The Secondary Citizens of Israel

The education system in Israel involves the transmission of principles, tenets, and Judaism's religious law. Jews value and prioritize education in the Jewish education system and trace education's value back to their culture. From the early stages of studying the Tanakh, Judaism stresses and emphasizes the Torah's study in schools. Ever since the conception of Judaism in Israel, the Jewish education system received more priority due to God's morals and beliefs. However, the education applauds Abraham for his exemplary work of offering instructions to his children in the ways suggested by God. 1 According to Jewish education, parents play the most significant role in providing instructions and guidance, and counseling to their children. This essay aims to analyze the education system of the Jews, the concept of Nakba, and the racism displayed by Israelites against the minority Arabs. 

Brief Description of the Jewish System of Education 

In Jewish education, parents offered spiritual guidance and instructions to their children, whereas the children followed and obeyed them. The Jewish education got direction from various scripture in the bible, such as Deuteronomy and Proverbs' books, and insisted on compulsory elementary school learning. Besides, boys and men acquired education in intervals and traced back their educational history to the second temple era. The Talmud emphasized the importance of education by declaring that children should start learning at six. 2 Also, the Rabbis abolished the beating of children with a cane or stick and announced that younger students should get assistance from the older ones. The Jewish education system was not allowed to keep children occupied by separate duties, making them miss their lessons. 

There were specific studies concerning Judah ben Tema; Mikra's studies were for children aged five, Mishna for ten years, Mitzvoth for thirteen years, and Talmud for fifteen years. Therefore, Mishna was the complimentary verbal Torah, Mikra was the written Torah, and Talmud comprised written and oral unity laws and scrutiny of the policies. In line with the Jewish traditions, the Jews developed their schools or employed private teachers to tutor their children until the dusk of the 18 th Century. Also, separate buildings near the synagogues or annexes in the Jewish set up acted as housing for schools. 3 According to Genesis 18:19, Rabbi Meir acknowledges God's statement claiming that Abraham received blessings from God to instruct his children to live righteously and refrain from sin while seeking justice. 

Structure of the Jewish System of Education 

The Jewish education system comprises formal and informal education whereby children get knowledge and skills in and out of the classroom. Children acquired knowledge to do simple arithmetic and reading under formal education, while in informal education, children learned manual skills such as masonry, housekeeping, and discipline. Informal education, sex exclusion was a custom whereby the Haredi community experienced separation by sex in education. However, the boys' education mainly focused on learning Jewish scriptures like Talmud and Torah, while females studied comprehensive secular subjects and Jewish education. 4 The Talmud also led to the development of a formal Jewish educational institution in Joshua ben Gamla. Before the 1 st Century of Gamla, children received informal education from their parents until later when schools spread in every town, making education compulsory beginning ages six or seven. 

Formal Jewish System of Education 

During the Talmudic and Mishnaic era, the youth got attached to a Jewish court of law where they advanced in three rows, and their fellow students getting elevation to appear in the court. However, after abolishing the official court system, people studied the Tora in the Yeshivot, where the top generation sages taught there. Before the 19 th Century, the youth received education under the local Rabi, who acquired funds from the Jewish community to ensure that the number of students was reasonable. 5 Therefore, the Yeshivot remains relevant in Orthodox society today, and there are many Yeshivot, especially in Israel and the United States. In the 20 th Century, there was a development of Modern Orthodox and Hesder or the Religious Zionist of Israel. However, the study of Yeshiva was standard in all the communities. 

Moreover, in the 21 st Century, critics in both Israel and the United States complained that some Hasidic and Haredi yeshivas only taught religious studies and excluded secular subjects such as science and mathematics. However, the Haredi avoidance of secular subjects displayed a variety of manifestations in and out of Israel. In Israel, most non-Hasidic Haredi and Hasidic yeshivas unanimously agreed to oppose the study of secular subjects. The communities went an extra mile to deny students an opportunity of attaining a certificate of Bagrut. Nevertheless, in the United States, the non-Hasidic Haredi yeshivas provide secular education programs that are state-compliant. 6 The Hasidic yeshivas of the United States shy away from the exposure of rudimentary secular subjects from elementary to high school levels. The philosophy of education of the Israel Haredi yeshivas is similar to the Hasidic yeshivas of America, who avert secular education. 

The Jewish day school phenomenon has a relatively common origin. Boys attended the Talmud Torah or the cheder or a small room and received teachings from a melamed tinokos or children's teacher. Therefore, the initial Jewish day schools emerged in Germany, widely due to the high demand for secular studies. During the past, an internship was adequate to acquire professional skills, or instead, several gymnasium years adequately prepared one for university education. The Rabbis who started Jewish day schools acted as models for many institutions that were similar. 7 Besides, the Jews engaged themselves in constructing academic education establishments and endorsing teaching as a professional career. Three presidents of the American Confederation of Teachers were Jews, such as Sandra Feldman, Albert Shankar, and Randi Weingarten. The Jewish children attend congregational, Hebrew, and supplementary religious schools in the United States. 

