Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef favours separation between Sephardi and Ashkenazi Students

B"H

I listened to the haredi radio channel "Kol Ba'Ramah" last night and they broadcasted a speech given by the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef. It is extremely hard to understand him, as he speaks with a terrible Iraqui accent in his Hebrew.:-)

However, the Rabbi said that he does favour the separation of Ashkenazi and Sephardi students in the haredi Beit Yaakov girl's school system. The reasons are different mentalities and minhagim (customs). 

For weeks now, the Sephardi Haredi Yoav Lalum has been sueing the haredi Beit Yaakov girl's school systems. Generally Ashkenazi and Sephardi haredi girls study in separate schools and not only due to different customs. Until today, Ashkenazi haredi girls don't want any Sephardi girls in their classes because this would diminish their chances of finding a good Shidduch (match). And until today, Sephardi girls are referred to as more primitiv. 

Fact is that every Ashkenazi girls wants the best Shidduch for herself but going to a mixed Beit Yaakov would diminish the chances drastically. Why ? Because of politics and prejudices.

The most famous case is taking place in the Emmanuel settlement where the Ashkenazi side of the Beit Yaakov built a fence. The majority of the Ashkenazi Beit Yaakov in Emmanuel are girls from the Chassidut Slonim. Lalum sued the Beit Yaakov branch in Emmanuel and the judges decided that Ashkenzi and Sephardi girls have to study together and everything else would be rassism. As you can imagine, the verdict doesn't change the Beit Yaakov system and on the next day, the Ashkenazi girls from Emmanuel went to a school in Bnei Brak. 

The court case is still going on and Rabbi Yosef made this remarkable statement. We will see if this influences anything.