New Party Aims to Reform Ultra-Orthodox Education System
A new political party, 'HaTzibur HaCharedi' (The Ultra-Orthodox Public), is campaigning for the upcoming Knesset elections with a platform focused on reforming the ultra-Orthodox education system. The party, led by software engineer and Deputy Mayor of Beit Shemesh Moti Leitner, argues that the current system's neglect of core subjects like mathematics and English leaves its graduates unprepared for modern life and integration into Israeli society. The party's slogan, 'This Time We Take Responsibility,' reflects its criticism of established ultra-Orthodox parties for failing to address these educational deficiencies.
'HaTzibur HaCharedi' proposes integrating vocational training and professional teaching into the curriculum, emphasizing the need for qualified instructors in subjects like English and mathematics. The party's platform also addresses the issue of military service, stating that any ultra-Orthodox young man not dedicating his life to Torah study should perform national service like any other Israeli citizen, with provisions for integrating such service with an observant lifestyle.
The party's initiative is partly fueled by personal accounts like that of Moshe Ben Atar, a frustrated alumnus of the ultra-Orthodox education system. Ben Atar describes his own schooling in the 1960s as heavily focused on religious studies, with minimal and inadequate instruction in secular subjects. He recounts how this educational gap significantly hindered his professional development and required extensive personal effort later in life to compensate for the lack of foundational knowledge in English and sciences.
Ben Atar's experience highlights the party's core argument: that the current system intentionally limits social and professional mobility for its students to maintain a dependent voter base for established parties. 'HaTzibur HaCharedi' aims to break this cycle by providing a more comprehensive education that equips graduates with the skills needed for respectable employment and broader societal participation, while still respecting their religious way of life.