In the early 19 th and 29 th Centuries, there was public awareness and education to emphasize girls' education. Moreover, in Eastern Europe, girls received their Hebrew and Jewish education at home and were frequently not conversant with Hebrew. During the 19 th Century, public education became essential in Europe, and to maintain control in education over the Jewish students, Jewish schools were now real. Consequently, due to Sarah Schenire's ingenuity, the first Jewish girls' school called Baais Yaakov emerged in Krakow. 8 During this time, girls in America received education together with boys in public schools, and they also acquired Jewish education through curriculums at Sunday schools and synagogues. In Jewish society, women were prohibited from taking part in most synagogue prayers but could only participate in communal prayers. 

Informal Jewish System of Education 

Recent studies show that most Jewish students participate in activities sponsored by Jewish youth establishments such as Zionist youth actions or attend Jewish youth associations. Therefore, the different associations differ in religious affiliation, political ideology, and leadership structure, although they feature youth governance. Besides, the Jews developed summer camps to connect with a specific Judaism denomination or Israel orientation. The summer camps get sponsorship from Conservative, Orthodox, Reform Movements, and Reconstructionists. 9 Moreover, the centers also receive funding from Zionists movements like Betar, Young Judaea, Hashomer Hatzair, Habonim Dror, and B'nei Akiva. Most of the campers' roles are to participate in non-profit Jewish summer activities, specifically in the United States. Additionally, the summer camps receive organizational support from local Jewish youth associations and philanthropic movements. 

Also, Camp Ramah's network that has links to Conservative Judaism operates camps in the Northern parts of America. The youth in the camps study Hebrew, experience traditional observance of Shabbat, and observe the Kashrut laws. However, the Judaism reform union globally operates the most useful camping system called the Israel Programs and the Judaism Reform camp. The chief command is responsible for running operations across North America, including ten leadership foundations, a sports area camp, Israel travel series, and special needs youth programs. Participants in the programs participate in events concerning Jewish history and values, observe Shabbat, and participate in summer camp undertakings like creative arts, athletics, and color war. Also, the informal Jewish education system gets organized on campuses of the universities and receive support from national associations the Jewish Students Union of the United Kingdom and Hillel of the United States. 

Additionally, one of the oldest drama-based Jewish education systems is called a theatre of Rabbi Moshe written by Ramchal in 1707-1746, who developed numerous characters. As much as such plays were not standard in the traditional Jewish education system, the Etz Chaim Jerusalem school performed such games during the 1930s. An example of such a Jewish performance put Joab, King David's general, on trial for several crimes. The faculty and students designed a skit that had the roles of advocate, a judge, and a jury, all having an extensive basis on Talmudic and Biblical research. 10 The Jews are currently designing drama as an educational tool in theaters to deliver outreach and education to society. The Jewish education system also inculcates sports to link the Jewish youth to Israel and Judaism ideals. 

The Prohibition of Teaching Nakba in Jewish Schools 

Nakba Day, well known as Catastrophe Day, happens on the 15 th of May after the Israeli Independence Day. It makes them celebrate the displacement that paved the way for the Israeli Liberation of Palestinians' declaration. During the Palestinian war of 1948, many Palestinians ran away, leaving their significant cities and towns less populated and destroyed. The refugees and the descendants of that war settled in various areas such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, and some internally banished Palestinians in Israel. 11 The Israeli administration issued a warning to Israeli tutors to liaise with a civic organization to teach Israelis how the Palestinians feel that they lost their native land to Israel. As a result, the Israeli Jewish developed a lousy relationship with Palestine's people due to their ideology of the Palestinian war of 1948. 

The ministry of education in Israel issued the prohibition order after a Jewish group called Zochrot planned to create awareness among the Jewish Israelis on the events in 1948. The Israeli government officials termed the activities of Zochrot as a criminal with the ill intentions of eliminating Israel from the earth's surface. The education ministry banned schools in Israel from circulating a specific pamphlet for children that talked about the Global Affirmation of Human Rights. However, most Jewish critics disagreed with parts of the declaration that talked about protecting people who requested asylum and religious freedom. 12 Lately, the Israeli administration still deals with the controversy surrounding the emergence of the Jewish nation in 1948, or the Independence War according to Israelis, and the Nakba or Catastrophe, according to Palestinians. 

Members of the Zochrot organization erected signposts at previous areas using Arabic name tags. They Zochrot went a step further to bring refugees of Palestinian origin to pay visits to the regions. The organization's move to bring the Palestinian refugees angered and provoked the Jewish people who lived in groups developed on the lands. Besides, the Zochrot made efforts to build a unique program for Israeli teachers to teach Nakba's concept from a Palestinian viewpoint. Nevertheless, the suggestion did not receive much embracement from the Jewish community because they felt that the organization was out to offend them. 13 Also, the request to teach Nakba in Jewish schools led to a conflict of interest among the Israeli administration's education officials. Several teachers were curious and developed the desire to teach Nakba, but the move posed a threat to the Israeli government. 

