How to teach children? What subjects should they learn? In particular Jewish children? I have not thought about this much. From what I can tell the Mir yeshiva in New York had the right idea. [I did not go to the high school there but I saw what they were doing.]
In the high school they were learning secular subjects in the afternoon. The morning was devoted to Talmud. And from what I could tell the secular aspect was just as strong as the Talmud aspect. I had friend there in the Mir, Shelomo Berger, and his son was going to the high school there and he got amazingly high scores on the State examinations that they give in NY for each subject desperately.
What it also seems to me is that parents nowadays are kind of messed up. They can't help that. But at least I would say they must to give their children a good education like I saw at the Mir.
In New York I assume there is not much choice about what they teach the kids. But as far as secular subjects go I would stick with natural sciences and the arts. That is things that have value in themselves besides the "parnash" (making a living) issue. If a kid wants to college they could pursue a law degree or go to a technical school. I don't think people should be taught to use Torah for money. Nor should that be held up as a proper example of how to live.
[In fact in NY you don't see that much, but in Israel, it is considered the highest ideal. That never sat very well with me.]
I see today parents are interested in all kinds of nonsense that it will take them years to see that it is nonsense. At least I suggest to them not to subject their children to that. And some of the know just what I mean--because they were subject to crazy stuff when they were young and now they know the damage this causes.
Maybe a better way of putting is: Don't go to cults, and don't put your children in one.
But I can understand parents that are confused about education for their children. What sometimes happens is people get sore at the the the religious world for good reasons and so they don't feel there is any worth in teaching their children Talmud. I admit I fell into this trap myself. That is what happens when you have nasty people pretending to keep Torah. It gives Torah a bad name and makes it hard even for simple Jews to give their children a proper Torah background.
In any case if your children are gong to a cult, then get them out now.
In the high school they were learning secular subjects in the afternoon. The morning was devoted to Talmud. And from what I could tell the secular aspect was just as strong as the Talmud aspect. I had friend there in the Mir, Shelomo Berger, and his son was going to the high school there and he got amazingly high scores on the State examinations that they give in NY for each subject desperately.
What it also seems to me is that parents nowadays are kind of messed up. They can't help that. But at least I would say they must to give their children a good education like I saw at the Mir.
In New York I assume there is not much choice about what they teach the kids. But as far as secular subjects go I would stick with natural sciences and the arts. That is things that have value in themselves besides the "parnash" (making a living) issue. If a kid wants to college they could pursue a law degree or go to a technical school. I don't think people should be taught to use Torah for money. Nor should that be held up as a proper example of how to live.
[In fact in NY you don't see that much, but in Israel, it is considered the highest ideal. That never sat very well with me.]
I see today parents are interested in all kinds of nonsense that it will take them years to see that it is nonsense. At least I suggest to them not to subject their children to that. And some of the know just what I mean--because they were subject to crazy stuff when they were young and now they know the damage this causes.
Maybe a better way of putting is: Don't go to cults, and don't put your children in one.
But I can understand parents that are confused about education for their children. What sometimes happens is people get sore at the the the religious world for good reasons and so they don't feel there is any worth in teaching their children Talmud. I admit I fell into this trap myself. That is what happens when you have nasty people pretending to keep Torah. It gives Torah a bad name and makes it hard even for simple Jews to give their children a proper Torah background.
In any case if your children are gong to a cult, then get them out now.
