The 5767 year opened at Shuvu schools across the country with
2,000 new students enrolled at the organization's
kindergartens, primary schools and high schools.
Concerted efforts were made in recent weeks to finish
renovation work at various schools in the North on time. In
some cases parents even joined the team of renovation
workers. In Natzeret 115 new students joined the school. In
Acco additional classrooms had to be arranged to accommodate
100 new students. A donation to pay for several classrooms
arrived from the US just in time.
In Kfar Saba, although the Education Ministry gave notice
that the Shuvu school would not open this year due to the
municipality's objections to the school's presence in the
city, intervention by chareidi MKs and parents allowed the
school year to open on schedule. Founded two years ago with
30 students the school has grown to 186, including 40 first-
graders.
The Shuvu school in Rechovot was originally started outside
the city. Only recently did National Shuvu Director Rabbi
Chaim Michoel Guterman manage to persuade the municipality to
allocate an old building in need of repair. As soon as it was
announced the school would move to the city, over 100 new
students enrolled. The municipality reacted by trying to
oppose the school's presence, but following concerted efforts
by the rov of Rechovot, HaRav Simchah Hacohen Kook, the Mayor
agreed to allow the school to open in the city- owned
building. Mayor Shuki Forer accepted an invitation to visit
the school on the first day of the year and stayed for an
entire hour rather than the 15 minutes originally scheduled
and was surprised to hear parents offer lavish praise for the
high level at which the academic studies and the Torah-based
material are taught.
The Shuvu school in Lod opened three years ago with 54
students and this year boosts an enrollment of over 600,
kein yirbu. The Shuvu school in Ashkelon is also
proving a great success. Technical problems threatened to
keep the school from opening this year but parents did not
give up, refusing to enroll their children at the city's
secular schools. At the last moment a suitable building was
found for 700 students.
The Shuvu school in Netanya faces ongoing opposition by the
municipality. On the first day of school Shinui members from
the municipality held a demonstration outside the school.
Hundreds of students had to be smuggled in through the
emergency gate on a side street.
"These are just a few of the tremendous challenges we had on
the way to the first day of the school year," says Rabbi
Guterman. "Schools in Ashdod, Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv and many
other places reported high growth in the number of students."
He extended warm thanks to MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni and the other
chareidi MKs for their help in removing the various obstacles
along the way.
