Court Overturns Firing of Teacher in Bnei Brak Due to Mother's Role

A veteran teacher at a Haredi seminary in Bnei Brak, Sara Esther Gita Grossman, has had her dismissal overturned by the Regional Labor Court. Grossman had been teaching for 12 years when she was asked to leave her position because her mother, Miriam Fenster, was the seminary's director. The court ruled that the Bnei Brak Municipality acted in bad faith and that the dismissal was unjustified, as there were no disciplinary issues with Grossman's performance.

The central issue in the case was Grossman's familial relationship with her mother, under whose management she worked. The municipality did not properly consider Grossman's request to be transferred to a different institution, leaving that possibility unexplored. During the court proceedings, the municipality's human resources manager admitted that the firing might have been a mistake.

Furthermore, a claim that Grossman concealed her relationship with the director was dismissed by the court. Evidence showed she had reported the family connection in 2022. The court outlined two potential paths for Grossman's continued employment, contingent on her mother's status at the seminary. If Fenster leaves her position, Grossman can remain at the seminary. If Fenster stays, the municipality must facilitate Grossman's transfer to another institution, as she had requested.

In addition to canceling the dismissal, the Bnei Brak Municipality was ordered to pay 10,000 shekels in expenses. The municipality retains the right to appeal the court's decision.