Off The Sidelines

By Naomi Kohn (Klians) 2001
Bogeret Bat Zion Program 

I always tell people that the reason I made aliyah is because I went to Orot. Rav Shvat, in his inspiring Torat Eretz Yisrael class told us to always remember במדבר ל”ג נ”ג, and remember I did. It took 11 years, marriage, four children and the purchase and sale of a house, among several other hurdles, but we made it. When asked by Nefesh B’Nefesh why we chose to make aliyah, my reply was obvious - because Hashem said so.

The past 3+ years of living in Eretz Yisrael have been filled with moments of intense happiness, sadness, anxiety, fear, wonder, questioning, yearning, excitement, and now most often thankfulness. There is nothing like waking up to run with the sunrise in the Judean Hills where our forefathers created history. I now have the zechut to daven at the Kotel, Kever Rachel and Mearat Hamachpela all within a short drive. Upon completion of learning the entire Sefer Bereishit in Kita Aleph, our children recite the Birkat Yaakov by heart in the very spot where it all took place.

As each year passes that I am here in our land, I am continuously amazed by the people of Am Yisrael - by their strength, conviction, caring for each other, and open ruchniyut. Unfortunately, in recent times there have been tragedies one after another. We are told that Am Yisrael is one body, and when one limb is injured, the entirety of us feel its pain. This is what it means to be part of Am Yisrael. A nation that davens for each other, cares for one another, lives for one another and dies for one another. Never before have I felt so much a part of Am Yisrael.

Baruch Hashem we were recently zoche to have our first sabra. As I am now a mother of four boys and one girl, I know that IY”H the time will soon come for my sons to give back and battle for our nation. We are intensely proud to no longer be sitting on the sidelines just learning about Jewish History, but actively taking part in shaping Jewish History. In this zechut may we merit the coming of Moshiach- אחישנה.


Orot (Lights) in Civics

By Dr. Yossi Londin,
Chair of the Program for Extending Training in Civics and Lecturer in Department of History, Rechovot Campus

It seems that no field of study in Israeli schools stirs more controversy in public opinion than the discipline of civics. Playing its part, Orot College Israel also participates in the battle over the shape of this discipline. Over the last winter, the matter was again at the center of controversy, while it is clear to everyone that the current round of debates is simply part of an ongoing, multi-year conflict surrounding the curriculum for the field of civics.

What is it about this discipline that attracts so much more friction than all the others? The answer would seem to be self-evident. Studying the discipline of civics is meant to train Israeli students to understand the governing of the State of Israel and Israeli society, as well as to give them the knowledge, skills, and values which will turn them into better citizens. It goes without saying that the debate over defining the “knowledge, skills, and values” in this context is incomparably explosive. If we add to this the fact that the current curriculum is identical in the government schools serving all sectors (general, religious, and Arab), we come to the perfect recipe for an ideological and political battlefield.

The truth is that, until recently, the discipline was less a battlefield and more an area prone to full usurping by the academic establishment of the political left. These ideologues simply developed a curriculum according to their world view. In this way, generations were raised with an understanding of democracy as rooted in a discussion of rights without responsibilities, an understanding of the Jewish-Arab conflict as one of two competing and equal (or worse) narratives, and a minimizing of the character of the State of Israel as a Jewish State.

A change began to come about in recent years. Teachers, academics, and politicians from the nationalist and the religious camp began to reclaim the dignity of the discipline. They sought to change the discipline to one which represents the consensus among most of Israel’s citizens, a majority which firmly believes in democracy and the rights of the minority, while demanding that the students are taught about a Jewish State and about man’s responsibilities as well as his rights; that the Jewish-Arab conflict is taught from the perspective of Zionism; that judgmental activism is tempered; and that they are taught other subtopics which are not currently part of the curriculum.

The conflict concerning the teaching of civics has found expression in debates over textbooks, appointments to key positions in the educational establishment, and the design of curricula. However, ultimately, the most important point surrounds the issue of who are the teachers of this discipline.
Over the last five years, Orot Israel College has been operating a program for extending teaching licenses to include the instruction of civics. Teachers and yeshiva educators of various disciplines enrolled in the program located on the Rechovot campus are studying the field and gaining accreditation in civics, in addition to their original accreditations. Within the framework of the program, students are learning the fundamentals and didactics of political science. In addition, they are gaining specialized enrichment in this area, particularly as it interacts with the Torah tradition and the related issues disputed in the public sphere. All of this is conducted from a nationalistic and religious perspective, and according to the highest professional standards.

