Educational Revolution in Israel
Sep 8 2008 One of the most uplifting lessons I have learned as an immigrant to Israel is that change in this young country is possible if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work at it.
An Educational Void
Once a naïve, Conservative Jew from Ohio, I moved to Israel with my idealistic, Orthodox, Israeli husband, five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son in 1995. As I settled into my new home, I was told that I could either send my daughter to the religious or secular kindergarten in my neighborhood.
Thus began my induction into Israel's segregated system of education.
Unlike the American school system, which at least in theory attempts to integrate children from different backgrounds, the Israeli system has prided itself on separation. State secular schools teach secular Israelis, and State religious schools do their best to maintain a homogeneous population of orthodox Israelis. The secular schools offer minimal Jewish content, and the religious schools teach Orthodox Judaism. Thus, my small daughter only befriended children from Orthodox homes and learned that there is only one right way to be Jewish.
As it is human nature to dislike what is unfamiliar, separating secular and religious children has promoted an unhealthy schism within Israeli society. One time, my son came home from his State religious kindergarten in tears. He said the other kids had pointed at him and chanted Chiloni, Chiloni ("Secular Jew, Secular Jew") because his juice box was a different color.
My naivety faded as over the years I became more enmeshed in Israeli society.
I learned that in Israel you have to fight for what you want. Thus, I began to look for others who also felt disgruntled with their children?s education. Fortunately, via impromptu meetings in the neighborhood park, I joined forces with three extremely competent and industrious Israeli couples who also sought an alternative for their children.
First, we formulated a vision of a school which brought together children from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, extolled values of tolerance and acceptance of differences, and provided a positive, experiential, and pluralistic approach to Judaism. Then, we took our vision to the TALI Education Fund, which helped us to get required permissions from the city and education ministry. TALI also provided the school with a principal and key curriculum. Finally, we succeeded to raise money and recruit students.
In September 2000, following this enormous investment of time and energy, the Yachad (?Together?) school opened in Modiin for 150 children in preschool through 2nd grade. Today, over a thousand children attend Yachad Modiin in preschool through 10th grade.
Part of the Yachad?s success can be attributed to its 2002 adoption by Labor MK Rabbi Michael Melchior?s Meytarim Network for Jewish Democratic Education. Melchior, believing that educating together is the way to a more cohesive Israeli society, created the Meytarim organization to lend political, financial and even curriculum support to Yachad and similar start-ups. With Meytarim?s support, pluralistic Jewish schools were planted throughout Israel and the Yachad school in Modiin blossomed.
Now every time I walk into the school and see children with yarmulkes sitting next to children without yarmulkes, I feel hopeful about Israel.
An Educational Revolution
My hopes for schools that offer pluralistic Jewish education and promote a more cohesive Israeli society were recently answered. Israel?s Knesset passed the State Mishalev (?Combined?) Law creating a new public ?combined religious-secular? school network.
Melchior initiated the bill, which was supported by MKs from the right and left. Melchior?s bill sought to support schools that bring Jewish children from religious and secular homes together and validate all approaches to Jewish identity. According to Melchior, "the separation of Orthodox and secular education has created deep polarity in Israel. We must lessen the alienation in Israeli society. The secular and the Orthodox can grow up together."
The law creates a third public school system by allocating $10 million to support the eight schools in the Meytarim network. Each of these schools educates secular, traditional and observant Jewish students together.
Melchior described the law as ?an educational revolution and response to the divide in society.?
In the Yachad school, I?ve seen instances of healing in Israeli society?s divide. I?ve watched religious kids show secular kids how to wear Tefillin, and I?ve had secular parents serve kosher pizza on paper plates to my observant children. As children from Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and secular homes learn and play together and as parents from various religious backgrounds interact and discuss, melding occurs.
The new ?combined? schools could also help heal the schism by promoting a moderate middle ground between two extremes, a non-Orthodox form of Judaism in Israel. Furthermore, the growth of liberal Judaism in Israel could positively affect relations between Israelis and American Jews by building on shared ideologies.
As neither the State secular nor religious schools were able to meet the needs of Israelis seeking pluralistic Jewish education for their children, creation of State ?combined? schools marks the government?s recognition of a previously neglected segment of Israeli society. Government support will strengthen this sector. Pluralistic communities will grow as some families currently in the secular or religious schools will move to this middle network, and synagogues, youth groups, summer camps, social circles and even neighborhoods will develop around State ?combined? schools.
My children are exposed to various religious and cultural perspectives in my home. This makes them, to their dismay, a bit eccentric within Israeli society. Most Israeli kids in the neighborhood go to secular or religious schools, camps and youth groups, and clearly define themselves as secular or religious. The rise of the new school system in Israel, which supports Israeli society?s grey center, means that one day my children may feel less odd and more ordinary in this young, evolving Jewish State. Sep 8 2008 Israel's State Combined Secular-Religious Schools One of the most uplifting lessons I have learned as an immigrant to Israel is that change in this young country is possible if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work at it.
