Orthodox college to an Ethiopian: "You are a Jew, but not enough"

An orthodox college announced that an Ethiopian student cannot learn in their institution. The reason: not Jewish enough. It was revealed yesterday on Channel 2.

For several days Eliraz aged 16 years old is not going to school. He sits at home, waiting to return to school, but cannot. At the beginning of the Chanuka holiday the Rabbi of 'Nachlat Yaakov' institution informed him that he is Jewish, but not enough to study at the school.

"The Rabbi called me into his office," says Eliraz. "He started telling me that if I want to stay in school, I have to go through a conversion process, severe conversion."

Eliraz aged 16 was born in Israel. His father is a civil worker and his mother a teacher.

His family conducts a fully religious lifestyle, so this was such a big surprise for them that Rabbi Zev Stiglitz, director of the Institute, said that until Eliraz goes through severe conversion - he cannot come back. "We are here in the orthodox public, and it is known within the orthodox public that there were halachic problems related to Ethopian Jews," said Stiglitz, who was photographed with a hidden camera.

In a meeting with Eliraz's father he explained to him who is a Jews and why he cannot go back to school: "The rabbis say all the time that when you're Ethiopian, to enter into the orthodox community, the demand is the demand of severe conversion."

The father continued to press on the principal: "He was born in Israel, he was circumcised here."

But the principal insisted and went on to explain to the father: "It's not a question of his circumcision, if the Beis Din would say I have to go through this process, and then I would run to do it."

Later in the conversation he said that Eliraz will not have to be circumcised again, but will go through the process of bloodletting.

After the conversation with the father of Eliraz it was explained to him that because of the compulsory education law he can stay in school but not at the dormitory. But Eliraz lives in Beit Shemesh and the College is in Tiberias - and Eliraz is in no hurry to return. "I don’t feel comfortable there anymore," he explains.

The Education Ministry said in response to Channel 2: "The words of Rabbi Stiglitz were said without the opinion of the educational institution management. The matter will be examined in depth and thoroughly. The manager of the institution is in continuous contact with the student who can return to school without any stipulation regarding the conversion."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!