Small Successes: Conducting Projects in Conservative Haredi Education

It is difficult to think of a more important task in the educational field in Israel today than the effort to improve the growing and developing Haredi (ultra-Orthodox Jewish) education system. This is the educational field where significant portions of the next generation in Israeli society is growing up, where in the opinion of many in Israel’s general and Haredi populations there is a substantial need to advance improvements. Investing in Haredi education is investing in the future of Israeli society as a whole, even in regard to complex investments, the long-term fruits of which can be difficult to see.

This book presents, for the first time, successful educational programs carried out over the past decade in conservative Haredi education in Israel, with the idea of exposing the general public, professionals, philanthropic institutions and decision makers to the first studies (primarily assessment studies) of trailblazing initiatives that have become success stories. This is our insight from the most unique, fascinating and challenging educational field in Israel, in which the number of pupils has doubled in the past decade. The text presents, perhaps more than anything else, an expression of optimism and positive outlook regarding the possibility of acting in this realm and achieving success, despite the existing obstacles and complexities.

This publication is the initiative of the Jerusalem Foundation, also representing an intermediary summary of the Foundation’s efforts together with additional partners, chief among them the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the co-initiator of this this publication. The Jerusalem Foundation and its partners have through the years understood the special importance of creating meaningful, long-term activities in the Haredi sector in general, particularly in Haredi education, which already today comprises about two thirds of Jewish education in Jerusalem.  The successes of those activities indicate, among other things, the special importance of involving philanthropy and the third sector in this activity area and the significant potential of doing so that has yet to fully manifest itself.