Allon, though initially taken aback, stated he had no issue with students having long hair as long as it was clean and tidy. The next day, Yediot Ahronot reported Allon's statement prominently.
Upon returning to school, the author was summoned to Principal Limdan's office. Despite Allon's statement, Limdan vehemently rejected the idea, dismissing Allon as not very intelligent and asserting his own authority over the school's appearance. He threatened to expel the author if his hair exceeded a millimeter past his ears.
The article concludes by contrasting this past conflict with the current state of Blich High School. The author notes that the school's current principal invited MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, a controversial figure with ties to extremist ideologies, to lecture students. This decision sparked outrage among alumni and the public, with some students protesting by singing "We will burn your village." The author criticizes the principal's actions, referencing a Mahatma Gandhi quote about words becoming deeds, implying the school has now fully embraced a problematic ideology.