The students are constantly updated concerning the various developments in the discipline, and they prepare the relevant learning materials. Tens of them are already working in the school system, some in advanced positions, and they are helping to influence the students of Israel, to better prepare them to be better citizens. Some of the graduates also serve as yeshiva educators, passing on the values related to our mission as a “mamlechet kohanim vegoy kadosh, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, with an impact far beyond the simple principles of civics. All of the various teachers offer their special contribution to the struggle over the shaping of the discipline. The continued development of the program, with respect to both its quality and its quantity, will allow for the continued revolution of teaching civics, a revolution in which the College is proud to take part.

Raising Religious Zionist Children: A Question of Education

Rabbi Reuven Spolter
Judaic Studies Instructor

So much of what takes place in the Jewish world revolves around education – or the lack thereof. The recent controversy surrounding the "Hilltop Youth" is to me, first and foremost, an education issue. Somehow, teachers, rabbis and educators failed to reach these young people before they abandoned home and school for the "freedom" of the hilltop. At the same time, the growing alienation between Israel and America also relates to education and a failure to properly communicate critical values through both parenting, but also our educational system.

Nowhere does education play a more significant role in the Torah than in the story of the exile and subsequent redemption from Egypt. God tells Moshe explicitly that education must play an essential role in the process of the Redemption and the formation of the Jewish Nation. God tells Moshe that He has hardened Par'oh's heart,

וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר בְּאָזְנֵי בִנְךָ וּבֶן-בִּנְךָ, אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְאֶת-אֹתֹתַי, אֲשֶׁר-שַׂמְתִּי בָם; וִידַעְתֶּם, כִּי-אֲנִי ה'. (שמות י', ב')

So that you will tell in the ears of your son and your grandson what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs which I have placed upon them; so that you may know that I am the LORD.' (Shemot 10:2)

We are also commanded to teach our children about the story of the Exodus on the night of Pesach – the ultimate educational experience.

But what happens when education is missing? What happens when parents and teachers don't provide the education that our children need and deserve? To answer this question, I share a novel answer to a classic question from the beginning of Sefer Shemot.

At the outset of Shemot, we learn that a new ruler arose to lead Egypt, אשר לא ידע את יוסף – "who did not know Yosef." (Shemot 1:8) This raises the obvious question: How could it be possible for a ruler to arise over Egypt who had never heard of the man who single-handedly saved not only their country, but the entire region from starvation? Rashi suggests that, "he made himself as if he did not know Yosef" – meaning that, like so many world leaders that followed throughout history, Par'oh chose to ignore the past in his desire to persecute the Jews. Yet, that's not the simple meaning of the words. Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor explains simply that he neither "recognized him, nor knew of him." This of course only begs the question: How is this possible?

I found a very simple, compelling answer in a commentary on Chumash called “Meir Einei Yesharim” written by Rabbi Meir Schwartzman, who served for many years as a rabbi and dayyan in Winnipeg, Canada. (You can download the full Sefer on Hebrewbooks.org here.) He explains that it is indeed possible that the new king never heard of Joseph. How is this possible? He suggests that a new Pharaoh would never have heard of Joseph because a previous government erased any memory of Joseph’s existence. Rabbi Schwartzman writes,

When a new party succeeds in wrestling the bridle of government from a rival faction...then it removes from their positions all of those officials that were appointed from the previous government and it appoints only those officials who it trusts to fulfill its demands, and all the laws that were enacted by the previous ministers and legislators are annulled...and even the textbooks in the schools are switched...so that the students do not learn the story of the greatness of this hero or that warrior…
When Marshall [Jozef] Pidulski was exiled from the Polish government (1923-1926), his adversaries removed his picture from the official schoolbooks... and when Hitler arose at the helm of Germany, they revised and printed new school books and encyclopedias... so that in an instant someone who had been a hero and redeemer was transformed into a rebel against his people and country - a liar and a traitor... those who could not be tainted were totally erased from the historical record, as if they had never been born...
This, I believe, is what happened in Egypt. Even though a new king arose over Egypt, nonetheless he did not know of Joseph and had never even heard of him, for the enemies of Pharaoh who ruled when Joseph was young later took control of the government into their hands...and the entire story of Joseph’s greatness and how he saved the nation from famine, all of which was undoubtedly found in the national record... all of this was hidden or intentionally destroyed.

