LONDON: Charedi Orthodox Jewish Community Speak Out Against Schools Bill ......

.......to Defend Their Religious Freedom 

 

They gathered outside Parliament, prayed and gave speeches, then walked to Downing Street where the police moved in to tell them to turn off their speaker, before returning to Parliament, where some wore chains to symbolise their willingness to face imprisonment for their beliefs. Skip to @1:42 where they speak in English. 

 🛑 The “Press Release” leaflet reads… Charedi Orthodox Jewish Community Protests Outside Parliament Square, London, Against the ‘Schools Bill 2025–26’. The UK’s Charedi Orthodox Jewish community is protesting outside Parliament against the final reading of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2025–26, urging its reconsideration. Community leaders argue that the Bill threatens religious freedom, cultural preservation, and faith practices. 

The Bill introduces new regulations that restrict religious practices. The Rabbinical Committee for Traditional Charedi Chinuch (RCTCC) calls the Bill “repressive” and warns that it would undermine Torah education and their way of life. We cannot comply with the Bill’s provisions without violating our religion. 

 Charedi leaders compare the Bill to historic religious oppression and believe it targets long-established faith practices. The Bill’s impact assessment acknowledges significant effects on the Charedi community. Community members claim government pressure from secular anti-faith groups, including Humanists UK and the National Secular Society (NSS), which have advocated for this Bill for over a decade. 

They state this has created anti-religious prejudice, calling the Bill a substantial threat to their freedoms and claiming it is no less than religious genocide. The community states it cannot comply with any Bill requirements that conflict with religious practices, including any requirement to reduce the hours of religious education or practice. 

 If the Bill passes unamended, the community will pursue all legal avenues to protect religious rights, in particular the relevant Articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. 

The community urges the authorities to seriously consider the legal consequences of enacting legislation that may violate fundamental human rights protections. 

 The community reaffirms its unwavering commitment to its faith and religious obligations, refusing to alter them regardless of the Bill’s outcome. Its dedication to the Torah—received from G-D at Mount Sinai and preserved across generations—remains steadfast. 

Under no circumstances will the community compromise or modify its Torah-based way of life. 

Throughout history, sacrifices have been made to uphold these values, and the community remains devoted even in the face of imprisonment. Leaders state that the Bill’s authors have not accommodated the needs of true Torah-observant Jews. 

They further clarify that organisations claiming the Bill’s requirements are compatible with the Torah—if only traditional practices are modified—do not speak in their name. Organisations led by Mr Cohen are not seen as genuine representatives of Charedi Jews. His secular Zionist outlook and ties to reformist organisations stand in direct opposition to the core religious values and practices of the Charedi community. 

 The Bill grants broad and disproportionate powers through secondary legislation, which the community fears will undermine their faith practices. The community vows to defend religious freedom and the right to provide education in line with their beliefs, viewing the Bill as a threat to liberty and democracy. 

 Our request: “We appeal to His Majesty’s Government to allow the Charedi community to continue its way of life in an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance, as it has for many generations.” 

 Rabbinical Committee for Traditional Charedi Chinuch For further information, please contact: RCTCC Email: mail@rctcc.co.uk L.Y. Weiss Mobile: 07974 414192