nytimes.
In parts of New York City, there are students who can barely read and write in English and have not been taught that dinosaurs once roamed Earth or that the Civil War occurred.
That is the claim made by a group of graduates from ultra-Orthodox Jewish private schools called yeshivas, and they say that startling situation has been commonplace for decades.
Of what relevance is it that dinosaurs roamed the earth or didn't?
ReplyDeleteThis raises a larger issue: when was the last time someone stopped you on the street and asked you to solve a multi-bracketed mathematical equation?
ReplyDeleteOne could make a case for knowing proper English. It's a very twisted mind that thinks that poor English skills is a sign of Jewish superiority. One could make a case for knowing the history of the country you live in, even if the vast majority of citizens have no clue about it. One could make a case for knowing basic math and geometry, especially since it has so many applications in halacha. But knowing the dinosaurs roamed the Earth? Who cares about the wonders that the Creator performed before we were around? It's not like the brontosaurus learned Torah.
It's very important to know that, it is an ikkar of emunah. (Purim spiel).
ReplyDelete