At 08:19 AM 12/2/2012 Debbie Lifschitz wrote:
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One more personal comment: Of 8 boys from 4 different families who have come to Israel in the past 6 years, all from the greater NY area and all having attended religious schools and Yeshiva HS for 12 years, not one could read a perek in chumash with Rashi on their own, when they arrived. Not one could read a Perek in Mishna on their own; to say nothing of a Blatt Gemara. They could not follow a dvar Torah in Hebrew at the table. Their knowledge of Hebrew language was nil... non-existent, actually. Some were in the "highest Gemara shiur" in HS. Their SAT scores are well above average. Several have scholarships to college or university. And their friends were of the same calibre (and they all attended well known programs here). Ironically, many girls that come actually have better skills. Here, the school they attended in the States is significant. Although most of their knowledge base is still English and not Lashon hakodesh.
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Several of my grandsons attend or attended a Chareidi yeshiva in Brooklyn. The two older ones, who graduated within in the past two years, definitely could read a perek in chumash with Rashi on their own well before graduation. They could read a Perek in Mishna on their own and a Blatt Gemara. They could also follow a dvar Torah in Hebrew and probably in Yiddish at the table.
While they probably cannot speak Ivrit, I would not say that their knowledge of Hebrew is nil. They did not take the SAT exams, since the yeshiva encourages the boys to continue learning full-time after graduation for a number years and discourages college attendance.
The time that was devoted to Limudei Kodesh during their days in this yeshiva far outweighed the time spent on secular studies.
And it is this last fact that I think makes all of the difference. The yeshiva my grandsons attended gives a basic secular education that could be improved. On the other hand, it gives a very strong Limudei Kodesh education that turns out a product that can learn on his own. It is not for everyone. The parents who send their children to this yeshiva are primarily concerned with Limudei Kodesh achievement. They are not so concerned with secular education, but almost all do feel that it is of value when it comes to being able to earn a living.
I and others whom I have discussed this with have come to the conclusion that for most students one cannot have both an intensive Limudei Chol education and an intensive Limudei Kodesh education. Emphasis on one means the other is given "second class status." I think that many Day Schools have opted for a first class Limudei Chol education and hence the Limudei Kodesh education naturally "suffers."
Those parents who feel that secular education is primary should keep in mind that a year or two of study in EY does not prepare their children for what they encounter on college campuses today, especially if they do not live at home. While I have no statistics, I think that far too many day school graduates who live away from home at college have their commitment to Judaism weakened by this experience.
Most of us cannot have it all.
Professor Yitzchok Levine
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, NJ 07030
llevine@stevens.edu
[
personal.stevens.edu]
