Ninth grade changed me.
I was expected to complete a dual curriculum of seven Judaic and seven conventional classes. The Judaic classes were prioritized, leaving only four hours for "secular" studies. The school's philosophy is that girls need to be educated so they can complement their husbands, who only are only taught Judaic classes, so the classes focused more on producing perfect Jewish mothers than college preparation.
The orthodox world is built around ancient traditions and faith. However, I was under the impression that scholars had moved from the middle ages and considered how ancient traditions must adapt to modern times; yet, the culture has managed to maintain archaic traditions without considering the damages they cause in this ever changing world. Beginning in seventh grade, I challenged my teachers, but I was constantly shut down and learned better. I wondered why, despite all the commentary, if one questioned it, they were considered a nonbeliever and had to deal with the consequences of such a label. …show more content…
I One teacher, my Halacha (Jewish Law) teacher, understood my concerns, "How is it possible for us to know what happened back then when every rabbinical historian accepts that there are hundreds of years of gaps in our history and it's generally accepted that the Torah was written out of order?" "Why do orthodox Jews observes laws that are translations and commentaries of the text, therefore making their lives more restricted than necessary?" "Why are children forced to follow things they don't believe in?" My questions were endless and our discussions went on for hours, but we never came to any conclusions yet it was life changing to finally have my concerns