Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, has called in several recent lectures for young men to attend yeshivas where general studies are not taught, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
According to the site, in one of his the lectures, Rabbi Yosef said: "Happy is the one who knows the right perspectives, and happy is his lot. He knows that there is nothing like our holy Torah, the Torah which is above all else."
"If you ask a student, 'Where do you want to go, to a high school yeshiva or to a holy yeshiva?' there is no question. A holy yeshiva, founded on the principles of holiness - there is no doubt.
"Why? There, you learn Torah, without general subjects, without the core curriculum, without all this nonsense. You sit and learn."
A high school yeshiva, or "yeshiva tichonit," teaches Torah and Talmud while at the same time preparing students to pass their matriculation exams and earn a recognized high school diploma. Haredi yeshivas, on the other hand, generally teach only Torah and Talmud.
Rabbi Yosef added: "I myself, did I learn the core curriculum? Did I finish school? Until today I don't have a high school diploma: I don't have a matriculation certificate or a diploma. Did I miss out on anything? It's nonsense. The main thing is our Torah."