An Educational Void
Once a naïve, Conservative Jew from Ohio, I moved to Israel with my idealistic, Orthodox, Israeli husband, five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son in 1995. As I settled into my new home, I was told that I could either send my daughter to the religious or secular kindergarten in my neighborhood. Thus began my induction into Israel's segregated system of education.
Unlike the American school system, which at least in theory attempts to integrate children from different backgrounds, the Israeli system has prided itself on separation. State secular schools teach secular Israelis, and State religious schools do their best to maintain a homogeneous population of orthodox Israelis. The secular schools offer minimal Jewish content, and the religious schools teach Orthodox Judaism. Thus, my small daughter only befriended children from Orthodox homes and learned that there is only one right way to be Jewish.
As it is human nature to dislike what is unfamiliar, separating secular and religious children has promoted an unhealthy schism within Israeli society. One time, my son came home from his State religious kindergarten in tears. He said the other kids had pointed at him and chanted Chiloni, Chiloni ("Secular Jew, Secular Jew") because his juice box was a different color.
My naivety faded as over the years I became more enmeshed in Israeli society. I learned that in Israel you have to fight for what you want. Thus, I began to look for others who also felt disgruntled with their children?s education. Fortunately, via impromptu meetings in the neighborhood park, I joined forces with three extremely competent and industrious Israeli couples who also sought an alternative for their children.
First, we formulated a vision of a school which brought together children from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, extolled values of tolerance and acceptance of differences, and provided a positive, experiential, and pluralistic approach to Judaism. Then, we took our vision to the TALI Education Fund, which helped us to get required permissions from the city and education ministry. TALI also provided the school with a principal and key curriculum. Finally, we succeeded to raise money and recruit students.
In September 2000, following this enormous investment of time and energy, the Yachad (?Together?) school opened in Modiin for 150 children in preschool through 2nd grade. Today, over a thousand children attend Yachad Modiin in preschool through 10th grade.
Part of the Yachad?s success can be attributed to its 2002 adoption by Labor MK Rabbi Michael Melchior?s Meytarim Network for Jewish Democratic Education. Melchior, believing that educating together is the way to a more cohesive Israeli society, created the Meytarim organization to lend political, financial and even curriculum support to Yachad and similar start-ups. With Meytarim?s support, pluralistic Jewish schools were planted throughout Israel and the Yachad school in Modiin blossomed.
Now every time I walk into the school and see children with yarmulkes sitting next to children without yarmulkes, I feel hopeful about Israel.
An Educational Revolution
My hopes for schools that offer pluralistic Jewish education and promote a more cohesive Israeli society were recently answered. Israel?s Knesset passed the State Mishalev (?Combined?) Law creating a new public ?combined religious-secular? school network.
Melchior initiated the bill, which was supported by MKs from the right and left. Melchior?s bill sought to support schools that bring Jewish children from religious and secular homes together and validate all approaches to Jewish identity. According to Melchior, "the separation of Orthodox and secular education has created deep polarity in Israel. We must lessen the alienation in Israeli society. The secular and the Orthodox can grow up together."
The law creates a third public school system by allocating $10 million to support the eight schools in the Meytarim network. Each of these schools educates secular, traditional and observant Jewish students together.
Melchior described the law as ?an educational revolution and response to the divide in society.?
In the Yachad school, I?ve seen instances of healing in Israeli society?s divide. I?ve watched religious kids show secular kids how to wear Tefillin, and I?ve had secular parents serve kosher pizza on paper plates to my observant children. As children from Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and secular homes learn and play together and as parents from various religious backgrounds interact and discuss, melding occurs.
The new ?combined? schools could also help heal the schism by promoting a moderate middle ground between two extremes, a non-Orthodox form of Judaism in Israel. Furthermore, the growth of liberal Judaism in Israel could positively affect relations between Israelis and American Jews by building on shared ideologies.
As neither the State secular nor religious schools were able to meet the needs of Israelis seeking pluralistic Jewish education for their children, creation of State ?combined? schools marks the government?s recognition of a previously neglected segment of Israeli society. Government support will strengthen this sector. Pluralistic communities will grow as some families currently in the secular or religious schools will move to this middle network, and synagogues, youth groups, summer camps, social circles and even neighborhoods will develop around State ?combined? schools.
My children are exposed to various religious and cultural perspectives in my home. This makes them, to their dismay, a bit eccentric within Israeli society. Most Israeli kids in the neighborhood go to secular or religious schools, camps and youth groups, and clearly define themselves as secular or religious. The rise of the new school system in Israel, which supports Israeli society?s grey center, means that one day my children may feel less odd and more ordinary in this young, evolving Jewish State.
