Israel Education Minister Says Judaism More Important Than Math and Science
Image by getty images
JERUSALEM — Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said studying Judaism is more important than studying math and science.
“Studying Judaism and excelling in it is more important to me than studying math and sciences,” Bennett said Monday night.
“Even as a high-tech power that exports knowledge and innovations to the world, we must be a spiritual power and export spiritual knowledge to the world,” he said at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the TALI Education Fund, which funds Jewish enrichment studies in public non-religious schools, Haaretz reported.
“This is the next chapter in our Zionist vision. That’s how we’ll return to being a light unto the nations. From Zion shall come forth Torah and the word of God from Jerusalem,” Bennett said.
Bennett doubled down on this remarks on Tuesday in an interview with Army Radio. “We are Jews. It’s not enough to be the Start Up Nation, we must also be the Bible Nation,” he said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
The Education Ministry under Bennett has instituted a program to strengthen math studies, as well as one to increase Jewish studies, according to Haaretz.
A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism so that we can be prepared for whatever news 2025 brings.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
