Netanyahu's Education Initiative

*** Thanks to Steve, from WebAds, for including me among the bloggers invited to cover Former Prime Minister, and leader of the Opposition, Binyamin Netanyahu's press conference ***

*** Please note: this post is not an endorsement ***
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At exactly 10:30 in the morning, right on time, I walked out of the elevators, onto the 14th floor of Beit Jabotinsky, right into Likud headquarters.

It was Sunday, August 31st, the day before school starts.

The press was already there, as were my fellow bloggers. I sat down next to A Mother in Israel, who was next to Rafi G from Life in Israel, who was next to Carl from Israel Matzav. Lurker, who sometimes posts at the Muqata, sat on my other side. We must have been quite a sight! Five religious bloggers, sitting in a row, laptops open, typing intensely. (Someone took a picture of us, but I have yet to see it).

We were surrounded by representatives of the mainstream media, who were predominantly, if not exclusively, secular reporters.

As far as I know, this is the first time in Israel that bloggers were invited to cover a media event. Pretty cool.

Just minutes after my arrival, Netanyahu entered. He approached our group of bloggers and greeted us all individually, shaking hands with all the men. Then he approached the podium.

"Good education guarantees equality in society," Netanyahu pronounced.

He decried the crisis in Israeli education, and announced his plan to revolutionize Israeli education. His plan includes the creation of an "Education Cabinet," which Netanyahu would head, that will give backing to the Minister of Education. To paraphrase: Just as Sharon backed me up when I revolutioned the economy, and pulled Israel out of debt; I intend to create the same dynamic that will allow us to revolutionize Israeli education.

It was a clever opening. All sides recognize Netanyahu's previous success as Finance Minister.

The goal of the Education Cabinet, he continued, will be to restore the level of Israeli students' achievements to international excellence within the next 10 years.

Netanyahu shared some disturbing statistics. The percentage of soldiers who pass basic reading comprehension tests, upon entering the army, has dropped dramatically over the years from 60% in 1985, to 40% in 1997, to 32% in 2002!

Based on the idea that education is the most effective tool for bridging gaps in Israeli society, he hopes to create a sociological revolution. Netanyahu plans to replicate methods of improving education that have been effective in other countries, including investing in ongoing professional and pedagogical enrichment courses. His plan would also raise teachers’ salaries, though he repeatedly emphasized that this alone does not constitute a solution.

Netanyahu also emphasized the need for class discipline, and for a return to Zionist studies, so that Israeli children will know Jewish/Zionist/Israeli history.

He criticized the recent inclusion of the Nakba in the curriculum, pointing out that there is no other country in the world that teaches and legitimizes the ideology of an enemy bent upon the country’s destruction. He promised to remove it immediately.

It all sounded good. But I wonder, will he really do it? Will he really restore our education? Will he have the courage and fortitude to make serious curriculum changes and withstand the barrage of abuse that will rain down from the left-wing media?

I took the opportunity to question Netanyahu about the problem of cheating in the classrooms, which is rampant and a well-known problem. I want to know how he plans on revolutionizing that. I did not receive a satisfactory response.

If Netanyahu has the courage of his convictions, he really could revolutionize the education system. However, he has yet to convince me that he is a man of integrity.

Everything he promised is overshadowed by his betrayal of his previous pre-election platform, regarding Hevron and the rest of Judea and Samaria.

When Netanyahu was elected Prime Minister, he was invited to address the U.S. Congress. He delivered an informative and passionate speech about the State of Israel, which included a section devoted to the centrality and historical significance of Hevron to the Jewish people. His remarks on Hevron were interrupted several times by applause, and he received a rare standing ovation at the end of his speech. He had the backing of the United States Congress. In spite of this, only a few months later, in the Hevron Accords, he gave away 80% of Hebron, betraying his promises and all the people who voted for him. A year later, in the Wye River Accords, he signed away enormous parts of Judea and Samaria.

Netanyahu is a phenomenal speaker. But his words no longer impress me.

Let me see his words put into action.



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA

The Last Day of Summer Vacation

It was going to be a very pressured, not very fun, day. We were going to finish getting ready for school.

Then I received an invitation to join a select group of bloggers at Former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's press conference about his education initiative.... in Likud Headquarters, in Beit Jabotinsky, in Tel Aviv!

It seemed like a great opportunity, but I really did not want to drive out to Tel Aviv. Besides everything else, the trip would eat up half of my day. Then it occurred to me that I could drive to Tel Aviv for the press conference, and, afterwards, take my kids to the beach!

A has been asking to go to the beach all summer! In an instant, I changed the focus of our last day of summer vacation from boring, stressful, school preparations to fun, exciting, family time!

Thanks to A Mother in Israel, I learned that there is a museum on the first floor of Beit Jabotinsky. We both brought our kids to the museum, where they spent the morning learning about Jabotinsky and the Etzel, while we were on the top floor at the press conference.

An hour later, my kids and I were on our way to Herzliyah, to the beach. Y proved to be an excellent navigator and we found a wonderful public beach, "Hof HaSharon."

(Moshe drove to Tel Aviv with us, and attended the press conference, but caught a ride back to Jerusalem with Carl, from Israel Matzav. The beach, on a hot summer day in August, is not for Moshe. He'd rather work in his air-conditioned office!)

We found a great parking space, adjacent to the beach entrance (There was plenty of free parking). Just as we arrived on the beach, another family vacated their spot under one of the pagodas, so we found a place in the shade to place our blanket! (really a sheet, but nevermind) Cool!

We had a wonderful afternoon! First we changed into bathing suits. Then we ate a picnic lunch on our blanket. Then we applied generous amounts of sunscreen, and headed into the surf.

We rode the waves for a while. The kids were excited by the dynamic ocean, but they did not like the salty taste of the water, or the burning sensation when water got in their eyes or throats.

I could have stayed out in the waves for hours, but my kids had enough. So, we waded back to shore, rinsed off, had a snack, then broke out the "matkot." (I felt so Israeli!) I brought two sets, so we all could play. MD and Y played with each other, and I played with A. None of us played very well, but we had fun, and laughed a lot!

Then we took a break, in the shade, had another snack, and returned to the water. When the kids were ready, (before I was, of course), we headed back to shore. There we collected shells and interesting stones. Many of the stones had naturally formed holes, that seemed perfect for making necklaces.

I could have spent hours combing the beaches for those beautiful stones and shells, but Y wanted to play another round of matkot. She literally dragged me away from the water, and we played, and laughed. After about half an hour, we sat down on some benches, and watched while MD and A played in the sand.

Too soon, we realized that it was time to go. After all, tomorrow is a school day.

We packed up our things, showered, changed, and headed for home. Of course, we got stuck in rush hour traffic, but we had good music and good company, and the ride home was fun too.

When we got to Jerusalem, we met Moshe and my sister for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. It was the perfect ending to a near perfect day.

I had not planned on leaving my house today. But, thanks to Bibi's education initiative, our last day of summer vacation was one of the highlights of our summer!






Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA