Overnight, parents placed empty Hebrew Bibles in front of dozens of schools in the Tel Aviv area with protest signs holding Education Minister Yoav Kisch accountable for the decline in Bible studies. These protest signs read: "In this school, we study an empty Bible. Minister Yoav Kisch, this happened on your watch."
Similar posters were found overnight surrounding Minister Kisch’s home in Hod Hasharon.
Before the pandemic, bible study was a staple in Israeli curricula from second grade until the high school matriculation exam in every public school across the country.
In recent years, religious study has declined significantly, and the list of included chapters of the Hebrew Bible has been altered.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, the Education Ministry reduced the amount of Bible study in schools to approximately 40% of the material previously studied.
This overnight demonstration will take place just before the special committee’s first meeting, which is planned for Tuesday, and will deliberate on increasing Jewish thought and tradition in the education curriculum. In recent days, many parents were surprised to discover that the Bible, which used to be a fundamental of Jewish education, is no longer taught in their children's schools.
Bible lessons removed from the curriculum
Out of the four main subjects in Israeli curricula, literature, history, citizenship, and the Bible, students took a written test for all subjects, excluding the Bible.
To test Biblical literacy, the school administered standardized testing, which resulted in minimal study time, sometimes completing only 25% of the given syllabus.
"We were very surprised to see dozens of hours of Bible lessons removed from the curriculum. The Bible is more than a religious text. It represents a cultural, historical, and educational bedrock of the Jewish people," said Dorit Yitzhak, CEO of the Meirim organization and a mother of two students in the education system.