EDUCATION or LACK of EDUCATION

I love Eretz Yisrael, I love all Israelis, and it hurst me terribly when good Jews become victims of poor education and are distanced from their Jewish Heritage.

Recently there have been a number of attacks perpetrated by Jews against Arabs. We don't know what started the fight, but many of us do know how it all began. One Mertz Knesset Member, Zahava Gal-On, in her assessment of the events, reflects the juvenile education process that has (sadly) produced generations of Israelis ignorant of their historical identity, lacking pride in their heritage, and a paucity of intrinsic healthy self-esteem and dignity.

There are many many Israelis who have survived this deprivation and have gone through the IDF and University to acquire skills and intellectual resources that have contributed much to our Nation of Jews, life in Israel, and the entire world. These are the *more fortunate ones.

We have heard repeated many times, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" by George Santayana. And if one has never fully learned about their past ....

America in 1948 produced 'the Kerouac Generation' that melted into the Hippie Generation, known for "anti-war, liberation and idealism of the civil rights movement, feminism, gay rights," and Woodstock, among other things.

64 years after 1948, Israel has produced their version of a 'social justice movement' framed similar to the anti-capitalists of the "occupy movement" [peaceful occupation ... to protest economic decline, unemployment, extreme poverty, and ... a large percentage of educated but dissatisfied youth within the population] and, let's not forget, the Jerusalem Woodstock Revival. (Who needs the 60's all over again? But it seems there are remnants nurturing those memories.)

In her interview,

"... Meretz Knesset Member Zahava Gal-On saw a direct link between the attack and educating Jewish youth about ancient history in Hevron, where the first three Jewish forefathers and three of the four matriarchs are buried... “I am talking abut the atmosphere that is created towards someone who is not ‘one of us'.”

"The attack in Jerusalem 'is a result of the education and legal system,' MK Gal-On said on Voice of Israel radio Monday morning. She also suggested that certain Knesset Members, presumably those who are from nationalist religious parties, also 'communicate the wrong attitude'.”

I was astonished at her naivete.

Ms Gal-On you have it backwards. You need to learn more about our Jewish Ancestors. You should join the groups of youngsters that visit Hevron and learn about Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, Leah, and yes, Adam and Chava. That is where our Jewish Mesorah begins, and our Jewish morals and ethics are from Pirkei Avos: Ethics of our Fathers.

Because Israeli children are not taught adequately about their true history, from the time of our Father Avraham, and are taught only that Israeli history begins with Herzl and 1948. What do you expect from children who are taught that Ben-Gurion (David Grun) was Israel's "founding father."

1948 is the middle of the movie, and three thousand years preceded it.

Our rich history goes all the way back to Avraham Avinu who began the process of the creation of the Jewish People, and with his sons, Yitzchak and Yaakov Avinu, the same who are buried in Hevron.

If one only begins teaching Jewish History when Zionism entered the scene, one is ignoring and denying knowledge and understanding of why we are Jews, and how to stay Jews. In the echo of Santanaya, if we don't know who we are and tell the world who we are, why should the world acknowledge our heritage?

To raise generations without giving them our entire heritage is robbing them of their identity, self-esteem, and a wealth of inner resources with which to face the future.

Without this you will find many young people, who are the *less fortunate, 'hanging around' Zion Square looking for trouble.

As the above escalates, so too the Iranian threat:

Rav Ovadia Yosef: "The Sephardic religious leader claimed that most teachers within the secular education system are heretics, which is why their students go on to embrace an 'evil culture and become wicked.' They also grow up without religion or justice and do not uphold Jewish customs [...] Addressing the Iranian nuclear threat, Rav Yosef called on worshipers to pray. "Evil (forces) – Iran – are about to destroy us," he said. "We must pray to God with all our hearts. We are in danger. We are all in danger. We have no one to lean on besides God."

And as one astute blogger commented:

Rav Ovadia Shlit"a "The closest thing to the Urim Vetumim in our generation."