Education within religious Jewish Society

B"H

Let us imagine a religious Jewish family; national religious but more on the threshold to haredi Judaism. Several children, most of them teenagers or already married. The daughters did not enjoy a great education but were married off at the age of 18 or 19. Instead of higher studies they are now delivering children and matching their destiny in religious society. They can learn a profession later or next to fulfilling the mother's duty.

The sons are studying in Yeshiva and will be or are going to be married off as well. Without earning their own income. Parents and in - laws have to support the young couple. Those children still at home decided to get a profession and do some higher learning. But what does "higher learning" mean when you finish haredi school in Israel ?
Regular universities won't accept you. Super religious girls also don't take a university into consideration but rather a haredi seminary. However, there are national religious girls going to a university or, at least, to the center of higher studies in Ariel.
Nevertheless, studying at a haredi institution for higher studies won't necessarily turn anyone into a Nobel Prize Winner. Not in science.

Last week, the Israeli media stated that there is a growth of 70% of the haredi working force. Since former Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (under the Sharon government) cut down the children's money, more and more Israeli Haredim were forced to work and support themselves instead of living on the money from the government. This, however, excludes different anti - Zionist groups !
What the media doesn't seem to realize is that, even before, many Haredim did work. Most of them within their own society as rabbis, teachers, Shochet, etc.

It can be that I do not expect that the children of parents coming from certain haredi groups tend to higher / academic studies. From the national religious movement, however, I do expect much more. According to my experience, it mainly depends on the father. How open and modern is he ? There are some who send their children to become a doctor, etc., but others just want their kids to get married. After the girls finish Sherut Le'umit (social service instead of going to the army), they start looking for a Shidduch. Boys join the Hesder program and then get married.

I still cannot understand why parents and certain religious societies deny their members the right to study. The right for higher education. G - d created all of us with special capabilities and talents and this means that He wants us to use them. Doesn't all this society pressure sound like keeping the members quiet ? The less they know, the more they depend on the Rebbe ? The less women know, the more they depend on their husbands and admire him ? What if a haredi woman starts studying and finds out that her husband is not the great Talmid Chacham (wise scholar) he always pretends to be ? Isn't education a threat to society ?

There was a famous scandal in Kiryat Yoel in the early 80ies. A well - respected Satmarer Chassid, Rabbi Mendel Wechter, was teaching young Satmar Yeshiva boys about Chabad Chassidut. Some students got so excited that they started going to Lubavitch. Later, they even became Lubavitcher.

Wechter was fired and later moved to a Chabad community in Israel.
Those Satmarer who ran over to Chabad had to face severe difficulties. First of all with their parents and it says in the book by Jerome R. Mintz ("Hasidic People") that parents and children didn't break up relationships. But what if you are Satmar and your spouse is becoming Chabad ?
It further says in "Hasidic People" that especially many wives of husbands joining Chabad were excited. In Satmar they were limited in their studies whereas in Chabad they were free and could start with their higher education studies.

I am very much into education and it simply bothers me when society, it doesn't matter which one, is limiting human beings. If someone has a certain potential why not use it ? Why only sitting in Kollel when one could be a doctor ? Academic jobs and titles don't mean that one has to give up religious life and Yeshiva studies. There are plenty of examples where academics go on with their Talmud studies.
To me it seems like G - d created people with talents and they just throw them away. On the other hand, and this is important to mention, there are people who just want to get married and see their life fulfilled in raising kids and concentrating on their marriage.

Link:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3719333,00.html