The school year in France has begun and the Jewish community reports a shortage of space for students in Jewish schools. As a result, 1,200 children will not be able to attend a Jewish school and will have to attend a private or public school.
Over the past decade, the number of students in Jewish schools in France has jumped by 33%. Today, some 35,000 students study in some 120 Jewish schools in France. These figures show that about 35% to 40% of Jewish students in France attend Jewish schools. Of the students who do not attend Jewish schools, one-third attend private schools, mainly Catholic, and the rest attend public schools.
In general, the demand in western Paris is greater than the number of Jewish schools in the region, because in recent years the Parisian Jewish community has moved from east to west of the capital of France. At the beginning of the current school year, at least four new Jewish schools were opened in this area. The existing Jewish schools have increased the number of classes, but despite this there is a shortage of places for new students.
Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Avi Cohen Scally, said: "The significant increase in the number of families choosing Jewish educational institutions indicates the need to strengthen Jewish education in communities across the world."
* Ynet contributed to this article.
