Rabbi Simkovich raises questions that Yeshiva Day Schools grapple with daily. Far from hiding our heads and ignoring issues regarding the conflicts present in Orthodox Judaism and our students’ lives, we are on the front lines of those discussions every day. No matter the subject, our students are constantly grappling with these issues. They come up when they are cut from the basketball team, when their parents are going through a divorce, when a parent is dying from cancer. These issues are raised in discussions about Camus, Voltaire, and Bronte. In fact, Jewish identity rests just below the surface of virtually every class discussion.
Having our students openly and honestly address their own religious struggles as well as the flaws and foibles of the community at large is the right way to engender deeper connections to the community and a more sophisticated understanding of what it means to be a religious Jew. And no doubt, English class is one of the best mediums to have those conversations in high school. However, a book that directly describes the decision of a community member to reject the norms of the community is too heavy handed for kids who are trained in subtext. Students see this type of literature selection as a sort of kiruv tactic. Conversations that organically rise from classic literature and analytical discussions have far greater impact than overt texts with a philosophic agenda.
While Tova Mirvis is certainly a talented writer, we wouldn't put her toward the top of the list of writing that our students need to be exposed to. Sacrificing the integrity of the curriculum for the possibility that her book would prompt healthy introspection seems a bit much when we already do that with great literature.
Respectfully,
Jonathan Kroll KYHS Head of School
Adina Ciment KYHS English Department Chair
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2018 11:27AM by mlb.
