Scrubbing away the differences? Identity and othering in Israeli cleanliness education, past and present

ABSTRACT This article examines latent ideologies in the teaching of health and cleanliness in the Israeli educational system. It compares second-grade school readers before and after the turn of the millennium, posing three questions: What pedagogical approaches were used in both periods to instil the values of health and cleanliness? In what ways have the topics of health and cleanliness changed over time? How has the teaching of these topics acknowledged diversity with respect to ethnicity and skin tone in each period? The findings reveal a significant shift from an education based on fear to one based on safety, from colourism to inclusiveness, and from particularism to universalism. However, the findings also indicate that prioritising universalism over multiculturalism in new readers may overlook the diverse and complex nature of Israeli society and potentially uphold existing social hierarchies and enhance a sense of alienation among children.