53,000 Bnei Brak students kein yirbu returned
to school this Elul, in a variety of schools,
kindergartens and educational frameworks, in
comparison with the 51,000 students of last year.
This is the largest body of students in one city in
the entire Dan region, the most populous of the
country.
The secretary and spokesman of the municipality,
Avrohom Tannenbaum, related that 15,000 students
enrolled in the elementary school system of the
city this school year. 28 of these schools belong
to Chinuch Atzmai, five to the Mamlachti Dati
(government religious), and two to the Mamlachti
(government). In addition, there are 40 non-
municipal talmudei Torah in the city, which
have a total of 10,000 students.
An extensive project in conjunction with the
Education Ministry has been launched in the city's
elementary schools. This project includes changes
and refurbishing old buildings. In many schools
broad renovations which include additional
construction are taking place. These renovations
will enable the absorption of more students and
improving their learning environment and the
appearance of the schools. The following schools
are included in these projects: Razi-Li for boys,
the Bais Yaakov school in Neveh Achiezer, the
Segulah school and the Mohelever school. Soon
additional schools will be added to this project.
An additional story has just been completed in the
Vishnitz Beis Yaakov school, and it will no longer
have to use caravans, the trailer-like temporary
prefabricated structures that are so common in
chareidi education.
Unlike past years when there was a decrease in the
number of students in nursery schools
kindergartens, this year enrollment increased by
300 students from all sectors. As a result, three
new kindergartens have been opened this year so
far, and one or two more might also be opened.
There are a total of 173 municipal nursery schools
in the city, with an enrollment of 5,200 students.
146 among them are chareidi, 25 Mamlachti Dati, and
2 Mamlachti. There are also 15 public and privately
owned nurseries and kindergartens, with an
enrollment of 5,900 students.
At the meeting of the executive board of the
Education Department the city's mayor, Rabbi
Mordechai Karelitz, its deputy mayors, Amram Ivgi
and Yaakov Solar, as well as the director of the
department, Yehonasan Safra, noted that this was
the first time that students had been placed in the
kindergartens using a computerized system according
to the neighborhood in which they reside, and
without any human intervention. This is the fairest
method even though not all of the parents are
satisfied with the division. This system will
continue, and every effort will be made to improve
it.
About 8,000 students are studying in the city's
high schools. They are divided into 19 chareidi
schools, four Mamlachti Dati (junior high schools
and high schools) and one Mamlachti school. There
are also about 50 yeshivos ketanos in the
city, in which some 9,000 students study.
The Education Ministry has granted the Rav Wolf
Seminary and the Gerrer Seminary permits to build
scores of main classrooms ("home rooms"), as well
as additional classes and offices on the Berman
area. Rebbetzin Elkayam's seminary is being
transferred to the former building of the Segulah
school on Aharonowitz Street.
The administration of the department has organized
a special task force to solve all of the general
problems liable to arise this forthcoming school
year. The task force is manned by the director of
the department, Rabbi Yehonasan Safra, his deputy,
Rabbi Arye Zand; deputy director, Refoel Duvlin;,
the director of the Education Services Department,
Rabbi Yehuda Gelber; the director of the
Kindergarten Department, Mr. Gavriel Cohen; and the
department's engineer, Shmuel Cohen-Tzedek.
There are 18 special education kindergartens in the
city, and 25 small and special classes located in
three schools in the city. There are also three
special education classes in the Wolf High School,
as well as those run by the Ohel Sarah network.
This year, Ohel Sara has been allocated three
additional mobile buildings, which it will occupy
until it transfers to its renovated structure.
This past year, it was decided to launch an
integrated kindergarten for special and regular
children, on a trial basis. This kindergarten was
very successful, and both the parents of the
children and the education department were pleased
with the results. Due to of its success, an
additional kindergarten of that sort was opened
this year. New educational methods are often tested
despite the high costs they involve.
This year, kindergartens for children with DDP will
be opened, in conjunction coordination with the
American expert, Mr. Weinstein, who ran such a
successful kindergarten in the past. The Education
Department of Bnei Brak is also considering opening
a school along the same lines.
