Jewish has many powerful and successful people around the world. Maybe, one of the causes is child education. Since Jewish people have lived with the Bible for a long time, there will be something different compared to Korean children's education. To learn the secrets of Jewish education, the Chung-Ang Herald met Ram Gilboa, the President of Korea-Israel.
CAH : How do Jewish people teach their children? I heard that they have special education, such as reading books for children when they go to bed and having discussions with children. Could you tell me more specifically about those?
Mr. Gilboa : First of all, you have to know that Jewish people are from various cultures, not like Korea in which most people are from the same root.
In the Bible, it says, "Educate a child in his own way." This means that you cannot force children to study the same things in the same way. In Korea, people memorize a lot and they think knowledge is very important. One day, I gave a lecture about Israel in a Korean high school. After half an hour of lecture, nobody asked me questions. In Israel, the most important thing is thinking and asking questions. In Jewish education, especially in religious education, we put two students in a pair so that they can argue and ask questions to each other.
CAH : In Korea, most parents emphasize only studying. What do Jewish people emphasize in child education?
Mr. Gilboa : Korean children are very busy. They learn a lot of things after school. In Israel, children go outside to play after school or join in youth organizations like Boy Scout. We do not push children to do what they do not want to do.
It is hard to say exactly what we emphasize. Thinking independently, solving problems and dealing with difficulties are the most important parts.
CAH : What are the mother and father's roles in Jewish families?
Mr. Gilboa : The Bible says that you have to treat the mother as a queen. So, we respect the mother a lot. Israel is a western country, so most of the time, the father and the mother are equal.
I think it is very important for the father to spend time with children. I work for my family. But if I don't spend time with my family, there is no point. So, I spend at least 2 hours a day with my son even though I am very busy with a lot of work.CAH : There are many Jewish people around the world who succeeded. What are the reasons for that? Why do they have so much power?
Mr.Gilboa : I think that the power is a myth. There are very few Jewish people around the world since Israel is a small and new country. In Europe, Jewish people cannot work in certain fields. For example, we are not allowed to own land. This kind of limitations led Jewish people to be more specialized in certain fields.
In the US, you can see many immigrants who have succeeded through generations. We, Jewish people, have always been immigrants. Since Israel is very small, we think that we are struggling. So, we help each other very much. For this reason, in trade we are more successful, because we are well-connected with other Jewish people in other countries.By Kim So-young
International reporter