20—Friday, August 4, 1967 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS loo l s Israe 1' s S choo Itayiin Greenberg Slade Director, WifeGet Inside Look at the and kibutzim. The kibutz schools The eight-year course would be ment cannot afford to take By PAUL BERNSTEIN financed by the federal govern- full financial responsibility for For 25 years as director of the ment, municipalities and local secondary education for the time are controlled by the govern- ment, but kibutz leaders are al- lowed to conduct classes. SAVE 25% ON NATIONALLY ADVERTISED Ilayim Greenberg-Yiddish Shule, being. The ministry of educaion Movsas Goldoftas has concerned councils. Secondary schools (age plans to take over financial re- Mrs. Goldoftas visited a great himself with Jewish education in 14-18) would be privately owned sponsibility gradually, a grade number of nurseries and kinder- the United States. A year ago, he or owned by the local municipali- every year, and in the next six or gartens of Moezet Hapoalot ty. All schools would be subject and his wife visited Israel. Gold- ministry of eight years to have secondary edu- (Pioneer Women). (Mrs. Goldof- oftas took a year's sabbatical to to the control of the cation compulsory and free. The tas was a kindergarten teacher study the primary and secondary education. for 12 years in Europe and at the The early schools were con- hope that in the next decade it educational system in Israel. Farband Camp at Chelsea, Michi- will be accomplished." "My main target," Goldoftas trolled by political parties, but have The secondary schools follow gan for 18 years.) said, "was to find out how they since 1953, the public schools The Goldoftases first visited Is- teach Hebrew subjects in the secu- been devoid of all politics. All the curriculum recommended by rael in 1947-1948. Mrs. Goldoftas primary schools fall under two the ministry of education's divi- lar and religious elementary and was impressed by the "love, un- schools sion of secondary education and categories: state secular derstanding, integration, devotion," submit to its supervision. The and state religious schools. given the pre-schoolers. "It is just secondary schools are divided The objective of the law, accord- as good now," she said, "as it was into academic, vocational and MR. AND !FIRS. GOLDOFTAS high schools, what method they use and what the difference is in their attitude and approach to the sub- ject of Humash (Bible) or Mishna. "I was also interested to see how they solved the problem of integrating the children from North Africa and Near East countries. "I was also very much inter- ested in finding out for myself what the attitude of the school youth is towards Jews in Dias- pora, especially in the United States and what they really know about us." With the passage of the educa- cation bill in the summer of 1949, Israel established free compulsory education for all of its citizens between the ages of 5 and 14. Cheese Pitta,,, Who Makes it Geshmakstfl Chef Boy•Arlee, That's Who! Have some real soon—com- plete in this package. Now, a tender, crunchy crust is easier and quicker than ever to pre- pare, everytime! Rich, true Italian pizza sauce seasoned with herbs and spices.Topped with choice Italian-style cheeses. ENJOY SOME SOON! ing to the Education Development agriculutural schools. booklet, was "To base primary Most students in Israel enter education on the values of Jewish culture and the achievements of some form of secondary school upon graduation from primary science, on love and loyalty to the country and the Jewish people, school. At the end of four years' on practice in agriculture work study at the secondary school and handicraft, on pioneer train- level, bagrut (matriculation) ex- ing and on striving for a society aminations are given. The bagrut built on freedom, equality, toler- certificate entitles one to enter ance, mutual assistance and love institutes of higher learning in Israel. Last year 9,500 students of mankind." Israel is divided into six took the bagrut tests. Of these, 74 per cent passed. school districts (Jerusalem, "In addition to government vo Southern, Tel Aviv, Central, cational and agricultural schools," Haifa and Northern districts), Goldoftas said, "the Histadrut each headed by a supervisor. and Moezet Hapoalot conduct and Each supervisor has under him support many vocational schools inspectors for each 30 schools. Approximately 750,000 students especially in the areas of new- comers and settlers." attend prim a r y and secondary Despite strict curriculum con- schools in 1966-1967. trol, schools are allowed to in- The budget