Norman Meskin's post in the last Lookjed Digest has indeed struck a nerve. North American educators are indeed struggling with time constraints and other pressures to cover what they must. At the same time we need to give high students more credit. They can absorb sophisticated concepts prior to their 18th birthday. Students are constantly being spoon fed or force fed text, do's and don'ts, and occasionally given the opportunity to think and analyze. What most do not get is the opportunity to raise basic questions of faith and hashkafa in a non-threatening environment. If they learn a few less praqim of navi or mishna and have a period each week to raise questions or to discuss dilemmas and issues, it might ameliorate the situation that R. Meskin raised.
Not everything has to be text based. Rav HIrsch's writings is certainly more suitable than Moreh Nevukhim, and many other materials are available to the rebbeim and morot who are the ones who really need them to answer questions that may not bother them but are on the minds of their students.
Most MO high school graduates have never had the opportunity to discuss God, faith, emunat hachamim, mesorah, etc. with their teachers who assume it is axiomatic. It's not. Our high school teachers could learn a lot from NCSY leaders who often spend hours on these subjects with students who eventually get on the derekh and stay there.
Dr. Wallace Greene
Shulamith School For Girls of Brooklyn