According to Rav Schwartzman, Par'oh never heard of Yosef because a previous government erased him from Egyptian history. How could Egyptian children know about a man if they were never taught? By that very same token, is it really that surprising to see Arabs refuse to acknowledge Israel's right to exist when Jewish history has been erased from their school curriculum?

Here in Israel, Religious Zionist parents assume that our children will not only assimilate our passion for the Land, but that they will also acquire our love for the State – the government and the rule of law – with all of its warts. Yet, the "Hilltop Youth" are teaching us that while we might be channeling our religious fervor to our kids, for some of them, we are failing to communicate the values of democracy, equality and freedom for all crucial to civil society.

By that very same token, while we might believe strongly in the importance of Eretz Yisrael, I am beginning to think that we don’t teach that passion properly, in a source-based manner, especially in the Diaspora where Zionism and Religious Zionism are often not properly emphasized or valued. I remember a number of conversations with parents who sent their children to non-Zionist yeshivot, and then expressed surprise and disappointment when those children returned home with values that did not include a love for the Jewish State. I would often caution parents: "Don’t send your children to a school and expect them not to absorb the school's ideology." It seems so simple and obvious. And yet, so many parents make this very mistake.

In the end, it boils down to education. If it's important enough, we teach it to our children, with love, patience and clarity. If not, we should not be surprised when we recognize that they lack the passion and love for Israel that we hold so dear.

Jerusalem of Gold and of Pre-State Undergrounds

Dr. Yossi Londin
Jewish History and Civics Department, Orot Israel College

During the month of Marcheshvan, some seventy Orot Israel College students from the history and Eretz Yisrael studies departments visited central Yerushalayim with stops at several interesting sites, including the Museum of Underground Prisoners, Beit HaRav Kook, and the King David Hotel.

During the course of the tour, the students were fascinated to hear about the Etzel and Lechi fighters’ heroism both inside and outside the prison walls. Particular focus was placed on the stories of the female Etzel and Lechi volunteers who paid a heavy personal price for their bravery and dedication.

 At the Museum of Underground Prisoners, the discussion quickly turned from the events of the 1940s to current events and related educational questions – such as Menachem Begin’s attitude toward the so-called “ethnic demon” (“Ashkenazim? Sephardim? Jews!”); the death penalty for terrorists; and the question of military service or national service for girls today.

Beit HaRav Kook was the next stop, where the students discussed Rav Kook’s heritage and its educational significance. From there, the tour moved to the King David Hotel, where the Orot students learned about the Jewish underground fighters’ gallant stand against the British Empire. The students enjoyed hearing about how the fighters would stroll around the area in couples – as if they were out on innocent “dates” – while actually scouting out potential approach, escape, and attack routes.

Afterwards, the students discussed the educational value of historical tours in general and studying the period of the pre-State underground militias in particular. They also talked about the Education Ministry’s new policy of integrating school trips within the curriculum and the matriculation exams.

When the Orot students went home at the end of the jam-packed day, they left behind many satisfied storekeepers and business owners, who were thrilled by the sudden influx of young customers at lunchtime. Thus, not only did the Orot students have a wonderful time learning about one period in Yerushalayim’s history, but they were even able to help ease some of the financial hardship endured by the local merchants due to the current terror onslaught.

"Growing" New Teachers: Orot Israel College’s Teacher Induction Program

Racheli Bartuv 
Teacher Induction Program Coordinator, Elkana Campus

What happens at the end of one’s senior year? How does one register with the Education Ministry? How does one find a teaching job? How does one get tenure? What should one do if one’s paycheck hasn’t arrived? Who supports new teachers?

Recent years have seen a worrisome increase in Israel’s dropout rates for teachers within the first five years of their careers. Students who are mentored at the start of their teaching careers are supported and guided as they begin teaching, develop professional identities, and learn to deal with conflicts. Thus, many colleges and universities now offer teacher induction programs.

Orot Israel College’s teacher induction program involves student mentoring and professional development and accompanies the student from graduation until retirement… Staff members include the program’s coordinators (Mr. Natan Fried in Rechovot and Mrs. Racheli Bartuv in Elkana), internship coordinators (Dr. Zev Kaim in Rechovot and Mrs. Dorit Deutsch in Elkana), course coordinator (Mrs. Sarah Eliash), and a team of workshop and course instructors.

