Author Recounts High School Struggles with Strict Rules and Political Extremism
Translated & summarized from Zman Yisrael by baba
Author Adi Ben-Ami details his challenging experiences with strict discipline and hair length rules at Blich High School in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He contrasts this with the school's current controversial invitation to MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, which he views as a further decline.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Author Adi Ben-Ami recounts strict discipline at Blich High School.
- He clashed with staff over his long hair in the late 1960s.
- Education Minister Yigal Allon supported students' right to long hair.
- The current principal invited controversial MK Itamar Ben-Gvir to speak.
- Ben-Ami sees these events as a decline in the school's standards.
The author, Adi Ben-Ami, reflects on the start of the school year and his grandson's description of school as 'the gates of hell.' This sentiment resonates with Ben-Ami's own difficult experiences at Blich High School in Ramat Gan during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He recalls being a student there, a time when the school was known for its strict discipline and conservative atmosphere.
Ben-Ami recounts a personal conflict with Mrs. Blum, the school's discipline monitor, over his growing hair. Despite his arguments about personal freedom and promises to keep his hair clean, Blum insisted on a strict military-style haircut. This led to a confrontation with Principal Herzl Lamdan, who threatened to expel him if his hair exceeded a certain length.
During Sukkot break in 1970, Ben-Ami, as student council chairman, attended a conference in Jerusalem where he posed a question to then-Minister of Education Yigal Allon about the ban on long hair for boys. Allon responded that he personally had no issue with students having long, clean hair, a statement that was prominently reported in the press.
Upon his return to school, Principal Lamdan reacted with fury, dismissing Allon's statement and reiterating his authority to dictate school appearance. Ben-Ami notes that the school's situation has since deteriorated, citing the current principal's decision to invite controversial Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir to speak to students. Ben-Ami criticizes this decision, referencing Ben-Gvir's past and political stances, and recalls students chanting 'We will burn your village' during the event, which he interprets as a threat directed at Arab villages.
Ben-Ami concludes that Blich High School has become a place where 'the gates of hell' have opened wide, suggesting a decline in its educational and ethical standards, particularly in light of the invitation extended to Ben-Gvir and the accompanying student chants.