of the ministry of education is the second largest in dulge in a variety of special ac- the Israeli budget. Last year, Is- tivities. Goldoftas said: "All stu- rael spent 500,000,000 pounds dents in Israel have a school uni- ($166,666,667) on education. The form—a blue shirt or blouse. One budget includes one year of pre- school will be very strict about maintaining a strict discipline school education (age 5). while another school (such as those Since the passage of the 1953 on kibutzim) would rather give bill, the government has been able more attention to social relation- to standardize the curriculum used ship and friendship between the by the schools. In the early days, students. Still another school will schools had a generally free hand prefer to emphasize sports, club in choosing their curriculum. work, school. magazines or special Hashomer Hatzair schools would study of a subject. develop its students under a gen- "I was particularly impressed eral left-wing, anti-religious theme, by two activities in two differ- while the ultra-religious Naturei ent cities. In the classrooms of Karta forbade the teaching of a primary school in Tel Aviv, arithmetic. especially in the younger grades, Today, the government has con- I was surprised to see blind trol over the curriculum used by children sitting side by side with the school. Subjects like arith- the other pupils, reading humash metic. geography, history are com- from a Braille script, reading pulsory. Hebrew is taught in all and explaining the text, the same schools, with English as the sec- as any other student in class. ond language introduced early in The amazing part was that the primary education. students accepted them as equal Under the 1953 law, the par- friends, did not pay any special ents are given a choice as to which school, state-secular or state-religious, they want their children to attend. The religious schools are allowed to add more hours of religious teaching in the curriculum. "There is no antagonism," Goldoftas said, "no conflict between the two sectors. The only competition permitted is what sector can achieve a higher standard. However, facil- ities and supervision are pro- vided for all school equally. "It is interesting to note," he attention to them in the class- rooms and played with them during recess period. "In a primary school in Haifa I found mute and deaf pupils to- gether with normal children in the classrooms and there was the same attitude of the fellow stu- dents." Handicapped children are also given special help in separate rooms with specially trained teach- ers after classes. Goldoftas stresses the great said, "that the ministry of educa- bonds between Israelis and Ameri- tion has 34 schools for the semi- cans. Many of the Israeli students, nomadic Bedoin. Most of the he said, are eager to learn all schools have five to six classes. they can about life and education The students come to school rid- in the United States, and they con- ing on donkeys — and return the stantly ask why American youth is not coming to settle in Israel. same way." "Even if you made him think Secondary education in Israel is nongovernmental. "It is sup- about American Jews," he said, ported," Goldoftas said, "by the "and even if you told them that municipalities, by parents and or- about 2,000 Americans and Cana- ganizations, and by the ministry dians do come and settle in Israel of education indirectly through the each year, they shook their heads graded tuition system for needy and were not satisfied. In my heart and gifted students." The money I blessed them. It was delightful received is not given directly to to sit and discuss with them. I the school, but to the local gov- adored the Israeli youth!" While in Israel, the Goloftases ernment in charge of the school. visited 41 primary schools (25 Goldoftas sees the day when the state secular and 16 state-re- will assume control government ligious); 20 secular schools, in- over the high schools, making them eluding four religious high compulsory and free. "The reason schools; four vocational, four it is not financed fully by the agriculaural and eight academic ministry of education," he said, high schools in 17 communities "is the lack of funds. The govern- GROSS REALTY CO. STERLING SILVER NORTHWOOD JEWELRY 2602 N. Woodward LI. 9-1885 PRESENTS Hal Gordon MUSIC BIG BAND OR SMALL COMBOS 20 years ago." UN 3-8982 UN 3-5730 DR. ABBA GEFEN, counselor of the Israel Embassy in Argen- tina, has been nominated as Israel consul-general in Toronto. He is assuming his new duties this month. 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