On 12 Kislev 5776, we had the honor of welcoming Dr. Sara Zilbershtrom, director of the Education Ministry’s teacher induction department, who visited Orot together with two of her colleagues: Dr. Dalia Immanuel and Dr. Tzvia Shimoni. Participants at the festive gathering included Rav Professor Neria Guttel, Orot Israel College’s president; Rav Dr. Moshe Rachimi and Rav Dr. Yechiel Lash, the academic deans; and the staff and coordinators of Orot’s teacher induction program.

Dr. Zilbershtrom presented her department’s objectives for the 5776 school year:
1. Placement: Preparing for the in-service training year, coordinating with human resources and the
    school districts, and job placement via a dedicated website used by principals and superintendents.
2. Absorption: Following up on the trainees and new teachers’ orientation, partnering with the
    schools and the mentors, and strengthening the relationship between those in the field and the
    colleges.
3. Assessment: Overseeing the assessment of trainees and new teachers on the path to tenure.
4. Recognition: Organizing competitions for the schools and the trainees. (This year, four trainees
    from Orot Israel College’s Rechovot campus came in first in these competitions.)
5. Resources and technology: The department encourages faculty members and trainees to use Bar
    Ilan University’s educational simulation center, where they learn effective ways of dealing with
    professional difficulties and challenges.
6. Research and development: Satisfaction surveys and quality control for the mentoring process;
    conducting studies of the induction program’s activities.

At the end of the visit, Dr. Zilbershtrom said that she had enjoyed meeting the induction program’s staff from both Orot campuses and that she was very impressed with their dedication and commitment to the students. She also expressed her best wishes for the teacher induction program’s continued growth and success.

To Be Or Not To Be… A School Principal

Dr. Hodaya Hoffman
Educational Administration and Organization Department, Orot Israel College

More than a century ago, theoreticians were asked if management is a “profession” and if it requires schooling. At Orot Israel College, it’s no longer a question; it’s an established and welcome fact. Our educational administration and organization department offers a master’s degree program, whose graduates go on to serve as school principals throughout the country.

The program was founded in 5771, and today boasts over 250 current students. In fact, Orot Israel College has more educational administration and organization students than any other religious college in the entire country. The faculty includes leading experts in the field. On a personal level, I have had the privilege of being affiliated with the program for the past six years, and I am struck by how it has grown and developed – both in terms of quantity and quality – over the years. It is truly meaningful to play a role in training a new generation of school principals, who represent the most important link in the education system.

Orot’s program, which received temporary approval from the Higher Education Council, is now in the final stage before receiving full accreditation. The program’s goal is to train students to serve as school principals or in other administrative capacities, such as department coordinators, vice principals, and so on. During the course of their studies, the students acquire relevant skills, including decision making, team leadership, human resources administration, administering budgets, and establishing educational policies. The courses are based on the latest research and theories and are all recognized and approved by the Education Ministry. We believe that management in general (and school administration in particular) is an art that must be studied and developed. Our program’s reputation precedes it, and students come from all across the country: from Tzfat, the Beit She’an Valley, central Israel, the Shfela, the Shomron, and Ashkelon.

The curriculum consists of traditional courses, online courses, workshops, various trips, and a final research project. Courses include decision making, administrative skills, educational economics, initiating change, educational leadership, the Israeli educational system, human resource administration, educational ethics, team leadership, and more. Students visit schools and meet with principals, faculty members, and pupils. Typically, the visits revolve around a specific theme – i.e. pedagogic innovations or school climate. After studying the topic on a theoretical level, the Orot students get a chance to see it implemented on a practical level. Each trip is organized by the educational trip coordinators (Dr. Chaim Shaked and myself), and we thank the schools for opening their doors to us, giving us some of their valuable time, and strengthening the bond between the academic world and the field. It is a two-year program – including a summer semester following the first year. Classes are separate for men and women and held on Mondays. Graduates are awarded master’s degrees and can submit their candidacies for school principal positions after completing the Avnei Roshah Institute’s principal course.

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a school principal, Orot Israel College is the place for you! We’re waiting for you!

Perfection: Thoughts on the Yamim Noraim

Way back when I was in the rabbinate, someone emailed me the description of the perfect rabbi:

The results of a computerized survey indicate the perfect Rabbi preaches exactly fifteen minutes. He condemns sins but never upsets anyone. He works from 8:00 AM until midnight and is also a janitor. He makes $50 a week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a good car, and gives about $50 weekly to the poor. He is 28 years old and has preached 30 years. He has a burning desire to work with teenagers and spends all of his time with senior citizens. The perfect Rabbi smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his work. He makes 15 calls daily on congregation families, shut-ins and the hospitalized, and is always in his office when needed.

