Let's talk for a moment about pre-academic preparatory school. This is a year of study in which most Haredi students fill in gaps in basic secular subjects such as English, math, and literacy, which will allow them to continue studying for a bachelor's degree - each in a field of their choice.
This is a difficult year. A very intense year that, in fact - and my fellow students will agree with me - is the most difficult of all the years of studying for the degree itself.
When I first entered the college gates, I had only the faintest idea of the new reality that would become part of my life from that moment on. The radical difference between the yeshiva world and the world of academia becomes a real shock for a significant portion of the students. The study materials are areas that most ultra-Orthodox students have not touched since seventh grade, at best - and at worst have never dealt with.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
The struggle is very difficult.
The new standards that every student is required to adapt to stand in almost complete contrast to the way the Haredi way of life in general and the yeshiva world in particular is conducted. Classes that start on time, no late entry, complete silence while the lecturer is speaking, a disciplinary committee, a strict and clearly inflexible exam schedule, all of these and more almost completely contradict the Haredi "Heimish" atmosphere, the "trust me, it'll be okay" that characterizes us so much, for the better, by the way.
And all of these are objective difficulties that every Haredi student faces. We haven't even talked about the subjective difficulties of each student individually; the first - a father of five who has to take the children to kindergarten on Friday morning, and cannot show up at a quarter past eight - zero zero for class; the second - a single breadwinner at home who leaves work early twice a week in order to arrive on time, but does not find any free time in the evening to devote to homework; the third - a young man who got engaged during his studies and has to deal with wedding preparations, along with the tasks required of him at college. And so on.
So it is true that some of these difficulties are also faced by students in the general sector, but ultimately, the coping required of a Haredi student during the preparatory year is very difficult, and as I mentioned earlier, this year, of all the years of study, is the most difficult. The dropout rate in Haredi pre-academic preparatory schools is the highest - and for good reason. Students of all ages, ethnicities and sectors studied with me who simply did not survive. Despite all the good will and the determined decision they made, in the end they were unable to meet all the tasks required of them during the academic year - and dropped out.
It's not supposed to be like this.
Collaborate with initiatives
A yeshiva student who experiences difficulties in daily functioning should not spend all his years of study in a yeshiva that is not suitable for him, and only after marriage should he undergo such an acrobatic year, during which he is supposed to juggle between studying Torah, supporting the household, raising children, and acquiring a basic education in secular subjects. Not every yeshiva graduate is suited to a life of study in a kollel, only to have him try to start Chapter Two of his life at the age of 38 - after years of wasting time. There are people who, unfortunately, are not meant for a life of studying Torah alone, and there is no reason for them to follow a path that is not suitable for them, just to please the society around them.
It's time for the French public to understand that being able to choose to acquire a basic education at a young age, which will form a foundation for the future in case they decide to pursue academic studies - is not a disadvantage. It's an advantage.
Slowly, a growing portion of the public understands this and more and more such institutions are opening. But it is the duty of the Haredi leadership to cooperate with such initiatives and support them. Certainly not to fight them. The time has come for us to look at the truth at eye level and adapt daily reality to the real needs of the public, and to stop considering the stigmas and basic assumptions that have become established on the street and in our neighborhood.
LIV studies and matriculation certificates are not the enemy of the Haredi public. Those who want and need to study them will do so in a normal way, and those who have earned it and do not need them will be able to stay and devote themselves to studying the Holy Torah for the rest of their lives. But let's let everyone decide. Nothing should be forced on anyone.
