Rabbi Moshe Mann, dean of Darchei Noam Yeshiva high school in Petah Tikva, told Arutz Sheva on Sunday about his school's special balance of academics and ethics that accounts for its great success.
In an interview just after Education Ministry statistics released earlier in the day showed almost half the state schools that qualified for “excellence awards” were from the religious sector, the rabbi discussed his institution's balance of academics and social activism.
"The question is how do you combine between academic success and not giving up on the social involvement with the entire nation, on kindness, and settlement (of Israel)," posed the dean.
"Most of our resources are not invested in the (facility's) conditions," he acknowledged. "But we really try to invest the best of our efforts in having every one (of our students) develop the abilities that the Holy One Blessed be He gave them."
Speaking about the focus of the school's educational program, he noted, "the point that we emphasize again and again is working hard and toiling. And those who come ready to work hard and toil, we do everything for them here from all the staff so that they succeed."
Rabbi Mann noted there is a phrase that says "don't say the past generations were better."
"That doesn't necessarily mean they weren't better, but it isn't wise to say it," he reasoned. "I can tell you that these guys here, they can overcome any obstacle, because they have a lot of strength and motivation."
"We're always looking for the balance. The balance is really that there both be academic success so that they be able to integrate in the entire process of the development of the state of Israel on all fronts, and at the same time we don't forget the topic of social involvement, and trips and volunteering and the land of Israel."
"We're always trying to find the balance," concluded the rabbi. "Thank G-d I think it's working."