The Manifestation of Racism in Israel Against the Minority Arabs 

Racism in Israel comprises all kinds of racial discrimination portrayed in Israel, regardless of the victim and perpetrator's creed or color, residency, citizenship, or visitor status. However, in Israel, racism refers to racial segregation practiced by Israeli Jews against Israeli Arabs. Therefore, the concept of racism manifested by Israeli Jews against Israeli Arabs exists in various forms: personal attitudes, institutional procedures, education, the media, housing, immigration rights, legal policies, and social life. Also, the Jewish Israeli of Ashkenazim holds discriminatory views against Jews of different origins like Indian, Ethiopian, Sephardi, and Mizrahi Jews. 14 The Ethiopian Jews continue to face discrimination from the non-black Jewish community. Even though intermarriages between Mizrahim/Sephardim and Ashkenazim Jews happen regularly in Israel, and there is steady improvement in social assimilation, inequalities still exist. 

However, racism against Israeli Arabs in Israel has its foundation in the media, personal attitudes, education, housing discrimination, immigration rights, and social life. Report and findings indicate that the Israeli administration has not done much to reduce legal, societal, and institutional racism experienced by Arab citizens. Former Defense Minister for Israel Arens Moshe criticized the kind of treatment accorded to Israeli minorities claiming that they lacked complete responsibility of Israeli citizenship. The defense minister also stated that most of the minority groups in Israel did not enjoy full privileges that accompanied Israeli citizenship. 15 Also, reports published by civil rights organizations in Israel show that many Israeli teens view Arabs as violent, uncultured, illiterate, and less intelligent. The opinions established by various polls regarding the Arabs in Israel indicate that racism is deeply rooted in most parts of the country. 

Besides, most Israelis publicly declared that they would not want to live in the same houses with Arabs or even let their children interact with Arab children. The Center Against Racism established a report in 2007 that claimed that most Israeli Jews were not comfortable sharing the same apartments with Arabs and that marriage between an Arab and an Israeli Jew was equal to 'national treason.' The report also claims that 40% of Israeli Jews wanted their administration to encourage Arab emigration and did not wish to visit the same entertainment spots with Arabs. 16 Nevertheless, the Israeli Jews proposed removing the voting rights of the Arabs by the government so that they could not exercise their democratic right. A poll from the University of Tel Aviv showed that Israeli students did not want Arabs to participate in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. 

Conclusion 

The Jewish system of education displays various structural layouts with both informal and formal education offered to children. In the legal sector, children learn different professional-based skills that help them develop the required knowledge and skills to impact society positively. On the other hand, the informal sector gives children psychomotor skills such as building, creating, and inventing. Also, the prohibition of teaching Nakba's concept in Jewish schools shows that its ideas are radical to the Israeli administration. The war between Israel and Palestine, which led to the displacement of millions of Palestinians, also caused massive property destruction. Additionally, racism witnessed in Israel, especially against the minority Arabs, leads to psychological torture on the minority groups. Therefore, with the United Nations' help, the Israeli administration is developing mechanisms to curb the rampant spread of racial discrimination. 

Bibliography 

Burstein, Paul. "Jewish educational and economic success in the United States: A search for explanations."  Sociological Perspectives  50, no. 2 (2007): 209-228. 

Goodman, Roberta Louis, and Eli Schaap. "Jewish educational personnel."  What we know about Jewish education  (2008): 259-268. 

Van Teeffelen, Toine. "Racism and metaphor: The Palestinian-Israeli conflict in popular literature."  Discourse & Society  5, no. 3 (1994): 381-405. 

Woocher, Jonathan. "Reinventing Jewish education for the 21st century."  Journal of Jewish Education  78, no. 3 (2012): 182-226. 

Zaher, Sawsan. "The prohibition on teaching the Nakba in the Arab education system in Israel." (2010). 

1 Woocher, Jonathan. "Reinventing Jewish education for the 21st century."  Journal of Jewish Education  78, no. 3 (2012): 182-226. 

2 Ibid, 195

3 Ibid, 250

4 Burstein, Paul. "Jewish educational and economic success in the United States: A search for explanations."  Sociological Perspectives  50, no. 2 (2007): 209-228. 

5 Ibid, 212

6 Ibid, 250

7 Ibid, 250

8 Goodman, Roberta Louis, and Eli Schaap. "Jewish educational personnel."  What we know about Jewish education  (2008): 259-268. 

9 Ibid, 261

10 Ibid, 267

11 Zaher, Sawsan. "The prohibition on teaching the Nakba in the Arab education system in Israel." (2010). 

12 Ibid, 1

13 Ibid, 1

14 Van Teeffelen, Toine. "Racism and metaphor: The Palestinian-Israeli conflict in popular literature."  Discourse & Society  5, no. 3 (1994): 381-405. 

15 Ibid, 383

16 Ibid, 386