Israeli Schools to Require Students Be Allowed to Wear Tefillin
A new national policy mandates Israeli secular schools to permit students to wear tefillin, establishing clear procedures for implementation.
Jerusalem, 7 July, 2026 (TPS-IL) — For the first time, a uniform national policy is being established that guarantees the opportunity for every student who wishes to put on tefillin (phylacteries) to do so in secular schools. Israel’s education system is divided between secular and religious schools.
The circular was formulated after professional staff work, following numerous inquiries received by the ministry and cases raised by schools, which illustrated that the lack of systemic regulation created uncertainty, different interpretations, and sometimes even unnecessary friction and conflict around the putting on of tefillin.
The purpose of the circular, said the Education Ministry, is to establish uniform and clear rules, to provide school administrators with a regular framework for action, and to create certainty in the manner in which the policy is implemented in all state schools.
For the first time, it was determined that the school principal must allow students who so request to place tefillin on school grounds, and formulate a school procedure that will regulate the manner in which the policy will be implemented. As part of the procedure, a respectful place for placing tefillin will be designated, regulated times will be set during the school day so that placing tefillin will take place only during breaks, and the procedure will be published as part of the school regulations.
