AMIT Menorat HaMaor, a special school catering to Haredi boys who chose not to pursue full-time yeshiva studies, achieved the highest matriculation rate out of 16 similar Haredi high schools, according to data recently released by the Education Ministry.
Nearly 67% of Menorat HaMaor students completed high school with a bagrut certificate, far surpassing the average of 23.4% of students at Haredi schools.
“The bagrut pass rate at Menorat HaMaor is consistently increasing from year to year,” said Yonatan Ozeri, who oversees technological high schools for the Education Ministry.
Ozeri said that Menorat HaMaor has a huge advantage in that it pioneered the idea of a junior college for a Haredi track, which means that students are there for six years—during which they combine yeshiva studies with core subjects and technological studies and leave the junior college with a technical or engineering diploma.
Principal Ilan Hamami said that his school “provides a holistic solution for those students who do not fit into a traditional yeshiva setting.”
He added that Menorat HaMaor develops individual learning methods for each student, particularly those who came to the school not having learned any core subjects. “Our goal is to get those students to achieve high results on the bagrut, on a level of 4 or 5 units in math, English, and computer engineering.”
Hamami went on to say that the school’s success stems from the dedication, love, and investment that the staff provides the students, well beyond formal school hours.
“The bagrut achievements are one of the best ways to improve the students’ self-image,” he said, adding that it also boosts their love of Torah and commitment to its mitzvoth.
Read more about the school here: www.amitchildren.org/we-are-saving-souls/