Israel's High Court Approves $27 Million for Haredi Schools
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Israel's Supreme Court approved the transfer of 100 million shekels to Haredi educational institutions that committed to core curriculum studies. The court's decision on Tuesday lifts a previous freeze on the funds and prohibits the establishment of new Haredi schools and the hiring of new teachers. This ruling is part of broader legal challenges by Hillel, an organization advocating for secularism, against state funding for Haredi education.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's Supreme Court approved 100 million shekels for Haredi schools committed to core curriculum studies.
- The court's decision on Tuesday overturns a prior freeze on the controversial educational funding.
- New Haredi schools are banned, and new teachers cannot be hired by these networks.
- The funds are part of a larger 1.1 billion shekel budget for Haredi educational networks.
- The ruling addresses one of three petitions filed by the secularist organization Hillel.
- Hillel opposes the inclusion of Haredi educators in the 'Ofek Hadash' salary agreement.
Israel's Supreme Court, the High Court of Justice (Bagatz), has approved the transfer of approximately 100 million shekels (about $27 million) to Haredi educational institutions. This decision came after the institutions committed to implementing core curriculum studies, as outlined in a plan by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. The court's ruling on Tuesday overturns a previous interim order from August that had frozen these funds.
The plan, established in May, requires these educational institutions to commit to full core curriculum studies. In addition to releasing the funds, the Ministry of Education is now prohibited from establishing new schools within the Haredi-aligned educational networks. Furthermore, these networks are forbidden from hiring new teachers. The 100 million shekels are part of a larger coalition budget of approximately 1.1 billion shekels allocated to Haredi educational networks, most of which had already been transferred before the freeze without requiring repayment.
This ruling addresses one of three petitions filed by Hillel, an organization advocating for the separation of religion and state. Hillel's petitions cover various areas including the IDF, housing, education, marriage and divorce, and the observance of Shabbat. Specifically concerning Haredi education budgets, two other petitions are pending: one regarding the "Ofek Hadash" (New Horizon) program and another concerning the Gafan budget. "Ofek Hadash" is a salary agreement for educators in primary schools, middle schools, and kindergartens, and the current government's plan to include Haredi educators in this program is opposed by Hillel. The organization also seeks to prevent budget transfers for "Ofek Hadash" through its petitions. The Gafan budget is managed by schools and local authorities under specific conditions, and Hillel is also attempting to block budget allocations from this fund to the Haredi-aligned networks.
