What Is Chinuch Atzmai and Why Was It Created?

Chinuch Atzmai (literally, “Independent Education”) is the name of the Charedi school system in Israel, established in 1953 to provide Torah-true education outside of the State-controlled educational framework. It was created in direct response to the secular nature of the Israeli Ministry of Education, which sought to impose Zionist and secular values into all educational institutions, even religious ones.

Who Founded Chinuch Atzmai?

Chinuch Atzmai was established by the Gedolei Yisrael of the post-Holocaust generation. Among its earliest and strongest supporters were:

• The Chazon Ish zt”l, who saw the danger of state-controlled education for Torah Jewry.
• Rav Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l, who served as the first chairman.
• Rav Eliezer Silver zt”l and Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, who supported Chinuch Atzmai from America.
• Later leaders included Rav Shach zt”l, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l, and Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l.

Why Was There a Need for an “Independent” School System?

In the early years of the State, the Israeli government began placing children from traditional Sephardi and Charedi homes into state-run schools (Mamlachti Dati), which included secular Zionist curricula, exposure to anti-religious teachers, and a nationalistic hashkafa foreign to Torah values.

This alarmed the Gedolim, who feared spiritual destruction for the next generation.

The Chazon Ish famously said:

“It is better to die with dignity than to live with spiritual ruin.”

Chinuch Atzmai was created to shield Torah children from the influences of secular Zionism, to preserve the mesorah, and to provide Torah-only education under the supervision of Gedolei Yisrael.

What Kind of Schools Are Part of Chinuch Atzmai?

Chinuch Atzmai includes:

• Talmudei Torah (elementary schools for boys)
• Beis Yaakov schools (elementary and high schools for girls)
• Yeshivos ketanos (yeshiva high schools)
• And some seminaries for girls

There are over 100,000 students enrolled in Chinuch Atzmai schools today, and hundreds of schools throughout Israel.

How Is Chinuch Atzmai Different from State Religious Schools?

Does Chinuch Atzmai Receive Government Funding?

Yes, but with limitations.

Chinuch Atzmai schools receive partial funding from the State, but they retain independence in:

• Curriculum
• Hiring of teachers
• Religious policies
• Daily schedule (e.g., long hours of limudei kodesh)

However, this partial funding creates tension, as the government sometimes uses it to pressure schools to conform to certain regulations. This is one reason many Charedim also support totally independent schools (mosdos pnimiyim), which receive no government support.

Did Sephardi Gedolim Also Support Chinuch Atzmai?

Absolutely. In fact, some of the strongest advocates were Sephardic Gedolim who saw the devastating impact the secular system was having on traditional families from North Africa, Iraq, and Persia. Among them:

• Chacham Ezra Attiya zt”l
• Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l
• Chacham Ben Zion Abba Shaul zt”l

They helped open schools and worked closely with Chinuch Atzmai to protect Sephardic children from spiritual danger.

Are There Any Famous Stories of Chinuch Atzmai’s Early Struggles?

Yes. One famous story involves the arrival of Jewish immigrants from Yemen, Morocco, and Iraq in the 1950s. The government placed their children into secular or Zionist schools without parental consent. Rabbanim cried out and pleaded for religious education, but their voices were ignored.

Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l organized emergency funding from America to build Torah schools overnight, paying teachers, buying buildings, and organizing bus routes—all to save these children from spiritual annihilation.

Is Chinuch Atzmai Still Relevant Today?

More than ever. As the Israeli government continues to push for curriculum reform and more control over private education, Chinuch Atzmai remains a bulwark of Torah independence.

• It has educated generations of Torah Jews.
• It protects yeshiva values in the face of modern ideologies.
• It remains under the guidance of Gedolei Yisrael, not bureaucrats.

Sources and Footnotes

1. Rav Aharon Kotler, letters on Chinuch Atzmai, 1954
2. Rav Shach, Michtavim u’Maamarim, Vol. 2
3. “Fighting for the Soul of the Children,” HaMevaser, 1955
4. “Ezra Attiya’s Role in Chinuch Atzmai,” Moriah Journal, 1973
5. “Ministry of Education vs. Chinuch Atzmai,” Makor Rishon, 2019
6. Chinuch Atzmai official website: chinuchatzmai.org.il
7. “The Founding of Chinuch Atzmai,” Yated Neeman anniversary supplement
8. “Ben Gurion and the Education Wars,” Haaretz, 2006