Page 78 - issue
P. 78
(D. Katz continued from page 64) In the small country of Lithuania, interference by the seculars.11 Secondly,
there were 78 Tarbut elementary schools a network of frum day schools had to be
rabbonim worried about chinuch. The and 14 Tarbut high schools, with about set-up to compete with Tarbut. These
Zionists wanted all Jewish education to 15,000 students (out of a total Jewish schools would have to be on a high stan-
come under their control. The demo- population of 150,000!). From a religious dard educationally and pedagogically;
cratically-elected Jewish representatives, standpoint, these schools were a mor- otherwise, many parents would choose
they argued cogently, should run Jewish tal threat, as the Torah was taught as a Tarbut. On the other hand, the rabbonim
education, as every government in the “book of fairytales.” The chitzonius of did not want high school graduates to
world does. If the voters do not like what Tarbut was impressive: The schools were go to college and not yeshiva, which is
they are doing, they can vote them out large, well staffed, well stocked, and quite what Tarbut prepared students for. How
of office come the next election. This, of professional. You show me a graduate of to handle this delicate challenge?
course, ignores the yawning chasm that this system (I knew a few), and I’ll show
had developed by the religious and the you an expert in correct Ivrit, well-ed- In addition, what should be the re-
secular over the very definition of Ju- ucated in the secular Jewish classics as ligious day schools’ attitude towards
daism. The schools were not just about well as Western culture. All subjects (ex- Zionism? I mean, religious Zionism. In
teaching the Three Rs, they were about cept Lithuanian language and history) the Republic of Poland, Litvish Agudah
indoctrinating the students in a certain were taught in Hebrew. The Bible was baalei haskafa like Rav Elchonon Was-
hashkafa. If the secular-Zionists real- taught with the old ַשּׁ ַל"גcommentary at serman articulated a very strong anti-Zi-
ized their goal, the cheders and yeshivos the bottom – clear, logical, a pleasure to onist and even anti-Mizrachi hashkafa.
would be replaced with who-knows- read – but as treife as one of Rachmile- But in the Republic of Lithuania, that
what? The Zionists wanted modern Jew- witz’s pork chops. would go over like a lead balloon. No
ish schools, and they did indeed set up religious parent in Lithuania with even
an impressive national network of such For Achdus, the challenge in the in- the slightest Zionist leanings of any sort
schools, called Tarbut. terwar era was twofold. First, the yeshi- would send his children to schools which
vos had to be protected, walled off from taught that.
11 There were basically four yeshivos gedolos in the Republic of Lithuania: Slobodka, Telsh, Ponovezh, and the smaller Kelm. The other famous names, like Mir,
Radin, Kamenetz, etc., were Litvish but located in the Republic of Poland.
It’s not just about heating & plumbing any more. שומר
שבת
Now you can call Honest Abe for complete
Kitchen & Bath Remodeling!
Cu2Fs5itroU%smpt 1Ote0orFsFstaiman.com
staiman.com
HONEST ABE KITCHEN&BATH staiman.com
staiman.com
410-358-5041 www.HonestAbePlumbing.com Avraham Lazar staiman.com
MHIC Remodeling License #134359 MHIC Plumbing License #70433 HVAC License: #52461
70 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
there were 78 Tarbut elementary schools a network of frum day schools had to be
rabbonim worried about chinuch. The and 14 Tarbut high schools, with about set-up to compete with Tarbut. These
Zionists wanted all Jewish education to 15,000 students (out of a total Jewish schools would have to be on a high stan-
come under their control. The demo- population of 150,000!). From a religious dard educationally and pedagogically;
cratically-elected Jewish representatives, standpoint, these schools were a mor- otherwise, many parents would choose
they argued cogently, should run Jewish tal threat, as the Torah was taught as a Tarbut. On the other hand, the rabbonim
education, as every government in the “book of fairytales.” The chitzonius of did not want high school graduates to
world does. If the voters do not like what Tarbut was impressive: The schools were go to college and not yeshiva, which is
they are doing, they can vote them out large, well staffed, well stocked, and quite what Tarbut prepared students for. How
of office come the next election. This, of professional. You show me a graduate of to handle this delicate challenge?
course, ignores the yawning chasm that this system (I knew a few), and I’ll show
had developed by the religious and the you an expert in correct Ivrit, well-ed- In addition, what should be the re-
secular over the very definition of Ju- ucated in the secular Jewish classics as ligious day schools’ attitude towards
daism. The schools were not just about well as Western culture. All subjects (ex- Zionism? I mean, religious Zionism. In
teaching the Three Rs, they were about cept Lithuanian language and history) the Republic of Poland, Litvish Agudah
indoctrinating the students in a certain were taught in Hebrew. The Bible was baalei haskafa like Rav Elchonon Was-
hashkafa. If the secular-Zionists real- taught with the old ַשּׁ ַל"גcommentary at serman articulated a very strong anti-Zi-
ized their goal, the cheders and yeshivos the bottom – clear, logical, a pleasure to onist and even anti-Mizrachi hashkafa.
would be replaced with who-knows- read – but as treife as one of Rachmile- But in the Republic of Lithuania, that
what? The Zionists wanted modern Jew- witz’s pork chops. would go over like a lead balloon. No
ish schools, and they did indeed set up religious parent in Lithuania with even
an impressive national network of such For Achdus, the challenge in the in- the slightest Zionist leanings of any sort
schools, called Tarbut. terwar era was twofold. First, the yeshi- would send his children to schools which
vos had to be protected, walled off from taught that.
11 There were basically four yeshivos gedolos in the Republic of Lithuania: Slobodka, Telsh, Ponovezh, and the smaller Kelm. The other famous names, like Mir,
Radin, Kamenetz, etc., were Litvish but located in the Republic of Poland.
It’s not just about heating & plumbing any more. שומר
שבת
Now you can call Honest Abe for complete
Kitchen & Bath Remodeling!
Cu2Fs5itroU%smpt 1Ote0orFsFstaiman.com
staiman.com
HONEST ABE KITCHEN&BATH staiman.com
staiman.com
410-358-5041 www.HonestAbePlumbing.com Avraham Lazar staiman.com
MHIC Remodeling License #134359 MHIC Plumbing License #70433 HVAC License: #52461
70 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
