Israel's Chief Rabbi: "The work of Jewish educators is more important than the work of the Rabbinate"

Chief Rabbi David Lau with Mayor Avi Roeh

Ulpanat Bnei Akiva Neria, in the settlement of Neria, is one of 15 YBA schools in ‘Yesha’ – Yehuda and Shomron; Israel’s historic heartland – and has been Training Israel’s Future™ since its founding in 2004. The school, serving 280 girls in grades 7-12, meets the need for high-quality Jewish education for girls living in the settlements of the Benjamin region.

Last week, the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Lau, visited the school accompanied by the mayor of the Benjamin Regional Council, Avi Roeh. In his comments to the students the Chief Rabbi compared Jewish education to an arrow: “You have to aim an arrow carefully before releasing it if you want to hit the bull’s eye,” he said. “So it is with Jewish education early in life; a student has to be given the tools needed to succeed in life after graduation. In many ways, the work of the Jewish teacher is more important than the work of the Rabbinate. The teacher teaches Derech Eretz (the way of the world) and how to learn, which form the basis for continuing a life of Torah study and observance of mitzvot.”

“It is important to remain connected to the Jewish values you are learning here,” Mayor Roeh commented the school’s students, “so that you will go on bring together the Land, the Nation and the Torah of Israel.”

UBA Neria is named after Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria z”l, the founder of the first Bnei Akiva yeshiva high school in 1940, YBA Kfar Haroeh, and spiritual father of the “kipa sruga” revolution in Israel society. 2015 marks 75 years since the modest beginnings of the YBA educational network, which led to today’s generation of YBA-trained leaders.