Last week, Education Minister Yoav Kisch (Likud) made a decision that state schools must have mandatory Tanach studies throughout the school year in all grades beginning from second grade. Until now, principals of schools were allowed to choose how to spread the hours over the course of the year so that Tanach could be taught for even only one semester, but now Kisch added Tanach to the core subjects such as math and English which are required to be taught throughout the year. That evening, the topic was discussed on The Patriots talk show on Channel 14 News, Israel’s version of Fox News, hosted by Yinon Magal. The guest on the show that night was Avi Shushan, the spokesperson for Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Shushan said: “My son is in first grade in a state school, not a religious school like I attended, and I’m ashamed that he doesn’t have even one class on basic concepts of Yahadus.” “I take him to shul but it’s a struggle until he’ll agree to come. He doesn’t know what a siddur is and what Shema Yisrael is. A child in first grade in a school here in the State of Israel – doesn’t know the basics. He has classes on the climate and music…a generation of ignoramuses is being raised here.” TV host Magal said: “I’m Shomer Shabbat but I grew up in a secular home. I’m not super religious but I would never send my children these days to a state school. How can you do that to your children? They won’t know anything!” Panel member Yotam Zimri said: “I went to a state school a long time ago and I also didn’t know what a siddur or Shema Yisrael was. It’s not something new. For dozens of years, the State of Israel made sure that children won’t have a Jewish foundation because they’re scared of it. Kol HaKavod to Yoav Kisch and whoever paid attention to the fact that the children of Israel need a little Yahadus.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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