Even Israel’s Secular Textbooks Packed With Religion: Survey
Image by Getty Images
By Naomi Zeveloff April 23, 2017
Textbooks on secular subjects in Israel are infused with religious Jewish content, according to a review of 80 books published in the past 10 years conducted by the Israeli parents group the Secular Forum, reported Haaretz.
The group called the use of religious themes to explain secular subjects a “systematic and ideological move” to “reshape the mindset of secular pupils by presenting an Orthodox Jewish view of the world in texts, exercise, illustrations and seemingly innocuous sentences interspersed in the textbooks.”
One such example was of a second grade math textbook which posed the problem, “How many pure animals of each type did Noah put on the ark?” The question was followed by information about the Jewish legal definition of a “pure animal.”
The Secular Forum’s Michael Shalev Reicher said that the survey results “reinforce the feelings of many parents who feel that the public school system and its leaders are betraying them and that the ultimate aim of introducing more religion into the state school system is to reshape the character of the secular public.”
Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
