The academic year began today for most religious high-school students in Israel, as well as for many religious elementary schools. Rabbi Shimon Adler, head of the Education Ministry's Religious Education department, recommended that classes begin a week early, in order to enable enough time for students to learn about the upcoming Jewish holidays. The holidays begin less than a week after the rest of the country begins school on September 1. Altogether, some 190,000 students started today, and several more schools will open on Tuesday.