“The Older Teachers Must Go”: Outrage Erupts Over Mass Dismissals in Haredi School Network

A growing controversy has erupted inside the Agudat Israel kindergarten network after veteran teachers in the haredi city of Beitar Illit accused the organization of attempting to push them out in favor of younger, lower-paid staff.

According to a letter sent by longtime kindergarten teachers to the network’s CEO, Rabbi Israel Golomb, dozens of veteran educators recently received summonses for dismissal hearings ahead of Shavuos, a move they described as humiliating, financially motivated, and potentially discriminatory.

The teachers claim the notices were sent on the eve of the holiday, leaving them with almost no time to seek legal advice or prepare responses before hearings scheduled immediately afterward.

In the emotional letter, the educators describe decades of service to the Agudat Israel educational system, alleging they endured years of delayed salaries, budget shortages, and deep pay cuts while continuing to operate classrooms and care for children without interruption.

The letter also claims that in previous years, teachers withdrew legal claims against the network at management’s request in order to protect the institution’s stability, despite suffering significant personal financial hardship.

Now, the teachers say they feel abandoned after years of sacrifice. Some accused the network of attempting to replace experienced educators with cheaper labor, warning that such a move could damage educational standards and destabilize classrooms.

“The feeling is that once the work was done, we became disposable,” one section of the letter states, while also raising concerns over possible age discrimination.

Copies of the letter were reportedly sent to Knesset members Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev, with the teachers demanding an emergency meeting and immediate clarification from management.

The Agudat Israel kindergarten network and Rabbi Golomb had not issued a public response by the time the report was published.