This week, the Jewish Schools Fair was held in Paris, where about 60 Jewish schools from France, Geneva and Montreal were presented, with the aim of meeting with parents from the community, introducing the schools and giving them relevant information.
The fair was organized by the organization Choisir Les Ecoles Juives with the support of UnitEd and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism.
In the past decade, the number of students in Jewish schools in France has increased by 33%, and today there are about 35,000 students in Jewish schools in more than 120 schools. This is about 35% to 40% of the Jewish students in France who attend Jewish schools. Of the students who do not attend Jewish schools, one-third attend a private school, predominantly Catholic, and the rest attend public schools.
At the beginning of the school year in France, the Jewish community reported a shortage of space in Jewish schools. As a result, it is estimated that between 700 and 1,200 children who wished to do so could not attend a Jewish school and were forced to attend a private or public school.
According to Eliezer Schilt, director of the French-speaking countries region at UnitEd, after the events of October 7, many Jewish parents in France are asking to transfer their children from public schools to Jewish ones. We are seeing a drastic increase in anti-Semitism and the struggle against Israel, both on the French street and among prominent French politicians, and naturally, Jewish parents are looking for a safe space for their children. At the same time, we see a trend of strengthening Jewish and traditional identity among the Jewish community in France, so that more parents are looking for a quality Jewish education."
He adds: "The challenge of the community, of UNITAD and of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and the Fight against Antisemitism in France is to provide a response to the current demand, which is reflected in the number of available places in Jewish schools in the community's residential areas. In addition, we must support the strengthening of Jewish identity in Jewish schools, including the development of quality content in Hebrew, Judaism and Israel studies, the training of teachers and principals, and the delivery of experiential projects to students."
* Bihadre Haredim contributed to this article.
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