Israel Speaks
Makor Hatikva "the fountain of hope" is one of Israel's 2 Messianic schools.
It serves the Jerusalem area where the majority of -
the country's Messianic Jews live.
It is a private school, because the state has not yet recognized it -
as an official education institution.
Over 100 children from elementary and junior high school study there.
Cookie Schwaeber-Issan is the school's headmaster.
- In which grade are you? - Third.
- Do you like to come to school?
So-so, because there is a lot of homework.
- Why do like to come to school?
We have breaks and I also have many friends here.
- What do you do here?
On the breaks I play and in class I draw in my book.
- What about studying? - That as well.
- What are your favourite subjects?
Essay writing, Hebrew and sports. - Why?
Because in writing I will soon finish the book, in sports we just play -
and my mother is my Hebrew teacher.
- What subjects are your least favourite?
Writing and literature and that's it.
- What about mathematics? - I don't like it at all, -
because the exercises are difficult.
- What subjects do you like the most?
Sports, arts, nature, the Bible and New Testament.
- What subjects do you not like? - Mathematics and music.
- Why don't you like maths? I loved maths when I was a kid.
I think it's the most boring subject and most children don't like -
to sit and do exercises.
It's a boring subject.
- What do like in school?
Sports and mathematics.
- Most children don't like maths. Why do you like it?
They don't know the multiplication table. I know it by heart.
- How much is 3 times 4?
Twelve.
- You know that this school is a little bit different than other schools?
Yes, this is a Messianic school and all the other schools are not.
- Do you have friends in other schools? - Yes.
- What do they think? - They would like to be in our school.
This is for believers.
- What is the difference between this school and other schools?
They're the same, -
but in other schools children curse freely.
Here we don't do that. In other schools teachers don't care about it.
Sometimes the teachers intervene and keep the rules.
I think this is a great school and there are many helpful rules.
It's just much easier.
- Do you have friends in other schools? - Yes.
- What do they think about this school?
Many of them would like to transfer to the Messianic school, -
because it's very hard for them. They would like to be here with me.
Makor Hatikva follows in principle the curriculum of -
the Israeli board of education.
In some ways, however, it differs from the country's public schools.
Adam Fucht is the pedagogical leader of the school.
One of the greatest differences compared to public schools is in -
the Bible teaching.
Elisheva Pirard grew up in a religious Jewish family.
When she became an adult she chose the faith in Jesus.
Elisheva has worked as a Bible and Hebrew teacher for 11 years -
5 out of which in Makor Hatikva.
There is a curriculum for each class: -
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy -
and the book of Ruth.
We follow the curriculum of Israel.
Sometimes I have to tell the children that this is the way they teach -
in Israel, but we see it differently -
and I tell them what we as believers can take from the story.
We don't study the book of Samuel, but we learn what we can from it.
We study the book of Samuel just like in other schools, -
but, for example, we learn about prayer: -
Hannah prayed and Eli thought she was drunk.
We might think some people in the congregation are a little bit weird.
We shouldn't think like Eli, but understand that people pray -
in their own way. This is in addition to the studied material.
Covenant means cutting.
In the past when they made covenants they used to cut animals.
Hebrew "levater" with the letter "bet", not with "vav".
That was a very strong symbol of covenant.
There was a lot of blood.
In our covenant with Jesus blood was shed as well.
I would like to read to you from Genesis chapter 15.
I will read and explain. God made a covenant with Abraham.
It is called the covenant of the pieces.
Sometimes I have to check things myself.
Every Israeli knows the story about Moses being given coals to eat -
and about Abraham breaking his fathers idols.
Nevertheless, I made a mistake in that.
I thought it was written in the Bible, but it's not.
I told the children to ask someone where it is written.
The school also has classes on the New Testament.
The New Testament classes are completely different.
Because the children show their report cards outside of school, -
we don't give a grade on the New Testament. It's like a secret.
The subject has less requirements.
It's more like a deep discussion class where we pick a topic -
and the children ask a lot of questions.
We have to pay attention to their questions, because sometimes we -
teach them wrong. Yesterday one child told me: -
I'm a good boy, but you always say that -
there is no such thing as no sin. What can I do?
So, we discuss all these questions. It's more like a class on faith.
It's very important for me that the children learn and want to learn.
The material should touch their hearts.
Learning by heart means that the things stay in the heart.
They should ask questions and be active, not passive -
and know where to find answers.
They should also be critical and say if they don't agree with something.
I became a believer, because I didn't agree with what they were teaching -
that on Mount Sinai Moses was given the written and the oral law.
It always drove me crazy and I started searching.
Those who search, will find the truth.
Makor Hatikva demands the students to behave in a disciplined way.
Our students are well-behaved from the start.
We have small classes. A class of 12 children is not like a class of 39.
The children are well- behaved and more disciplined.
We also have very strict requirements.
Sometimes they complain that other schools don't have rules like we do.
- What do you think about your school?
It's good, because no one beats you and there are rules.
- Is it hard to follow the rules?
It's a little bit hard, because you cannot hit back, -
if someone annoys you.
- What kind of rules do you have here?
You cannot curse. In other schools if you curse, they don't do anything.
Here if you curse you can get suspended.
I was suspended, when I didn't let the teacher lock me in the room.
- What do you like here the most?
Everything. I think it's a wonderful school.
- There must be some things you don't like?
Sometimes you don't want to follow the rules.
- Can you give me an example?
Okay. It's in every school.
If I don't sit straight they will immediately tell me to sit correctly.
You have to sit nicely on your seat.
Let's drive out the darkness let's bring in the light -
Let's drive out the darkness that it would not come back!
There is a general discussion in Isra- el about the deterioration of teachers' -
status and respect in class.
Separating believing children from the rest of the society -
raises different kinds of opinions in the Messianic circles.
We are critized of being a bubble and that it's not good to separate children.
I'm very happy that my children are protected.
I grew up in a kibbutz which is also a bubble.
Because they prepared me to get out of that bubble, I was ready.
We are also preparing them and then send them to the battle field.
We emphasize the fact that we are a part of our nation.
We have to defend ourselves.
I teach them that we don't call Jesus "Yeshu", but "Yeshua".
For instance, the feast of Hanukkah is a legend -
and we teach them that. We do what everyone else does -
in order to create as much common ground as possible.
Nevertheless, we still keep our uniqueness.
We can see improvement in each child.
They ask questions and we can see a change in them.
We listen to their prayers.
But it is a process and not something you can see.
However, in some specific children you can see a dramatic change.
We do see immediate miracles as well, and it's not only a process.
Translation: Sonja Mattayev