Education Ministry Cuts 2,000 National Service Positions, Affecting Thousands of Religious Women

The Israeli Ministry of Education has announced a significant reduction of 2,000 positions within its National Service Division, a move that will lead to the dismissal of dozens of coordinators and prevent thousands of religious women from fulfilling their national service obligations. These women, who do not enlist in the IDF due to their religious lifestyle, typically serve in various educational and social support roles, including special education, boarding schools, and immigrant student assistance.

Each year, approximately 4,000 volunteer women participate in national service, providing crucial support to existing educational staff. The head of the National Service Division, David Felber, recently informed nonprofit organizations that the number of available positions would be cut by half. These organizations criticized the Education Ministry for cutting positions despite its reliance on national service volunteers amid a staffing shortage.

The cuts are seen as a severe blow to the education system and to the national resilience, especially in areas suffering from a lack of teachers and aides. The reductions also disproportionately impact religious women who view national service as their primary contribution to the state.

In response, the Education Ministry explained that the cuts stem from a lack of sufficient budget adjustments despite increased activity and overall budget reductions. The ministry is negotiating with the Finance Ministry to resolve the funding gap. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry stated that the responsibility for determining the number of national service positions lies with the Education Ministry and denied making any cuts, calling on the Education Ministry to clarify the rationale behind the reductions and the allocation of funds, especially following a government decision to regulate a significant component of the issue.