You get the point: there's no such thing as a perfect rabbi, as much as there is a perfect teacher, lawyer, doctor or mother. Yet, ever since the first blast of the Shofar in shul last week, I've been thinking about perfectionism and the delicate balance between the dangers of perfectionism on one hand, and our concurrent need to strive for perfection.

Being a perfectionist can be extremely destructive. A perfectionist by definition is never happy. Because achieving perfection is literally impossible, one's work is never really good enough. Actually, it's never really good at all. And since it's not going to be "good" (i.e. perfect), often the perfectionist won't even bother starting a project or endeavor at all. After all, what's the point of working on something that you know will fail?

And yet, for all the dangers of perfectionism, that seems to be precisely the demand that Judaism places upon us during the Yamim Noraim. Rambam writes,

ומה היא התשובה--הוא שיעזוב החוטא חטאו, ויסירנו ממחשבתו ויגמור בליבו שלא יעשהו עוד, שנאמר "יעזוב רשע דרכו, ואיש אוון מחשבותיו" (ישעיהו נה,ז).  וכן יתנחם על שעבר, שנאמר "כי אחרי שובי, ניחמתי, ואחרי היוודעי, ספקתי על ירך" (ירמיהו לא,יח); ויעיד עליו יודע תעלומות שלא ישוב לזה החטא לעולם, שנאמר "ולא נאמר עוד אלוהינו, למעשה ידינו--אשר בך, ירוחם יתום" (הושע יד,ד).  וצריך להתוודות בשפתיו, ולומר עניינות אלו שגמר בליבו.  - הלכות תשובה ב', ג

What constitutes Teshuvah? That a sinner should abandon his sins and remove them from his thoughts, resolving in his heart, never to commit them again as [Isaiah 55:7] states "May the wicked abandon his ways...." Similarly, he must regret the past as [Jeremiah 31:18] states: "After I returned, I regretted." He must reach the level where] He who knows the hidden will testify concerning him that he will never return to this sin again as [Hoshea 14:4] states: "We will no longer say to the work of our hands: `You are our gods.'" He must verbally confess and state these matters which he resolved in his heart.

Each year, as I review these important halachot, I stop on that line from Rambam: He must reach the level where] He who knows the hidden will testify concerning him that he will never return to this sin again. Really? Never again? Can I really testify before God that I'll never revert to my past sins; that I'll never slip up? That I won't fall prey to my evil inclination, and commit a sin from my past?
Is not the obligation to "never return to this sin again" a demand for perfection? Never doesn't mean "try not to" or "promises not to" – it means never. Ever. Perfection.

Like many questions, I'm not sure that there's one good answer to this question. This year, I have come to understand that Rambam's formulation demanding a commitment to perfection represents a core aspect of Yamim Noraim that we, as imperfect beings, must confront at least once a year.

On Yom Kippur, the spiritual high point of the year, we emulate the angels. For one day, we eschew our physical selves; our hunger, sexuality, work and leisure, and spend this one day basking in the glory of God. We are, as much as we can possibly be, spiritual. At the same time, we recognize that this yearning is impossible.
That, in a nutshell, is the human condition: the desire for perfection, combined with the knowledge that it is something we will never achieve. During the rest of the year, we take refuge in our humanity, excusing our mistakes and shortcomings. But for one day, we expect perfection of ourselves, and that expectation propels us to improve, repent, return and transform ourselves into better, more perfect people.

There's a famous custom mentioned by the Rema (Orech Chayyim 583:2):

יש המדקדקים שלא לאכול אגוזים שאגוז בגימטריא חטא

There are those who are meticulous not to eat nuts [on Rosh Hashanah] for the gematria (numerical equivalent) of (the Hebrew word) "egoz" (nut) equals "cheit" (sin).

There's only one problem with this custom – or at least the explanation for it: the math is off. The words are not equal. Egoz (אגוז) is 1+3+6+7=17. Cheit (חטא) is 8+9+1=18. They're not even equal to each other!

Maybe that's precisely the point. Sin represents the definition of imperfection. Through our shortcomings, we demonstrate just how incomplete we truly are. In this simple custom, we refrain from eating nuts, to remind us of this exact point – that we are not perfect, and have much to strive for during the Ten Days leading up to Yom Kippur.