When Hebrew teachers make ALL Goyim look bad

It aggravates my daughter when she listens to teachers in classs paint Goyim with a broad stroke and categorize all of them as the same and wanting to harm us. We all know, that historically some Non-Jews risked their lives to save lives of Jews during war and other times. Somehow her teachers neglect to mention these Jews and make it seem that ALL non-Jews want to kill/harm us. My daughter approaches teachers about her discomfort and then the teachers tell the principal and DD gets herself into hot water.

The principals don't want to suggest to teachers to make any changes in their portrayal of "Goyim".

How do we explain to DD that even though we understand her, the school doesn't want to give the teachers a lesson on new ways to teach Hebrew subjects and being Melamed Zchus on at least some Goyim.

We CAN'T find daughter another school, so I need advice on how to make things work with this one.

Posted: Sun, Nov 11 2007, 4:50 pm Post subject:

While I support my childrens teacher's as a rule, when they are wrong I explain to my kids that the teachers a people and therefore may not always be correct. It is a parent's job to teach children right from wrong, not a teacher's. We get into a pattern where we let the school handle all of the education when in reality they are supposed to HELPING US to educate our kids. Talk to your kids and explain how YOU feel.
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This is Jewish school/youth groups/whatever. Putting her in a less frum, hashkafically different or even secular Jewish school won't help. The people from the Hachomer Hatzair are not less racist than the frummies, the vision of the goy is the common point of all these very different educations.

Educate her on the side. Or put her in public school, which I wouldn't do personally.
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Posted: Sun, Nov 11 2007, 6:37 pm Post subject:

If she reads Jewish "literature", it will just reinforce the teachers' words.
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Posted: Sun, Nov 11 2007, 6:45 pm Post subject:

Platinum Member Joined: Sep 20 2004 Posts: 17150

OP here- post at 6:13 is by s/o other than myself, but a rather relevant point. The explanation I just got from a Talmudic scholar is that the meaning of Esav Sonei L'Yaakov is that we ought to be aware of the historical and social phenomena of antisemitism, while recognizing that all people have a Tzelem Elokim and are entitled to all the respect that that implies.

It annoys me to no end too. I guess my son learned that in school too as he's is always asking me questions like- do goyim also eat breakfast Smile

or do they wear boots in the winter too...he thinks goyim are bad people out to get him. ("If any goy will want to hit me with a stick, I will hit him back!"). I explained to him that goyim are regular, normal people with needs just like ours. The only difference between us and them is that we have the Torah and Mitzvos. I think he is starting to get it, BH

Platinum Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 13174

This is a documentary that I recommend highly:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2005/hidingandseeking/about.html

Posted: Sun, Nov 11 2007, 9:26 pm Post subject:

once ds asked if goyim had teeth?

Gold Member Joined: Jul 27 2007 Posts: 1207

Children need to be taught, from an early age, to treat goyim with respect and not to think that they are all bad. I work in a special ed preschool with jewish and non-Jewish kids (read: black). We share a plaground with (and basically help to fund) a Yeshiva on the same campus. Sometimes the adorable little boys from the Yeshiva come out and they say things that really make me so sad and make me wonder what I can do to prevent my kids from being so closed-minded.

"Yanky - let's go GET the GOYIM!!"....."Those are BAD GOYIM!!"...."etc. etc.
Of course, I march over to the kids and say 'Hashem would not want you to 'GET the GOYIM'" or "The goyim are not bad, they are good children just like you", etc. I have a feeling some of the posters here would actually be proud of their children who think all goyim are bad Sad

I could have written the op's post. My daughter just this week came to me with the same issue. I told her she should try to give her point of view- BUT only to those who will hear her, to some teachers or friends, they don't want to hear that there are some non-Jews who have good intentions.

We have taught our children to respect every person and to judge them on their behavior, not their parentage. Unfortunately there are also Jews who do not perform so well....

As far as the teachers, I explained that when they say 'goyim' they do so in a historical sense and historically, goyim have generally been not so nice to Jews.

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Platinum Member Joined: Aug 12 2007 Posts: 11161

I was brought up in MO schools so I got "we are great goyim are not" lite. No ranting and raving by the teachers, but it was a given. Fast forward to many years later when I lived in a very very out of town community. We actually met goyim! And you know what? They are G-d fearing, law abiding decent citizens! In fact, in many cases they were nicer and more helpful than a lot of our brethren. So it boils down to who you know. It's horrible for our people to walk around like we are better. We really aren't. We are just am nivchar but don't ask me why. Am ksheh oref - now THAT I can understand.

Posted: Mon, Nov 12 2007, 10:14 am Post subject:

I cant believe that teachers teach such things in our schools... apart from everything that has been mentioned if you think about it we have to have hacoras hatov to the 'goyim'(-I hate that word) they are letting us live in their country-true they let us know it sometimes with the comments and stuff but this is golus and this is their country they are letting us live here we have to show some respect-think back to all the countries we have been expelled from. and we teach our children that all goyim are trash???!!!!!! please explain?? (oh and e'y if you live there we are still in golus so technically it is not ours....yet)
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Senior Member Joined: Dec 06 2006 Posts: 203