סוגיית התפילה בחינוך המשלב של הקהילות המעורבות לדתיים וחילונים – מקרה מבחן

A prevalent research assumption is that the religious-secular divide is one of the most divisive topics in Jewish society in Israel. Accumulated data in this field has led to a search for social solutions rather than purely political ones. Newly created mixed religious-secular communities attest to attempts to establish a new social order, at least among those taking part in this process. The present paper focuses on prayer as one of the most prominent identity issues in many of these communities. The underlying assumption is that the mixed community phenomenon is unique and exceptional and, in many ways, runs counter to the dominant trend in Israeli society in the context of the religious-secular divide, normally characterized by separate communities and education systems. The paper examines the challenge of prayer in integrated education systems by presenting the dilemmas encountered by these communities, their internal methods of decision-making, and diverse mechanisms for coping with the issue of participation in prayer in schools. The data was obtained from a qualitative study that included semi-structured interviews and content analysis of documents and publications pertaining to these communities. The research questions focus on the methods, style, and frequency of prayer. The study also examines whether prayer undermines the value of unity or rather facilitates individual uniqueness within the joint activities. Finally, the study examines the most prominent educational approach to coping with the question of prayer in schools, which has led to diverse educational solutions such as the establishment of several alternatives for morning discourse at school.