Education Chief Yoav Kisch vows to protect students' rights to lay tefilin

Education Minister Yoav Kish responded to an incident where a student’s tefillin were confiscated at a school in Ramat Gan, asserting that the right to wear tefillin will be upheld in every school in Israel as long as he leads the Ministry of Education.

The controversy erupted after the principal of "Ohel Shem" high school in Ramat Gan prohibited a student on Tuesday from making his tefillin available for use by classmates. According to a report by Daniel Amram, the principal instructed the student not to lay out the tefillin outside the classroom. The student refused, placing the tefillin outside his classroom so his peers could also use them, leading to the confiscation of the tefillin.

In response, Minister Kish stated: "As long as I lead the Ministry of Education, the right to wear tefillin in every school in Israel will be preserved." Addressing the specific incident in a statement, he wrote: "A video from Ohel Shem school in Ramat Gan was brought to my attention. Due to a conflict of interest—my son is a student at the institution—which I declared before taking office, I am barred from handling matters related to Ohel Shem. The issue has been referred to the ministry’s director-general for urgent review and action."

The Ramat Gan municipality issued its own response: "There is no prohibition on wearing tefillin at Ohel Shem school. On the contrary, last year, the school administration approved a student’s request to set up a tefillin station for widespread use during breaks, aiming to allow personal expression for students who wish to participate—unlike practices in some other cities. Ohel Shem High School is committed to values of pluralism and respect for the freedom of belief of its students, whether they choose to wear tefillin or not."

The incident has sparked debate, with Kish’s commitment to religious freedom in schools standing in contrast to the school’s actions, highlighting ongoing tensions around religious expression in Israel’s education system.