This Chabad is not akin to Christianity. A Bible believing Christian school would have taken them in.

The issue at hand is not about the color of their skin. The problem is that we do not know if Ethiopians are actually Jewish. Most Rabbis (possum) have required them to convert before being accepted as Jews. Without conversion a religious school will not accept them. With conversion, they will be accepted with open hands.

I wonder do white Jewish women feel the same as their white Jewish counterparts do. There is nothing wrong with being racist, the real Jesus will separate the sheep from the,,,,,,,. Ethiopians are fools anyway for wanting to integrate with these impostors Jews.

Chabad is an outreach movement aimed at people who are already Jewish--the untouchables in India are not Jewish and Chabad has no interest in converting them to Judaism but they do outreach to the Jews of India aimed at increasing their connection to Orthodox Judaism and specifically their brand. For reasons too complex to go into here, Chabad casts doubt on the Jewish authenticity of the Ethiopian Jewish community. While I don't agree with their stance, it's not correct to say that their sole reason for not accepting the Ethiopian Jew's bona fides as Jews is skin color (although many rank-and-file Chabad members are often racist)--the reasons are complex, but they want to make sure that Ethiopian Jews have been converted to what they understand to be Orthodox Judaism before they accept them to their institutions. Whether or not Chabad is itself a deviant sect apart from Jewish Orthodoxy because of the belief among many that the late rebbe is the Messiah is another issue.

This school is FREE to chose who can come and don' t come !

It is interesting how you all fail to miss the real point here. It has nothing to do with what Chabad believes the Rebbe to be or not, (that is just discrimination on your part), the issue is to do with the Ethiopian immigrants. The Chabad Rebbe never said that they are not Jewish. If anything he dealt with the issue of them being Jewish and explained that as they had only practised the written Torah law, and not the Oral law as passed down through the ages, it meant that there was an issue of illegitimate children among their descendants. (Because of issues relating to divorce and marriage.) And he said that the way to remedy this was for them all to undergo a process of conversion thereby taking care of that specific problem. The issue for this Chabad school is, "do we accept children who may not be jewish? Chabad works with both jews and non -jews alike, is tolerant and an example to all of the relios world (and further afield).

This Chabad is doing these Ethiopian girls a favor by not allowing them in their school.Who wants to go to a school full of religious fakers? When Meshiach comes he'll give them all a well deserved kick in the butt.

My daughter was in Maon and Gaan Habad in Ashdod. I am secular but I got good welcome. Never felt that I am different from them. They are very hunble and helping people who wants to spread word of god. They never forced me do follow anything that I don't want to. I don't understand how this incident took place? Please do not punish the whole habad community for the mistake of one person.

Ahahaha. What a disaster they thought they're chosen one blame your self.

Ethiopeans are good enough to serve in the IDF and to protect these religious racists, but not jewish enough to go to school with them??? These kids are going to live in Israel anyway, so why not make this an opportunity to "integrate" (not assimmilate) them into Israeli society? There will always be differences among jews, but there shoud never be this kind of humiliating rejection of innocents!

You'll post hateful, stupid comments like #14, but you won't post a comment that calls out an idiot. I said it a few weeks ago, and I say it again - you're cowards. You have no right to call yourselves journalists.

#40, it's obvious. You may be secular, but you are a Jew and so are your children. The Ethiopians may or may not be Jewish. Jews are forbidden to missionize. We may not teach Torah to non-Jews. Therefore, Chabad cannot accept children whose religion is in doubt. They are 100% right.

On the reverse..even in great multi-cultural USA, you won't find Hasidic Jews in a public school. Even if you cut your hair and dress western, it doesn't work and is horrible for the child. Take my word for it! So, Ethiopians in a Chabad school would be rediculous.

