Religious Pupils Now Outnumber Secular in Israel’s First Grade

For the first time in Israel’s 77-year history, more children started first grade on Monday in religious Jewish schools than in secular ones, a clear manifestation of a demographic shift toward a more devout and right-wing society.

The change stems from both a decline in the number of secular children entering the system and a marked increase in religious ones, especially the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim.