The Edah against the Ministry of Education

"Let's go and demonstrate !"
Fakshivili (news poster) in Mea Shearim.


B"H

The Israeli Ministry of Education is planning to modernize the haredi school system. Until today, haredi schools made up their own curriculum without being bothered too much by the state authorities. This is going to change now; at least according to the Ministry of Education.

Most of the haredi population in Israel doesn't have an efficient education in mathematics, English (foreign languages as a whole), geography, biology or physics. So far, haredi teachers "only" concentrate on Torah, Halachot, Mussar or Talmud. The girls' education is even worse. Some Torah "light" with Rashi but the more challenging commentators like the Ohr HaChaim, Kli Yakar or the Ramban (Nachmanides) are not being discussed at all. Some haredi schools claim that there are a few exceptions.

Those of you talking to a Litvak or a Chassid from Israel find out very quickly that, indeed, many of them do lack a proper education. Not in Torah but in secular studies. For instance, I have been repeatedly asked by various Chassidim why it doesn't work when you write the address of a website in Hebrew.

In my opinion, the whole education system is a delicate subject. Even in the Middle Ages, Jewish children and adults learned more than the kids today. Just look at the Rambam (Maimonides), the GRA (Vilna Gaon) and plenty of other famous rabbis. They all had an extraordinary education and didn't consider secular studies, such as science, as "impure", as the Edah HaCharedit does today. Do I have to mention Rashi's three daughters as well ? Including the rumour that it was them writing the entire commentary on the Talmud Tractate Nedarim.

And what if a family has a very gifted and talented child ? Is this child being robbed of a better future or even of becoming a great scientist who can contribute to society ? Are Mishnayiot and Torah enough ? What if a haredi woman has the ability of being a great doctor ?

Already in the early childhood, any thoughts about going to a university are being banned. Actually haredi children grow up in a system where they don't even have such thoughts, as they are already aware of your place in society.
But doesn't teach us especially science about G - d's great and perfect creation ? Why is it so wrong studying this ? Didn't G - d Himself give us special abilities in order to use them ?

The Chatam Sofer claimed that everything new is bad. No changes should be made and a Jew has to stick to Torah. The old system cannot be bad, as it always worked out. So why make changes ?

Everything new becomes a threat.
A threat to whom ? To the Rabbi / Rebbe or haredi society ? Has a rebbe an interest in limiting the education of his followers in order to keep up his own power ? Are scientific studies a danger and confuse a religious Jew ?

The Ministry of Education has a more practical point of view:
The haredi population is widely uneducated (regarding secular studies) and therefore cannot compete on the job market. The State of Israel is not willing to support haredi society financially and is going to make further budget cuts. The Haredim have to go to work and how are they going to find a job with hardly any education ?

Indeed, the Ministry got a point; however, it should be mentioned that many Haredim do work and that the Edah members don't accept any government money anyway. Most Haredim work within their own community as teachers, rabbis, Shochet, sales people, etc.

For many weeks, the dispute has been going on and plenty of Fakshivilim (news posters) were hung up by the Edah in Mea Shearim. Just yesterday, another demonstration took place at Kikar Shabbat in Jerusalem. The Edah HaCharedit doesn't even consider for a second fulfilling the conditions of the "Zionist" Ministry.


Remains the question:
Is "too much" education a danger to haredi society and to its rabbis ?


Link:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3634458,00.html