Generally, I hold a favorable view of Khab"d. However, there is NO justification for this school's rejection of these students. The article fails to inform readers whether there is, in fact, any halakhic question in the opinion of the Chief Rabbinate of the Judaic status of these particular students or their parents. Posters who ASSUME that the Jewishness of these students, or their parents, is questionable are at no less risk of khilul ha-Sheim than the school. The Biblical -- and Talmudic -- definition of geir is vital to this issue. The Biblical -- and Talmudic -- definition of geir was a bit different than today's popular, but distorted, view. In Bible and Talmud, the geir was a non-Jew studying to become non-selectively Shomeir Torah. They were a geir toshav typically for no more than 24 months. (A priori, the status of geir tzedeq was reserved for geirim who became Shomeir Torah but could not convert due to their marital situation. There is no other possible provision for this category.) Until modern times there was never any such thing as the modern oxymoron: "Jewish convert." When one converts (s)he is evermore a Jew, no longer a geir OR convert. Halakhah prohibits distinguishing between a born Jew and a Jew by choice. Even the utterance of "convert" or "Jew by choice," and the like relative to a Jew was prohibited by Halakhah. (And, interestingly, there is no possible way to question a conversion without violating that Halakhah. Once done, it's done and irreversible.) This is a vital distinction because, even if there were a legitimate halakhic question of their status, the schools rejection would constitute persecuting geirim--explicitly prohibited in Torah. If not, it's despicable anti-black racism on par with other anti-black racists. In neither case is there any Torah justification for rejecting them. It is a violation of Tzedeq. Paqid Yirmeyahu, Ra'anana, Israel Paqid 16, The Netzarim - www.netzarim.co.il Israeli Torah-observant Orthodox Jew: Teimani, Baladi, Dor Dai Advocate for Discrete Logic as Hermeneutic Halakhic Authority Welcoming all who aspire to keep Torah

We have been in this situation before and the Education Ministry are completely impotent. The funding to this school should be stopped immediately, and the school closed, and THEN and only then should the Principal be summoned to a hearing... WTF is going on when school principals do what they like and completely flout the authorities that are supposed to govern them? Not that I can understand why the Ethiopian parents would want to send their kids to an ultra-orthodox school anyway, but if that it their choice, let it be!

Unless that person was the leader of the movement.

Ethiopian Jews are some of the nicest people in Israel, and totally loyal to the Jewish state. Why can't they be treated fairly? No more money from me, Chabad!

this hurts to read. This school espouses a sentiment that I have not read of in US public schools since desegregation over 40 years ago. From what the talkbacks indicate, these racists are not representative of Israel, which is a relief. Is it possible to send these dear Jewish girls to a different religious school, where they actually teach and model Scripture?

Bryan said: "The only reason they have to go to religious schools in the first place is the rabbinate requires it for their conversions." Sammy said: "Without conversion a religious school will not accept them. With conversion, they will be accepted with open hands." Which of you two is correct? More properly: which is correct, the rabbinate that requires them to attend religious school in order to convert or the rabbis that require them to convert in order to attend religious school?

But they can accept funding and subsidies supported by taxes from those whose religion is in doubt ? ,...

I understand that some of these Chabads are hard core and being that Israel has about five different types of Judaism going on along with secular populations, were they not accepted for being african or due to simply not being assimilated into that brand of Juadism? I say its the later. These Chabads even do this to white people in America. Looks like a set up by Israel, which seems to hate Chabads

I am a Torah Jew and this article makes my heart ache for these Jewish girls. This is the reason the Second Temple was destroyed! This person sounds like Hitler. It's obvious they want to learn - Let them come to school to learn!! DO YOU HEAR ME YOU SO-SO-PIOUS BIGOT???

Black Jews...and then proceeded to discriminate against them... I remember when you AH's were so proud of yourselves for bringing those lost Jews back to their roots...hahahaha... Hey John from Alaska...what the hell are you doing here? Are you too old for the IDF? TATA

All black coats should be shipped out to Ethiopia. Population exchange.

I agree 100% now we just need to arrange the transport and we will be rid of these parasites once and for all.

There is no excuse for this to be happening in Israel. If these people were admitted into the country as Jews, they should be treated accordingly. As for the school, not just that one, but ALL Chabad schools should be closed. The rebbe is NOT Moshiach, and they are going against Judaism by even making this outrageous claim. Besides, the extra savings from closing the Chabad schools can go towards building and opening schools in areas where there is a shortage of classroom space.