Israel’s Education Ministry has highlighted a directive which officials insist has been in existence for at least 7 years. A Tanach teacher must open each class by reading the relevant psukim before the class, and preferably, calling on students to read from the Tanach.

What is new however the word “must”, with officials explaining in the past, teachers were urged but not compelled to begin a shiur with the teacher reading, followed by participation from students. Dror Halevy, who is responsible for Tanach studies in the ministry, stresses the directive by and large is not new, but being stressed anew due to the ministry’s emphasis on Tanach studies in the nation’s public schools.

Chareidi educators responding to the directive, those in schools receiving state funding and thereby compelled to adhere to ministry directives, point out the chareidi world has its own methodology, one that has proven successful.

Officials point out that chareidi children in cheider are already learning to recognize the letters and read at the age of three, significantly ahead of the ministry curriculum in the public school system. This despite the fact that in most cases, a cheider classroom is not as modern and well-equipped as public schools, with officials rejecting ministry attempts to dictate to chareidi mosdos how to teach Torah to children.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)