The Attitude to “the Other” in Haredi Early Childhood Education: The Roots of the Adversarial Approach of Haredi Society in Israel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59669/jojece.v1i1.17Keywords:
Civic Education, Haredi early childhood education, Attitudes toward the Other, Jewish children's literature, SocializationAbstract
This position article examines how Haredi early childhood education (HECE) in Israel shapes attitudes toward the Other through two central educational practices: children's literature and weekly Torah portion (Parshat Hashavua) teaching. Drawing on observations and interviews with kindergarten teachers and melamdim, the article demonstrates how these practices construct children's sense of belonging to the in-group largely through negative attributions toward out-groups, including the gentile, the secular Jew, and the "internal Other" (Sephardim, Ba'alei Teshuva, and working men). The analysis reveals how essentialist perceptions and dichotomous worldviews are instilled from early childhood, establishing foundations for an adversarial approach that continues throughout Haredi education. The discussion links these early childhood practices to the absence of civic education across the Haredi educational system. The article concludes that meaningful change requires both internal Haredi motivation and significant state involvement in promoting State-Haredi (Mamach) education through legal and budgetary frameworks.
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