Deaf, Old or New? National Service Options for 12th Graders

Like most parents of 12th graders, I've been following along with my oldest daughter as she made her decisions about next year. Israel drafts both men and women at 18. Religious girls can get an automatic exemption from the army by signing a declaration at the rabbinate stating that they are … [Read more...]

Local Principal Takes Stand on Cheating

We often hear stories about condoning cheating in Israeli schools, and in the religious sector as well. One a retired teacher told me she didn't see anything wrong with it. She cheated as a student, and her children did, too. Image by Mr_Stein via Flickr So I found it refreshing when my … [Read more...]

A High School in Israel

[Haveil Havalim is up at Shiloh Musings.]My daughter entered ninth grade this year. This year she has "the best teacher and the best class." She was able to request a number of friends, and they'll be together for the next four years.Her school has six grades, each with about eight classes of thirty … [Read more...]

Jet lag and secondary jet lag

I handle jet lag well upon arrival in the US. We function during the day, despite waking up at 3 am for several days. By the second morning the kids already woke at 7:30. The return is different. Typically we are all awake at night the first week, then I suffer for an additional week. It's not just … [Read more...]

Kicking Ourselves in the Foot: Guide to Choosing a Religious Elementary School in Israel

It's that time of year, when parents are running around applying to elementary school. Most families only make the decision with their oldest, so they must consider carefully. In the religious Zionist school system, grade school options generally include: a) Government-sponsored, public … [Read more...]

Post high-school decisions

In Israel the post-high school decisions take on a different flavor because of the obligation to serve in the army. There are essentially four options for observant boys. Hesder, a five-year program including 1.5 years of army service. Most yeshiva high schools aspire to send the majority of their … [Read more...]