Discrimination Leaves Dozens of Mizrahi Girls Without Haredi Seminary Placement in Jerusalem and Elad

Discrimination against Mizrahi students in Haredi education has left dozens of girls in Jerusalem and the Haredi city of Elad without placements in religious seminaries for the upcoming school year. According to a report aired on Channel 13 on Thursday, about 60 Mizrahi girls in Jerusalem remain unassigned to any seminary, while others were placed in institutions considered below their academic level. Parents reported being told their daughters were rejected due to insufficient religious standards or because they had secular relatives, making their presence in Ashkenazi seminaries less suitable. This follows earlier revelations from about a year ago exposing a systemic classification of Haredi students by ethnic origin, funded by the state, which included judgments based on appearance. The Ministry of Education intervened at that time, leading to tensions with Haredi rabbis. The new cases highlight ongoing ethnic discrimination in the Haredi education system just before the new academic year begins.