THE SHAS SCHOOL SYSTEM IN ISRAEL

Abstract

This article explores the causes and consequences of elementary education provision in Israel by the Sephardic ultra-orthodox Jewish party Shas. Shas's outreach to the non-ultra-orthodox public has led to two significant changes in Israeli politics and Israeli society: First, Shas, an ultra-orthodox party, has come to enjoy support from many non-ultra-orthodox Sephardic Jews, to become the primary vehicle of not only religious protest, but also ethnic Jewish protest, in Israel. Second, by enrolling children from non-ultra-orthodox families, the Shas school network impinges on a historic policy of accommodation—segmentation of the educational system by type of religious observance—that for decades has helped to regulate conflict between religious and secular Jews in Israel.