Strictly Orthodox brand school regulation ‘cultural genocide’
About 500 members of the community stage protest outside parliament against yeshivah regulation proposals with banners reading Stop Cultural Genocide
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A large contingent of protesters from the strictly Orthodox community have staged their latest protest outside parliament at attempts by the government to regulate religious Jewish schools, claiming the proposals amount to “cultural genocide“.
More than 500 protesters arrived in Parliament Square for Thursday’s demo at what is claimed to be a critical juncture for the UK’s Charedi community with a proposed Register Bill on the horizon.
Many held aloft placards stating Stop The Cultural Genocide while other banners claimed the community’s children faced being “indoctrinated“ by the state.
The privater members Register Bill is being described by community leaders as repressive and as a form of religious persecution, as it seeks to fundamentally alter the community’s way of life with yeshivot.
Rishi Sunak’s government is also stepping up efforts to create a register of children “missing” from schools in England.
The database was mooted in the schools bill laid before parliament in 2022 but the draft legislation, which also included proposals to regulate academies and change school funding models, was later dropped.
Campaigners have long argued for the creation of a register of children not in school to address the risks posed to children by unregistered faith schools. Some children who are supposedly home educated are in fact enrolled in unregistered schools, including those catering for the Charedi community.
But the protesters urged members of parliament to protect the rights of all British parents by opposing this Bill, along with any future legislation proposed by the Department of Education that threatens to place the state between children and their parents.
Many rabbis have supported the protest, with notable figures like Rabbi Elyokim Shlezinger, 102, and Rabbi Krausz, former head of Manchester Beis Din, joining the call.
A spokesman for the Rabbinical Committee of the Traditional Charedi Chinuch (RCTCC) stated: “This is not really about establishing a register for the welfare of children in the UK. It is a direct extension of the decade-long onslaught against the strictly Orthodox Jewish community.
“Disguised as an attempt to promote tolerance and educational reform, the Department of Education has been engaged in relentless efforts to undermine our precious educational traditions, handed down over generations.
“Our Torah education is not only known for its safety and effectiveness but has a proven reputation of delivering a model of excellence. We cannot and will not give way to those who aim to reshape our identity, these efforts only instil fear and apprehension within our community, hinting at an ominous slide towards cultural eradication. Our Torah education is here to stay.”
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