Number of ultra-Orthodox university students swings up
Strict observance of modesty codes bolsters legitimacy of the only two ultra-Orthodox colleges in Israel.
Tags: Orthodox Jews Israel newsAs colleges and universities open their doors today, around 2,000 ultra-Orthodox men and women will be among those beginning bachelor's degree programs, at the three institutions designated specifically for them. In addition, this year a program in Jerusalem will be opened to Haredi women for the very first time - psychology.
There are currently two colleges operating in Israel intended solely for ultra-Orthodox men and women: Bnei Brak Haredi College and the Haredi College of Jerusalem, the latter founded by Adina Bar-Shalom, the daughter of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. In addition, some 350 Haredi women study at a Safed branch of the Jerusalem College of Technology.
These institutions are supported in large part by the Shas Party, which (as reported recently in Haaretz) is also working to establish a higher-education lobby in the Knesset. Figures released by the Council for Higher Education indicate that four times as many Haredi students are currently enrolled in higher education programs as compared with four years ago.
Bar-Shalom opened the college in Jerusalem eight years ago. "The universities saw its achievements, as well as the fact that we've maintained admission standards - we're not trying to lower standards or to lower the level," she said. Three years ago, men also began attending the college, though the sexes were rigorously separated.
Bar-Shalom said ultra-Orthodox society is undergoing significant changes: "People want to earn their daily bread with dignity. They want to be in places where they have strength and influence."
"We also need doctors, psychologists, nurses," she added, "so that we have our own people who are familiar with our problems."
Members of the Council for Higher Education's committee on budget and planning said they "see great importance in the impressive pace at which Haredi students are being absorbed into the higher education system." "This is a project that is budgeted separately by the Finance Ministry, and it needs to continue to be expanded," one member said.
The most popular tracks among Haredi students are educational counseling, speech therapy, social work, medical laboratory studies and social studies. Bar-Shalom said the success of previous classes has prompted more Haredi students to register for the programs.
"As soon as there are graduates who earn their degrees from the university, and [go on to] work in places which until now Haredim were unable to get to, it brings more people," she said, adding that the support the programs receive from rabbis, including her father, and strict observance of modesty codes, bolsters their legitimacy.
"Of course there is support. When things are done modestly and appropriately, according to halakha, according to the rules, there is no reason to refrain from studying academic subjects. The rules of modesty are being followed completely in these places," she said.
"You won't see boys with girls, and on any religious issue we get answers from scripture. After all, there is no problem to which there is no solution in scripture," she added.
The academic studies are conducted with the support of universities. Of the psychology program, to be held in Jerusalem with 50 female students in its first class, Bar-Shalom said, "We've been preparing for this for four years. Our rabbis looked over the material and have addressed each and every problem. Just as we're teaching Freud, we'll teach how Maimonides deals with questions of human behavior.
"We know what to be wary of, what not to get into," she continued. "Even scientists know that Freud isn't the only opinion in psychology - for example, there is also Jung."
The psychology program will be headed by Prof. David Leiser of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. According to Leiser, "It was agreed that there would be no interference in the curriculum, and that we'd teach the same program taught at Ben-Gurion, with the same exam. The adjustments [made] will be based on sensitivity.
"For example," he explained, "if we're teaching an introduction to psychology, we'll present a certain theory of psychoanalysis by saying, 'Here, there is such an opinion which you must be familiar with.' We won't treat it as truth, but simply as an existing idea."
A master's program in psychology is expected to open in the future as well, which would certify ultra-Orthodox students as clinical psychologists. "We want to have therapists to whom we can entrust our souls. We can put our bodies in the hands of any doctor, but our souls are far more complicated," said Bar-Shalom.
Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, praised the developments in Haredi education: "The interest Shas has expressed in higher education is an important change. Ultra-Orthodox society must adjust itself to changes taking place in traditional societies around the world, to encourage the acquisition of higher education and take part in bearing the economic responsibility borne by the society as a whole. This step by Shas points to its willingness to advance this issue."
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Readers might wrongly get the impression that the Haredi College Jerualem is connected to Shas. It is NOT connected to any political party. The Haredi College, which just moved to the Malha Technology Park, is not for any one ethnic group: about half the students are Ashkenazim, half Sefardim. Until now the degrees have been awarded at the College by either Bar-Ilan University or the Hadassah Academic College, and I am surprised this fact was omitted from the article.
By the mid-19th Century Rabbiner Samson Raphael Hirsch was teaching Torah im derech eretz, encouraging Jews to serve G-D in every walk of life. Kahal Adass Jeshurun produced Orthodox doctors, judges, professors as well as business men and every other legitimate occupation. It's about time Israeli Charedim caught up to the 19th Century!
The overwhelming majority of Orthodox Jews want an Orthodox Jewish doctor as their personal physician, although for specialists one just wants the best. It's not just when 'baring our soul' that we feel better with someone on our own wave length.
The products of these institutions will serve further evidence - already painfully obvious - to the weaknesses of the misrad hachinuch secular education, which stresses content retention and repitition; instead of learning the rules and how to apply them and how to think for yourself. Hopefully Jewish education and Judaically educated people will assume responsibilty for this countries education in the years ahead.
Since all the secular people stopped having kids, and the few they do have want to run away to New York at the earliest opportunity, all that's left is the religious. If these guys don't start learning useful skills like psychology and engineering, who will be left to do them? Someone has to take up all the slack, why not the haredim?
Consider the possibility that a Kupat Holim clinic has a psychologist, or at a hospital, a doctor or a social worker, or any other professional person who is Haredi. If a patient who is not Haredi is put on his or her list, are they going to refuse them?! Granted, Haredim will keep the door open, or perhaps tell the director that the client is not dressed modestly enough--yes, Virginia you don't visit public places for official or medical purposes in a halter top and short shorts! Assuming that the person is giving the care, or service is professional there is no need to fuss over the Religious Life Style he or she conducts. Then too, there are many Traditional Jews who may not be Haredi, but follow the "tenets of Judaism" to some extent or other so that the Haredi caregiver is sensetive to those issues at a non-Haredi level of observance. The Army--why not a Haredi medic, or doctor, or social worker for a fighting unit. Are less sensetive to the needs of the population?!