An Educational Void
Once a naïve, Conservative Jew from Ohio, I moved to Israel with my idealistic, Orthodox, Israeli husband, five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son in 1995. As I settled into my new home, I was told that I could either send my daughter to the religious or secular kindergarten in my neighborhood.
Thus began my induction into Israel's segregated system of education.
Unlike the American school system, which at least in theory attempts to integrate children from different backgrounds, the Israeli system has prided itself on separation. State secular schools teach secular Israelis, and State religious schools do their best to maintain a homogeneous population of orthodox Israelis. The secular schools offer minimal Jewish content, and the religious schools teach Orthodox Judaism. Thus, my small daughter only befriended children from Orthodox homes and learned that there is only one right way to be Jewish.
As it is human nature to dislike what is unfamiliar, separating secular and religious children has promoted an unhealthy schism within Israeli society. One time, my son came home from his State religious kindergarten in tears. He said the other kids had pointed at him and chanted Chiloni, Chiloni ("Secular Jew, Secular Jew") because his juice box was a different color.
My naivety faded as over the years I became more enmeshed in Israeli society.
I learned that in Israel you have to fight for what you want. Thus, I began to look for others who also felt disgruntled with their children?s education. Fortunately, via impromptu meetings in the neighborhood park, I joined forces with three extremely competent and industrious Israeli couples who also sought an alternative for their children.
First, we formulated a vision of a school which brought together children from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, extolled values of tolerance and acceptance of differences, and provided a positive, experiential, and pluralistic approach to Judaism. Then, we took our vision to the TALI Education Fund, which helped us to get required permissions from the city and education ministry. TALI also provided the school with a principal and key curriculum. Finally, we succeeded to raise money and recruit students.
In September 2000, following this enormous investment of time and energy, the Yachad (?Together?) school opened in Modiin for 150 children in preschool through 2nd grade. Today, over a thousand children attend Yachad Modiin in preschool through 10th grade.
Part of the Yachad?s success can be attributed to its 2002 adoption by Labor MK Rabbi Michael Melchior?s Meytarim Network for Jewish Democratic Education. Melchior, believing that educating together is the way to a more cohesive Israeli society, created the Meytarim organization to lend political, financial and even curriculum support to Yachad and similar start-ups. With Meytarim?s support, pluralistic Jewish schools were planted throughout Israel and the Yachad school in Modiin blossomed.
Now every time I walk into the school and see children with yarmulkes sitting next to children without yarmulkes, I feel hopeful about Israel.
An Educational Revolution
My hopes for schools that offer pluralistic Jewish education and promote a more cohesive Israeli society were recently answered. Israel?s Knesset passed the State Mishalev (?Combined?) Law creating a new public ?combined religious-secular? school network.
Melchior initiated the bill, which was supported by MKs from the right and left. Melchior?s bill sought to support schools that bring Jewish children from religious and secular homes together and validate all approaches to Jewish identity. According to Melchior, "the separation of Orthodox and secular education has created deep polarity in Israel. We must lessen the alienation in Israeli society. The secular and the Orthodox can grow up together."
The law creates a third public school system by allocating $10 million to support the eight schools in the Meytarim network. Each of these schools educates secular, traditional and observant Jewish students together.
Melchior described the law as ?an educational revolution and response to the divide in society.?
In the Yachad school, I?ve seen instances of healing in Israeli society?s divide. I?ve watched religious kids show secular kids how to wear Tefillin, and I?ve had secular parents serve kosher pizza on paper plates to my observant children. As children from Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and secular homes learn and play together and as parents from various religious backgrounds interact and discuss, melding occurs.
The new ?combined? schools could also help heal the schism by promoting a moderate middle ground between two extremes, a non-Orthodox form of Judaism in Israel. Furthermore, the growth of liberal Judaism in Israel could positively affect relations between Israelis and American Jews by building on shared ideologies.
As neither the State secular nor religious schools were able to meet the needs of Israelis seeking pluralistic Jewish education for their children, creation of State ?combined? schools marks the government?s recognition of a previously neglected segment of Israeli society. Government support will strengthen this sector. Pluralistic communities will grow as some families currently in the secular or religious schools will move to this middle network, and synagogues, youth groups, summer camps, social circles and even neighborhoods will develop around State ?combined? schools.
My children are exposed to various religious and cultural perspectives in my home. This makes them, to their dismay, a bit eccentric within Israeli society. Most Israeli kids in the neighborhood go to secular or religious schools, camps and youth groups, and clearly define themselves as secular or religious. The rise of the new school system in Israel, which supports Israeli society?s grey center, means that one day my children may feel less odd and more ordinary in this young, evolving Jewish State. Sep 8 2008 Israel's State Combined Secular-Religious Schools One of the most uplifting lessons I have learned as an immigrant to Israel is that change in this young country is possible if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work at it.
