Firstly, I apologize if I offended anyone, I was speaking out of my own frustration and disappointment. I went to MO elementary, one year in a hesder Yeshiva, etc. and loved it, and came here expecting much more as a whole. Obviously each person is judged on his own merit but given the polarization in Israeli society a choice needs to be made and I find the Chareidi society as a whole a much safer environment for raising children committed to Torah and Yiras Shamayim, and who thank G-d are not negatively influenced by technology and other marin bishin of today’s times.
One point – I am sorry to burst certain people’s bubble but my girls are getting a far better secular education in a chareidi seminary, than I got and far better than my nephews and nieces in MO USA. When they get together and discuss history, geography, math, science, etc. there is no comparison. I believe it is not because my kids are smarter but that it is clear that one cannot learn with a cellphone in class, with internet in their room, and with learning being not the highest priority. As for my boys, while their secular education is not formal their love for learning that the Yeshiva has produced gives them the desire to read and they too know far more than their cousins who have had formal secular education. I am proud to say not only do they know far more than I knew at their age, they know far more than I do now with my advanced degrees.
The answer is that the classroom has to be one of respect for the teacher, love for learning, and this gives a person desire to learn on his own, and most importantly one must keep away from negative influences. With all the negatives of chareidi society and I admit there are many, in this area you can’t begin to compare.
As for working – almost anybody over a certain age is doing something to make a living – you cannot live on kitzbat yeladim, child allowances. Most people by, let’s say age 35, are no longer learning full time and fully realize the obligation to support their family and marry off the children. It is a myth and motzi shem ra to say that no one is working. The fact that they are not spending a full day in hi-tech does not mean they are not earning a living. Go into almost any chareidi neighborhood – while they may not spend Pesach in 5-star hotels, they are by and large not starving by any means. The children are well-dressed and there is food on the table and almost all own their own apartments.
Try it, you might like it. I have been in both worlds and while a part of me feels an affinity to MO, I am not so Yeshivish by nature and there many social norms that bother me, but bottom line is you can’t throw out the baby with the bathwater and what do want but for our kids to be serious about Torah and mitzvoth – whether or not they believe in the State to me has no bearing on life in general.