The above article is only part of an longer article in Hebrew. The original article detailed a visit to the Knesset of a delegation from many different such "mixed" settlements. The purpose of the visit was to continue work on a "third stream" school system that would advocate the beliefs and life-style of "mixed " settlements. Why a "third stream" ? Because we are sick of raising our children to respect others, and then send them off to school systems (religious and non-religious) that emphasize "us" and "them". I wonder why this EXTREMELY IMPORTANT part of the article was omitted from the translation......

Here in England most Jewish schools accept any child with a Jewish mother -- although this is now under review for technical reasons. Religious and secular children attend the same schools, although they may be 'streamed' for Limmudei Kodesh. Communal United Synagogues serve the full range of Jewish observance. Why is Israel so split into different camps? The more we share a core curriculum the more we become one society.

Yeah right. For the second year in a row we've tried to enroll our oldest (5 years old now) into that mixed school in Mazkeret Batya, only knowing that the changes of her making it are minimal, due to lack of classrooms as well as for every religious kid there are dozens of secular applicants! We are secular but try to maintain a Jewish lifestyle and raise our daughters with Jewish values. We do agree with the principles of this school - named Keshet - (i.e. learn to respect one another regardless of differences, avoiding stereotypes on one another, etc.) And it has an alleged higher standard of education. That's why we want to have her into that school. But with one percent of getting our daughter into that school what's the use? I am very disappointed.

why aren't more such schools being built? btw, I went to a mostly secular/reform/conservative school with a few religious students. It's Jewish Studies department was run mainly by observant Jews, and from a traditional point of view. For Hebrew and Jewish history, it was about 30% observant Jews. Anyway, it was great.

Is probably because many of us who are ethnically Jewish are atheists. We don't want anything to do with any religious studies, at all, full stop. And that's our full right. And there's the other side of the coin - I'm sure Ultra-Orthodox Jews don't want to get exposed to our "corrupt" culture of premarital sex and alcohol. Good for them, I say. So... yeah.

We don't want anything to do with religious studies , You wrote . It's wrong . I don't say that you have to study religion night and day , but to know something is important , there is a minimum that every Jew , even atheists as i am , has to know . Will you not go to a synagogue for the Bar Mitzwa of a grand son ? Will you refuse the Alyah given to honor you ? And there you will stand , ashamed not to know anything . Religious or not , you have to know something .