An Educational Void
Once a naïve, Conservative Jew from Ohio, I moved to Israel with my idealistic, Orthodox, Israeli husband, five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son in 1995. As I settled into my new home, I was told that I could either send my daughter to the religious or secular kindergarten in my neighborhood. Thus began my induction into Israel's segregated system of education.
Unlike the American school system, which at least in theory attempts to integrate children from different backgrounds, the Israeli system has prided itself on separation. State secular schools teach secular Israelis, and State religious schools do their best to maintain a homogeneous population of orthodox Israelis. The secular schools offer minimal Jewish content, and the religious schools teach Orthodox Judaism. Thus, my small daughter only befriended children from Orthodox homes and learned that there is only one right way to be Jewish.
As it is human nature to dislike what is unfamiliar, separating secular and religious children has promoted an unhealthy schism within Israeli society. One time, my son came home from his State religious kindergarten in tears. He said the other kids had pointed at him and chanted Chiloni, Chiloni ("Secular Jew, Secular Jew") because his juice box was a different color.
My naivety faded as over the years I became more enmeshed in Israeli society. I learned that in Israel you have to fight for what you want. Thus, I began to look for others who also felt disgruntled with their children?s education. Fortunately, via impromptu meetings in the neighborhood park, I joined forces with three extremely competent and industrious Israeli couples who also sought an alternative for their children.
First, we formulated a vision of a school which brought together children from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, extolled values of tolerance and acceptance of differences, and provided a positive, experiential, and pluralistic approach to Judaism. Then, we took our vision to the TALI Education Fund, which helped us to get required permissions from the city and education ministry. TALI also provided the school with a principal and key curriculum. Finally, we succeeded to raise money and recruit students.
In September 2000, following this enormous investment of time and energy, the Yachad (?Together?) school opened in Modiin for 150 children in preschool through 2nd grade. Today, over a thousand children attend Yachad Modiin in preschool through 10th grade.
Part of the Yachad?s success can be attributed to its 2002 adoption by Labor MK Rabbi Michael Melchior?s Meytarim Network for Jewish Democratic Education. Melchior, believing that educating together is the way to a more cohesive Israeli society, created the Meytarim organization to lend political, financial and even curriculum support to Yachad and similar start-ups. With Meytarim?s support, pluralistic Jewish schools were planted throughout Israel and the Yachad school in Modiin blossomed.
Now every time I walk into the school and see children with yarmulkes sitting next to children without yarmulkes, I feel hopeful about Israel.
An Educational Revolution
My hopes for schools that offer pluralistic Jewish education and promote a more cohesive Israeli society were recently answered. Israel?s Knesset passed the State Mishalev (?Combined?) Law creating a new public ?combined religious-secular? school network.
Melchior initiated the bill, which was supported by MKs from the right and left. Melchior?s bill sought to support schools that bring Jewish children from religious and secular homes together and validate all approaches to Jewish identity. According to Melchior, "the separation of Orthodox and secular education has created deep polarity in Israel. We must lessen the alienation in Israeli society. The secular and the Orthodox can grow up together."
The law creates a third public school system by allocating $10 million to support the eight schools in the Meytarim network. Each of these schools educates secular, traditional and observant Jewish students together.
Melchior described the law as ?an educational revolution and response to the divide in society.?
In the Yachad school, I?ve seen instances of healing in Israeli society?s divide. I?ve watched religious kids show secular kids how to wear Tefillin, and I?ve had secular parents serve kosher pizza on paper plates to my observant children. As children from Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and secular homes learn and play together and as parents from various religious backgrounds interact and discuss, melding occurs.
The new ?combined? schools could also help heal the schism by promoting a moderate middle ground between two extremes, a non-Orthodox form of Judaism in Israel. Furthermore, the growth of liberal Judaism in Israel could positively affect relations between Israelis and American Jews by building on shared ideologies.
As neither the State secular nor religious schools were able to meet the needs of Israelis seeking pluralistic Jewish education for their children, creation of State ?combined? schools marks the government?s recognition of a previously neglected segment of Israeli society. Government support will strengthen this sector. Pluralistic communities will grow as some families currently in the secular or religious schools will move to this middle network, and synagogues, youth groups, summer camps, social circles and even neighborhoods will develop around State ?combined? schools.
My children are exposed to various religious and cultural perspectives in my home. This makes them, to their dismay, a bit eccentric within Israeli society. Most Israeli kids in the neighborhood go to secular or religious schools, camps and youth groups, and clearly define themselves as secular or religious. The rise of the new school system in Israel, which supports Israeli society?s grey center, means that one day my children may feel less odd and more ordinary in this young, evolving Jewish State.
