New Jersey Republican Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer is taking a stand against the latest report in the New York Times that alleges New York yeshivas are not teaching the state curriculum.

“I have a problem with the public schools pushing these standardized tests on these children because like the rebuttal of the article is saying that the standardized tests are not helping educate these kids, all they're doing is helping increase the test scores,” Sawyer says from the Israel Heritage Foundation event Sunday in New York City, speaking with Israel National News “They're not taking that into consideration when they wrote their article.”

“I think that the attack on the yeshivas is only creating more antisemitism in this country and I have a big problem with that,” she adds.

In response to the argument that if you want kids to become part of society and the economy you must teach them specific things, Sawyer responds:

“That goes to the point of not all kids are meant to go to college. Everybody has a strength and I feel like in the yeshiva they focus on that just like they do in the vocational schools. You can make a comparison there, forcing standardized testing. Certain brains work a certain way. My daughter does not test well but she's actually an articulate child. So when you go into the yeshivas and you bring these tests in there, especially after two years of lost learning because of COVID shutdowns, and they're now basing their information off of what just happened over the last two years. They should also pay attention to what's going on in the public schools. We don't talk about that. It's happened in the public schools. Now they want to bring it out into the private schools.”

She comments that she feels like this is a backdoor attempt to force the progressive agenda into yeshivas.

“I deal with a lot of parents. There is a big progressive sex ed agenda that's being pushed on the public schools and you’re seeing a rise of parents homeschooling their children. I feel like they’re trying to infiltrate the yeshivas and they should stay out, stay in their lane. They've been very successful for many many years and they should focus on the public schools.”

Sawyer is a big supporter of Israel and also of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was at the Israel Heritage Foundation event on Sunday.

“I am a huge supporter and the fact that we have Mike Pompeo here is a is such a humbling experience,” she says. “His love for Israel, everything he's done for Israel. We need more people in government like him and I hope he keeps moving forward and someday ends up being the president of the United States."