A new program to teach Arabic language and culture to all Jewish children in Israel’s north – as a means of promoting closer ties between Jews and Arabs – could lead to an increase in the already alarming rate of intermarriage, warn activists who have been combating the problem.
The program, which was launched this September, requires all schools in the ministry’s northern district to offer two hours a week of instruction in Arabic language, culture and tradition. Fifth graders in all state and state-religious schools will be taught by Arab instructors and Jews who have received special training.
“This will contribute to a deeper awareness and understanding of the Arabic heritage and will promote coexistence, living together, tolerance and friendship between the various student populations in the north,” wrote Dr. Orna Simchon, head of the northern district, in a letter to school principals.
However, while the Education Ministry is keen on promoting better understanding among Jewish children of Arabic culture and tradition, it refuses to consider proposals to promote understanding of Jewish culture and tradition.
One such proposal, put forth by Yad L’Achim chairman Harav Shalom Dov Lifschitz, was for all secular state schools to start the day with the recitation of Shema Yisrael, as a means of strengthening the students’ connection to core Jewish beliefs.
“It is tragic that the Education Ministry rejects out of hand subjects that touch on the essence of the Jewish people, but accepts and even initiates programs that offer Jewish children Arab culture – for the sake of ‘friendship and coexistence’ – that are likely to cause irreversible damage in the form of mixed marriage,” Rav Lifschitz said.
Rav Lifschitz last week appealed to the education minister to instruct state schools to introduce Jewish studies into the curriculum as part of a meaningful program to deepen the ties of Jewish children to their heritage.
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6 Responses
So in other words they want to convert Jews to Arabs to promote peace?!?!? What kind of plan is that?!?
They (The secular bureaucrats in the Education department) are introducing the teaching of arabic culture in the public schools in order to promote “Understanding and Coexistence”. Meanwhile, in all the schools in the entire arab world, they teach hatred of Jews and prepare them for jihad and suicide bombings.
Is the Education Ministry NUTS?
Why not have classes in the Arab schools introducing their students to Jewish culture, religion and customs so that the path to peace (ha, ha) can begin.
Rav Meir Kahane zatzvk”l said…
“One of the great problems with Americans is that – being a decent people – they assume that everyone else is equally decent.”
Secular Israelis, tragically having no belief in HKB”H, and wanting to believe in SOMETHING, buy into this humanistic nonsense too. Like a drowning man grasping for a straw, they grasp at the sick hope that they can make their enemies love them, in this case by studying their language and culture.
As we say every yom chameeshee, “Lu ami shomaya lee…” if only My people would listen to Me…
If only Am Yisrael would forego their egos and their lust for goyish ideologies, HKB”H would give us more than all we need. So very sad that it seems we will only learn this lesson the hard way…
Welcome to the wonderful, beautiful and amazing Jewish Zionist State of Israel!
What is the problem with Jews learning Arabic? Many of their grandparents spoke it. And it is the language of many of our sages; Rabbi Saadiah Gaon, Rabbi Solomon ibn Gabirol, Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda, Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, and Rambam are among those who published some of their most important work in Arabic. An orthodox school in my neighborhood offers Arabic as an elective; why not in Eretz Yisrael?