The Yated Ne’eman published a correspondence by a Charedi English teacher in the US critical of the current negative attitude by Charedi parents towards secular education. This... in and of itself was a pleasant surprise since the Yated has had no love lost for secular education in the past and has always been very clear about this. But then my “hot” button was pressed because of the following story and comment (in part) I read on an e-mail list to which I belong sent by someone from the city of Ramat Bet Shemesh in Israel:
“About 2 months ago, we had the 10 year old son of a neighbor (ok, the son was also a neighbor...) staying with us for several days while his parents were in America. We were playing a game of Risk, and I was trying to teach him the names of the countries (despite being a native English speaker, he does not really read English well, if at all, having grown up since age 5 or so in Israel). He was attacking from Kamchatka ... After pointing out Kamchatka, I told him that no matter what he does in life, no matter how much (or how little he learns), I think he'll find that the only people in life who know where Kamchatka is are Risk players”
“... He responded by (politely) informing me that "I don't need to know that stupid [sic] stuff. I'm going to be a Rebbe when I grow up." To be fair, someone who plans to grow up in Israel (even though his family refuses to become citizens due to concerns about having to serve in the Army) may not need the same level of secular education as a student in the States, but, having clarified with the father, this is a (virtually) verbatim quote from the Rebbe. Perhaps I'm just placing my own (American) bias on things-- but I'd find it hard to respect anyone (Rebbe or not) who can disparage the idea of knowing the name (!) of a country as too stupid to bother caring about.”
OK... “I’ve been there and done that”. I don’t really like to just repeat myself. I’ve stated my views about the state of Charedi education in Israel... many times... in many places and in many ways. But whenever I hear a story like this it really upsets me and I can’t help but respond... especially in an American enclave like Ramat Bet Shemesh which is so heavily populated by Americans, my own son included.
How many 10 year old children in the majority camp ...which is the Charedi one... know how to read English, even if their parents are Americans? English is far too important to ignore if one is going to try and earn a living in an increasingly globalized economy. More and more good jobs will require it. The negative attitude about secular studies combined with the type of indoctrination that teaches that becoming a Rebbe (...not a Chasidic Rebbe, but a Mechanech) is the ultimate goal of a Torah Jew ...is so pervasive, it seems, that it defies logic!
The Rebbeim in these schools often become role models for these young and impressionable children. Young boys who can recite great numbers of Mishnayos by heart barely know how to recite the English alphabet.
Instead of learning something important like how to read English there is an emphasis on Narshkeitin. For example, I was told of one Rebbe in a Ramat Bet Shemesh non-Chasidic Cheder who went to Uman for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. UMAN!
In another case, an elementary school Rebbe is a heavy smoker (which he at least does outside the classroom as per the schools requirements... but it is known to the students). Are these the kinds of people that Charedim want as role models for a young non-Chasidic child? What is this school, thinking? I asked my son about the Uman thing and he said it upset him too but what could he do... This is the Charedi system! There is nothing anyone can do about it.
Is that true? Are Charedim stuck with a system that so poorly educates American children, indoctrinates them so counter-productively, and has Rebbeim that are such bad role models for them?
This can’t end well. Things have to change.
