Rabbi teaches Hasidim to thrive in the modern world

When Rabbi Menachem Bombach turned 20, he had no knowledge of the Hebrew or English alphabet, couldn’t do basic maths, and only spoke Yiddish. This was because he grew up in Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox and insular enclave of Jewish religious life in Jerusalem.

After making the choice to educate himself beyond the confines of his community, he went on to graduate from Harvard Business School at the age of 26. He also became a rabbi, and made it his life’s work to help other Hasidim get a more well-rounded education. He hoped it would benefit them and Israel as a whole, and help ultra-Orthodox Jews to become less isolated from Israeli society.

Introducing him on the webinar hosted by the SA Jewish Report and Limmud South Africa after Shabbat on 22 August, Ryan Davis of Limmud said Bombach was a “pioneer in education, and one of the most important voices in Israel today”.

Bombach recently told Momentum magazine, “Sixty percent of Haredi families live below the poverty line. In 2059, according to government estimates, 40% of all first graders in Israel will be Haredim. Given the growth of the community, we need to make changes in their education before it’s too late.”

On the webinar, he shared that he had experienced a backlash, but believes the lack of secular education in ultra-Orthodox communities is “damaging the future of Israel”, with so many ultra-Orthodox families needing state support. He therefore decided to start a school in the Hasidic community that would teach Torah and secular studies. Only five people turned up to his first information evening, but the initiative eventually grew.

He now runs ten schools for boys and girls that give them a Torah education should they want to continue to study at yeshiva, but also gives them the skills to survive and thrive in the modern world. The first cohort of graduates recently went out into the world, including a man who may be the very first Haredi climate-change activist.

Bombach explained that not every Hasid has the ability to study at yeshiva, but those that try to go to university usually drop out. He shared a heartbreaking story of a religious Jewish student who badly wanted to succeed at university, but dropped out because he simply couldn’t keep up. “There are too many gaps to fill,” said the rabbi. He therefore started a preparatory programme for Haredi students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Bombach said he saw himself as part of the diaspora because Mea Shearim is so separate from modern Israeli society that it might as well be in another country. One of his goals is to help Haredim build a connection to other Israelis and the country they live in.

He showed a powerful video of young boys at his school learning about Yom Hazikaron, something they had never commemorated before. Each boy was given information about a soldier who had died for Israel, and said psalms for him. They then lit candles in memory of the soldiers. The video went viral in Israel.

Bombach said Haredi girls who grow up with little education face particular challenges and often land up doing menial labour in roles that can be exploited.

“Less than 7% of Haredi women have a full secondary school matriculation certificate [the Israeli matric or bagrut]. They have some English and maths, but without the bagrut, they can’t get good jobs.” He knows many women who could have had careers, but now work in factories and in homes.

Both boys and girls in his schools complete the official Israeli matriculation exam, allowing them to join the workforce, study, or start businesses. This will benefit them, their families, and their country while still allowing them to retain their Haredi identity.

Bombach said there would always be extreme elements of Israeli society, but the moderate middle of each community must work together for the benefit of the society as a whole. “The conflict isn’t between secular and non-secular, the religious and non-religious, but between knowledge and isolation. The Haredim can’t be isolated anymore. To isolate ourselves is crazy. Israelis are our brothers, with the same destiny,” he told Momentum.

“I’m not an agent of change. I wish to preserve the community,” he said. “The challenge is to deepen our values and identity while at the same time becoming a part of the world.”