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Last update - 11:17 04/09/2007
Probe: Secular students being taught only Orthodox Judaism
By Or Kashti, Haaretz Correspondent

In contradiction to recommendations adopted by the Education Ministry in 1994, nearly all the organizations teaching classes on Judaism and Jewish identity at secular schools are doing so in an Orthodox spirit and not a pluralist one, according to a report compiled recently by the Education Ministry.

In the wake of the report, the Education Ministry decided not to approve a budget hike for the centers. On Tuesday, the Knesset will meet to discuss the matter.

The Shenhar committee, which examined the manner in which Judaism is taught at schools, was headed by Professor Aliza Shenhar and submitted its recommendations to former education minister Professor Amnon Rubenstein in 1994. The recommendations were adopted and became the ministry's policy on Jewish education in secular schools.

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"We are not willing to abandon Jewish studies to those who belong solely to the Orthodox world," Rubenstein said when receiving the recommendations 13 years ago.

According to a copy of the report received by Haaretz, only three of the 25 organizations that requested additional funds teach Judaism in accordance with the Shenhar recommendations, which demand that they teach to students "the many faces of the Jewish culture."

According to the report, one of the organizations "uses preachy language which tells students about the right Judaism - the Orthodox Judaism. There isn't any reference to secular Judaism at all."

Another organization "stressed that a Jew is someone who has a Jewish mother or who has converted according to Halacka," or Jewish law, the report stated.

The report added that "other alternatives were not addressed" and that "the students were taught that boys and girls should be separated - the former will puts on phylacteries and the latter will light Shabbat candles."

In response to the report, Rabbi Gilad Kariv of the Reform movement's Israel Religious Action Center said that that "it raises serious questions on the suitability of the Orthodox organizations in general, and the National Service teachers in particular, in secular schools. The schools must be able to teach Judaism and Zionism in a manner that is fitting to the views of the students and their parents, while promoting pluralism in Israeli society."

Anat Rot, the director of the umbrella organization of groups teaching Jewish identity in schools, admits that most of the organizations have an Orthodox slant. She said in response that "the Shenhar report can be understood in different ways and the criteria used in the [education ministry] report were publicized only a week prior to the examination itself. This was an unfair move."



