1 Scrubbing away the differences? Identity and othering in Israeli cleanliness education, past and present Shlomit Aharoni Lir Abstract This qualitative study examines latent ideologies in the teaching of health and cleanliness in the Israeli educational system. The study 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 instill 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 colorism to inclusiveness, and from particularism to universalism. However, the findings also indicate that prioritizing 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. Keywords: cleanliness and hygiene education, diversity, inclusion, Israeli 2nd grade readers, Mizrahi Jews, multiculturalism, othering, school curriculums Introduction Cleanliness is a fundamental aspect of human life that involves the deliberate activity of removing dirt to prevent the spread of germs and infections. However, it is also a complex and socially constructed concept that intersects with identity, ethnicity, and religion. 1 It encompasses not only the physical actions associated with bodily, domestic, and public hygiene but also the wider societal and cultural contexts in which they occur. Hence, cleanliness can function as a marker of social status, reflecting power dynamics and cultural norms. 2 In the world of Orthodox Judaism, cleanliness has a significance that manifests, among other things, in purity laws (Taharah) that separate between what is pure and impure and diligently observe the Jewish hand-washing ritual. 3 These practices did not redeem Jews in the Diaspora, and antisemitism toward them was sometimes expressed through their stereotypical image as disease carriers. 4 In its wish to distance itself from these associations and cement a different identity, Zionism established the ‘New Jew’