Why is education important to Jewish people?

It's what they had. Over generations of discrimination and oppression, they found that they could rise through being better educated, and better able to do certain things that people around them needed.

It's not entirely unlike the way African Americans have used athletics to rise out of poverty. What they often had were strong bodies and they could do things that got other people to cheer for them-- and pay them. Oppressed groups have to look harder for any advantage than the people in power do.

It should be important to everyone. It's important to me, and I'm not Jewish.

Religion has nothing to do with it.