“The inclusion of important Mizrahi [Middle East and North African] figures in literature and poetry in the school curriculum is a welcome development, but it is not yet clear whether they will be part of the required curriculum,” Knesset member Yossi Yonah of the Zionist Camp, told Al-Monitor. Yonah, a professor of the philosophy of education, continued, “I know that in many cases, studying these works by Mizrahi authors is optional, and that many teachers simply chose not to deal with them.”

Yossi Yonah was speaking in response to an Aug. 28 interview by Education Minister Naftali Bennett with Yedioth Ahronoth, in which Bennett announced that his “Mizrahi revolution” will be taken up a notch in the school year slated to start Sept. 2.

Bennett was referring to the implementation of some of the conclusions reached by a committee headed by the poet Erez Biton. Appointed by Bennett, the committee was tasked with devising a plan to bolster the identity of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish culture in the education system. Its starting point was that the rich culture, heritage and history of these communities are largely absent from the curriculum. The committee submitted its conclusions in 2016.

In the Yedioth Ahronoth interview, Bennett said works by Mizrahi writers and artists depicting the Mizrahi experience will be incorporated into the compulsory curriculum of secondary schools across the country, and teachers will be expected to attend workshops and in-service training sessions to better teach the content. So, for instance, the curriculum will include three works by the poet and Ars Poetica founder Adi Keissar, who is of Yemeni descent, as well as “And the Bride Shut the Door,” the most recent novel by the late Ronit Matalon, of Egyptian descent. Furthermore, particular emphasis will be placed on the legacy of Rabbi Shalom Shabazi, the great Jewish Yemenite poet, since this year marks the 400th anniversary of his birth. Schools will also host events featuring contemporary liturgical poets.