Youth Leaving Religious Schools Due to High Expectations and Disconnection
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Hundreds of teenagers from Israel's religious Zionist sector are leaving religious educational institutions like yeshivas and ulpanas. Therapeutic guide Dvir Revach explains this is due to immense pressure from high societal expectations, a disconnect between the "big picture" ideals taught and individual student needs, and rigid academic schedules. Many are finding success and fulfillment in alternative paths like farming, entrepreneurship, and informal gatherings, seeking more personal connection and choice.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Thousands of religious Zionist youth are leaving yeshivas and ulpanas for alternative paths.
- High expectations to be both religiously devout and secularly successful create immense pressure.
- Traditional academic goals like matriculation certificates are no longer the sole measure of success.
- Rigid yeshiva schedules and a lack of personal emotional exploration contribute to student dropout.
- Youth seek more personal connection, choice, and a sense of belonging outside structured institutions.
- Alternative environments like farms offer a sense of freedom and individual choice.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, of teenagers from the religious Zionist sector are leaving their yeshivas, ulpanas, and high schools for farms, work, or simply staying home. One prominent religious high school saw a group of 17 close friends in their fifth year dwindle to just three by their eighth year. Dvir Revach, a therapeutic guide at "Project Hila," which helps youth who have dropped out of educational frameworks, attributes this trend to several factors.
Revach explains that the traditional goal of achieving a "bagrut" (matriculation certificate) is no longer the sole determinant of success, as many young people are finding alternative paths through entrepreneurship, farming, construction, and other ventures. However, he believes the core issue lies deeper within the religious Zionist community's expectations. "The religious Zionist public sets a very high standard," Revach stated, noting the expectation to be both religiously devout and highly successful in secular fields like military intelligence, settlement leadership, law, and media. This creates immense pressure on tenth graders grappling with identity questions.
Revach identifies two distinct groups of youth: one he calls "Dor HaBen Tzur," who may not always wear a kippah or observe Shabbat strictly but believe in God, and another group in settlements who are drawn to farms, "mishlubot" (informal gatherings), and greater freedom. He criticizes the rigid daily schedules in many yeshivas, with excessive hours dedicated to Talmudic study, leaving little room for personal emotional exploration. "You've finished the kid!" he exclaimed, recalling his own experience where classroom learning felt like a monotonous drone.
Revach also points to the pressure on teachers, who must balance curriculum delivery, pedagogical goals, and personal student relationships. He himself transitioned from teaching in a secular high school to Project Hila, which focuses on emotional support rather than academic material for students seeking only their bagrut. He describes the relationship between yeshivas and students as a "cat and mouse" game, lacking trust and diminishing the desire to belong. While Revach fondly remembers his own boarding school days, he acknowledges that the current generation is different and seeks more choice and personal connection, which he likens to a DJ sensing the crowd's energy to play the right music.
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