Tonight we had the opportunity to talk with Rabbi Bezalel Cohen, the head of Hachmey Lev Yeshiva, and Ms. Vered Bachar, of SAE or The Society for Advancement of Education. We were extremely excited and curious about their discussion because it was focused on the Haredi Orthodox Jews in Israel and the gender barriers within this group in the areas of education, the workforce and future plans. While Rabbi Cohen and Ms. Bachar have different stories about their experiences in the Haredi community, they are both working to modernize and advance the issues that surround gender roles within it. This discussion gave a detailed and interesting insight into a very different kind of orthodox community – different from the Modern orthodox community that I am familiar with. Hearing from both adults gave me insight into a community that I had never studied or even really heard about.
Within the simple and modest life of a Haredi Jew, a typical 3 room rented apartment houses a mother, father and typically 6 to 7 kids. The biggest challenge for these families is financial. It is traditional for a boy to begin studying at a Yeshiva at a young age, continuing this until he is married in order to learn Torah. This is prepping him to become a strong Jewish religious leader. The downside of this education is that these men leave school lacking skills that might be required in an everyday job. This is a common issue. Rabbi Cohen understood what it felt like to study until he was 29 and then struggle to find work after. As a result of this experience he became committed to finding employment and work-related studies for Haredi men. He was able to gain government help in realizing the importance of practical education. He created a Yeshiva that not only focuses on biblical studies but also general studies that might be taught at any typical high school/ elementary school. While some adult men in the community do not approve of the work Rabbi Cohen has done because they are afraid of change, he has the silent support of many other Rabbis and religious figures.
Haredi women are also struggling to get a decent education that will lead to their success in the workforce. Ms. Vered Bachar did not grow up Haredi but rather in a non-religious home. She went to the army and after, she and her boyfriend curiously heard lessons about Judaism. These later helped them to decide that they wanted to be religious and raise a religious family, but only if they did it to the extreme, meaning Haredi. With her 6 kids and husband, they formed a classic Haredi family and as her girls grew older Ms. Bachar explained that she began to understand the challenges of girls’ education in their community. Before she went to college, Bachar was home with her kids. At the age of 40 she began 2 years of study at the Mandel Institute. That experience convinced her that she wanted to provide a school for girls with the kind of education she wished her own girls could have received. Traditionally, because of the lack of higher education, adult Haredi girls are 5 steps behind other women and men. Feeling inspired, she is currently working on a school that offers studies in arts and science for girls. This type of school will be new to the Haredi community and will open the doors to new job opportunities for women later on. I absolutely loved this discussion! Both Rabbi Cohen and Ms. Bachar answered tons of our questions about their community and its customs that differ greatly from what we are familiar with. I hope that both of their schools bring much success for the Haredi communities in Israel.
Within the simple and modest life of a Haredi Jew, a typical 3 room rented apartment houses a mother, father and typically 6 to 7 kids. The biggest challenge for these families is financial. It is traditional for a boy to begin studying at a Yeshiva at a young age, continuing this until he is married in order to learn Torah. This is prepping him to become a strong Jewish religious leader. The downside of this education is that these men leave school lacking skills that might be required in an everyday job. This is a common issue. Rabbi Cohen understood what it felt like to study until he was 29 and then struggle to find work after. As a result of this experience he became committed to finding employment and work-related studies for Haredi men. He was able to gain government help in realizing the importance of practical education. He created a Yeshiva that not only focuses on biblical studies but also general studies that might be taught at any typical high school/ elementary school. While some adult men in the community do not approve of the work Rabbi Cohen has done because they are afraid of change, he has the silent support of many other Rabbis and religious figures.
Haredi women are also struggling to get a decent education that will lead to their success in the workforce. Ms. Vered Bachar did not grow up Haredi but rather in a non-religious home. She went to the army and after, she and her boyfriend curiously heard lessons about Judaism. These later helped them to decide that they wanted to be religious and raise a religious family, but only if they did it to the extreme, meaning Haredi. With her 6 kids and husband, they formed a classic Haredi family and as her girls grew older Ms. Bachar explained that she began to understand the challenges of girls’ education in their community. Before she went to college, Bachar was home with her kids. At the age of 40 she began 2 years of study at the Mandel Institute. That experience convinced her that she wanted to provide a school for girls with the kind of education she wished her own girls could have received. Traditionally, because of the lack of higher education, adult Haredi girls are 5 steps behind other women and men. Feeling inspired, she is currently working on a school that offers studies in arts and science for girls. This type of school will be new to the Haredi community and will open the doors to new job opportunities for women later on. I absolutely loved this discussion! Both Rabbi Cohen and Ms. Bachar answered tons of our questions about their community and its customs that differ greatly from what we are familiar with. I hope that both of their schools bring much success for the Haredi communities in Israel.