Recent data published recently shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of people applying for academic studies among the Haredi public. For example, data from the Central Bureau of Statistics shows that the number of Haredi students is steadily increasing by about 151% each year, and in 2016, over 11,000 Haredi men and women studied in a variety of academic study tracks.
The unprecedented number of Haredi men in academia is combined with another surprising statistic. For the first time in 2016, the percentage of working Haredi men was 50 percent. The number of apprentices and the number of employees have equaled. It can be said with certainty that for the first time in four decades, Haredi society is developing a "worker society" alongside the long-standing "student society.".
And indeed, in the local world of employment, an academic degree is not a luxury. The State of Israel ranks second among OECD countries in the percentage of those holding an academic degree. The Israeli degree is therefore a major key to integration into the modern labor market.
CBS data shows that the vast majority of Haredi students study on designated campuses. Studies on these campuses are conducted in a manner appropriate to the Haredi lifestyle, and allow students to combine their lifestyle and culture with the acquisition of an academic education. Until the establishment of these campuses, the number of Haredi who integrated into the general campuses was extremely small. There is a clear reason for this: the Haredi public, which grew up on a restrictive and segregated education, does not allow itself to participate in studies in a mixed environment.
Every year, thousands of Haredi graduates integrate into the labor market upon graduation. Those who are interested in doing so turn to the general labor market. Others who prefer to maintain a separate lifestyle do so within the community. Either way, the professionalization process that young Haredi youth undergo helps both the community itself and Israeli society as a whole.
Recently, various voices have sought to challenge both the need and the legitimacy of Haredi campuses. They claim that conducting academic studies in gender segregation constitutes an offensive and discriminatory practice. In my opinion, separation between women and men in itself, as long as it is voluntary and there is no hierarchy between the sexes, is not discriminatory. This conclusion is also derived from the International Convention against Discrimination in Education, which the State of Israel has ratified, according to which separate studies for male and female students will not be seen as discrimination.
The Haredi leadership does not oppose academia, as long as it is conducted in a manner that is appropriate to the community's values. As evidence, the Knesset only recently enacted a law initiated by Haredi MKs, according to which the Haredi population will be entitled to adequate representation in the public service. This law is intended for Haredim with academic degrees, of course, and the Haredi leadership's support for this law effectively supports Haredi academia. But this is a fragile and fragile reality. Introducing changes in Haredi academia, in a manner that forces students to bring about a cultural change in their lifestyle, will lead to a sharp Haredi reaction that will curb the aforementioned trend.
The Haredi academy faces many challenges, including reducing the high dropout rate, narrowing the gaps in core subjects, adding additional audiences, and preparing graduates with values and professionalism for the job market. All of these are being done hand in hand, and the numbers prove the success story.
Those who seek to lead cultural changes among young Haredi men and women as a condition for joining academia need to conquer their passion. All the state needs to do in the coming years is remove the barriers to joining for young men and women, and allow the invisible hand of the Haredi market to operate.
Dr. Chaim Zicherman is an academic director at the Haredi campuses, the Ono Academic College.
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