The children who found a home in Jaffa - and now go out to fight for it

Students, alumni, and parents from the K'hila school in Jaffa protested today outside the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality against the plan to merge the school with the Open Democratic School in Tel Aviv. According to the families, this amounts to dismantling an independent framework that caters to children with diverse needs. The parents demand to halt the move and hold a dialogue.

Students, alumni, and parents from the K'hila school in Jaffa protested today (Tuesday, September 15, 2026) outside the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality against the plan to merge the school with the Open Democratic School in Tel Aviv. K'hila school has been operating in Jaffa for nearly 20 years, but only became a municipal school last year. According to the families, the merger means the end of K'hila's activity as an independent framework. The parents emphasize that K'hila is not just a small school, but a framework that caters to children with diverse needs, including integrated students and children who struggled to find a place in other frameworks. They criticize the lack of sharing and consultation before the decision was made, and note significant differences between the two frameworks in character, size, and student populations. Several families from Jaffa warn that the decision may force them to leave the area, lacking a suitable alternative school. The students themselves stood at the forefront of the protest, and the parents stated: "Behind the words 'school merger' are children... we are not closing our home." The parents demand to halt the move, explain the change that occurred within a year, and hold an orderly dialogue. The Ministry of Education stated that the merger is planned for the 2027-2028 school year, will be accompanied by a professional and gradual process with parental involvement, and is intended to create one strong and stable democratic framework.