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  1.   Nonsense 10:17  |  Vladimir 04/09/07
  2.   There`s No Reason To Teach Anything Else 10:20  |  Yishai Kohen 04/09/07
  3.   Can some one tell me what Secular Judaism is? 10:32  |  David G 04/09/07
  4.   A story of heaven 11:06  |  Suzie 04/09/07
  5.   A story of heaven continuted 11:09  |  Suzie 04/09/07
  6.   Well, Dah! 11:12  |  Daniel Jackson 04/09/07
  7.   Who wants to study fraud? 11:27  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  8.   Who wants to study fraud? 11:30  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  9.   There is only one Judaism 11:36  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 04/09/07
  10.   secular judaism? 11:38  |  yael 04/09/07
  11.   s jf she didnt know 11:39  |  Yonatan 04/09/07
  12.   question to 1-3 11:43  |  michael 04/09/07
  13.   Who wants to study fraud? 11:47  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  14.   Judaism is both a religion and a culture 12:33  |  Michael 04/09/07
  15.   response to michael 12:48  |  David G 04/09/07
  16.   Just what the Orthodox ordered 12:54  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/09/07
  17.   teaching them fairy tales 13:07  |  SJ 04/09/07
  18.   Should the girls be circumcized? 13:08  |  FOX 04/09/07
  19.   qualified opinion 13:11  |  jewboy 04/09/07
  20.   Utterly ridiculous 13:11  |  RightClick 04/09/07
  21.   #11 and ignorance 13:14  |  Josephine 04/09/07
  22.   Michael, your argument is and old failed one 13:18  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  23.   Teaching Judaism 13:20  |  Nik Miller 04/09/07
  24.   #16 Ronnie at his best 13:27  |  FOX 04/09/07
  25.   sj 13:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 04/09/07
  26.   Dear SJ: stop ramming secularism down ours 13:34  |  Just A jew 04/09/07
  27.   Yes, Reform Judaism is a way of life... 13:36  |  Maimon 04/09/07
  28.   Secular Religion? 13:43  |  James 04/09/07
  29.   Orthodoxy unrepresentative 13:48  |  Scrolls 04/09/07
  30.   Orthodox Judaism 13:56  |  Michael 04/09/07
  31.   There is only one Judaism 14:29  |  Gene 04/09/07
  32.   Ronnie Wolman Number 16 14:31  |  Boaz 04/09/07
  33.   Fox: Blinded by the Light 14:34  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/09/07
  34.   Boaz,one thing I want to say to you... 14:35  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/09/07
  35.   Michael #30 14:53  |  Avi Yerushalmi 04/09/07
  36.   That sound about right, if you want to teach micky mouse 15:21  |  S Judah 04/09/07
  37.   Joe Jew #22 15:22  |  Michael 04/09/07
  38.   #15 15:23  |  Michael 04/09/07
  39.   Education vs. Indoctrination 15:37  |  mike 04/09/07
  40.   Pluralistic Judaism 15:40  |  Shel Zahav 04/09/07
  41.   Mike there is only one version 15:49  |  Ronnie Wolman 04/09/07
  42.   Secular students studying orthodoxy 15:56  |  Leonard Oberstein 04/09/07
  43.   We know why SJ in TA hates the Torah 16:05  |  Morris Cohen 04/09/07
  44.   To Michael from Utah 16:09  |  Gene 04/09/07
  45.   rONNIE wOLMAN 16:14  |  BOAZ 04/09/07
  46.   This is not even a joke! 16:40  |  Maimon 04/09/07
  47.   Tiresome use of the term "leftist".... 16:45  |  Maimon 04/09/07
  48.   Boaz On Ronnie... 16:59  |  Maimon 04/09/07
  49.   why force our kids 17:11  |  Danny Epicorus 04/09/07
  50.   Why are you calling it "secular Judaism" 18:10  |  B`galil 04/09/07
  51.   To Avi #35 - You are so wrong 18:23  |  B`galil 04/09/07
  52.   To Danny #49 18:48  |  B`galil 04/09/07
  53.   Scrolls in what way are reform jews religious? 19:15  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  54.   Michael from salt lake city 19:19  |  Another Jew 04/09/07
  55.   Michael and lack of belief 19:25  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  56.   # 38 and the stench 19:27  |  Just A jew 04/09/07
  57.   # 39 mike: how about the Manufacturers instructions 19:30  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  58.   Boaz quit braying 19:32  |  jewboy 04/09/07
  59.   Leftists and dialectic distinctions#47 19:37  |  Joe Jew 04/09/07
  60.   Danny# 49 thanks for the sample 19:39  |  Just A jew 04/09/07
  61.   jEwBoY 19:52  |  bOaZ 04/09/07
  62.   Judaism 20:04  |  Ralph 04/09/07
  63.   Evangelical envy 20:15  |  W 04/09/07
  64.   Probe: University students being taught only anti-zionism 20:27  |  Herbert Kaine 04/09/07
  65.   #10 - Yael re: Halakhah 20:28  |  Double Click 04/09/07
  66.   Michael #12 20:53  |  Leo 04/09/07
  67.   "Christian school only teaches divninty of Jesus 22:17  |  Moshe 04/09/07
  68.   at the time of the destruction of the 2nd temple-4 sects existed 22:22  |  de sterix 04/09/07
  69.   "Orthodox" simply means historic judaism 22:24  |  Moshe 04/09/07
  70.   I didn`t read all, but # 3 you are so right! 22:44  |  John 04/09/07
  71.   Separation of church and state thus public and religious schools! 22:49  |  Aaron 04/09/07
  72.   Teach`em Islam,no deviation there,that`s why Yuli Tamir loves it 22:54  |  Absolute Sweden 04/09/07
  73.   Hey Moishe - Listen up 22:55  |  B`galil 04/09/07
  74.   re: #66 de sterix-there were 5 sects at time of 2nd temple 22:56  |  virginia orrall 04/09/07
  75.   Teach them about Judaism, but also let them learn 23:35  |  Aaron 04/09/07
  76.   Torah True Orthodoxy is a Lie 23:57  |  Matthew 04/09/07
  77.   The Culturalist Approach Fox -Ronnie 04:26  |  Danite 05/09/07
  78.   #1 and#3 05:29  |  David 05/09/07
  79.   Judaism - one one type 05:53  |  vicky 05/09/07
  80.   What are they afraid of? 06:01  |  vicky 05/09/07
  81.   Matthew #76 - who is "they"? 08:21  |  Moises 05/09/07
  82.   "Pluralism" is a code word