(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

The following video should serve as a reality check for many. It begins explaining that summer vacation is over, and the children are returning back to school, permitting parents to relax.

However, “can we really relax” aware of the growing danger to the nesamos of the children.

The video shows a session of the Knesset Education Committee during which Gilad Kariv, a leading official in Reform Jewry in Israel, addresses what he perceives as discrimination. Kariv explains they plan to increase efforts in the coming years, to open 20 schools, 50 daycare centers, 100 kindergartens and to officer services to 1,000 public schools as there is a growing interest in the pluralistic approach.

For the traditional and dati leumi communities, whose children attend the nation’s public schools, there should be alarming cause for concern. There should be outrage directed at Minister of Education Naftali Bennet and his Bayit Yehudi party, for he and the party control the ministry.

For the non-believers, one can view towards the end of the video there is a portion that was sent in by a teacher in Herzliya’s Illanot School, showing the bulletin boards in a sixth grade classroom full of crucifixes and education about Yeshu, which is now being taught in that school R”L.

Interestingly, Moshe Feiglin of the Zehut party points out that the school system is poor and students in Israel are faring well as compared to other Western countries. The test results are low and should be of concern to all. Feiglin explains it is not a matter of money, as the Education Ministry has money, but it is not used properly. Feiglin calls for higher salaries for teachers to bring more qualified teachers as one step towards improving the system.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)