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French Jews Avoiding Public Schools Due to Anti-Semitic Bullying
(JTA) Cnaan Liphshiz - Stephane Tayar, 43, a computer specialist in Paris, graduated from a French public high school 25 years ago. But when the time came for Tayar and his wife to enroll their own boy and girl, the couple opted for Jewish institutions. "Enrolling a Jewish kid into a public school was normal when I was growing up," Tayar said. "Nowadays forget it; no longer realistically possible. Anti-Semitic bullying means it would be too damaging for any Jewish kid you put there." Whereas 30 years ago the majority of French Jews enrolled their children in public schools, now only a third do so. The remaining two-thirds are divided equally between Jewish schools and private schools that are not Jewish, including Catholic and Protestant institutions. "In the Paris region, there are virtually no more Jewish pupils attending public schools," said Francis Kalifat, president of the CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish communities.