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Now that the responses to the leadership question have ended and the
summer season has slowed communication with lookjed in general, I would
like to take the opportunity to provide a summation of what has been
discussed up to this point concerning the leadership question and perhaps
try to re-direct and broaden the discussion with the rambling reflections
and musings found below. May I mention that I am writing shortly after the
completion of our Principals Seminar, the inaugural program of the
Lookstein Center's, "Center for Jewish School Leadership." The seminar was
an example of the extraordinary promise and potential inherent in serious
enrichment and improvement programs.
The most fundamental comment that was made was a question asking whether
there is actually a problem at all. The answer is a resounding yes and it
is not based on a "statistically insignificant sampling" (one writer's
phrase). I do not dismiss the importance of statistical studies but they
should be done selectively in cases where there are real unknowns and one
needs statistical corroboration to determine whether a particular
direction or solution should be pursued. In cases where continuing
evidenced establishes that a problem exists, beyond a doubt, it is outside
the arena of significant or insignificant samplings, and therefore
becomes unnecessary to waste yet more communal money on yet another
unnecessary statistical study. So yes, there is a problem. And yes, it is
partially caused by the greater demand for school leaders occasioned by
the increase in the number of schools searching for principals. But the
problem is far greater than the number of new schools that have come into
existence. I do not want to belabor the point. We do have a problem. In
fact, I suggest that the problem is more severe than we care to admit. (A
study that I think would be effective would be a significant statistical
sampling of Jewish high school students, university students and parents
of these students, aimed at revealing and understanding in some objective
way, how they feel about Jewish education as a career).=20
The issue of remuneration: (in the discussion, the most oft cited
explanation for the shortage of principals). There was clearly an
inordinate emphasis on the issue of compensation. It would be absurd to
dismiss that as an issue but in this case I would recommend a study to
research whether the compensation issue is as serious as presented, i.e.
is it actual or only perceived? I do not mean to suggest that Jewish
educators salaries are similar to investment bankers or successful lawyers
(permit me to remind everyone that not all lawyers earn immense amounts of
money) but are educators salaries (teachers and principals) not
considerably beyond where they were ten years ago or five years ago?
(beyond adjustment for inflation). Our information, based on communication
with a considerable number of schools , indicates that they are. What then
constitutes a reasonable salary or one that would allow Jewish education
to compete in the market of choices of careers being considered by young
Jewish men and women? I believe, as I imagine everyone does, that there
are numerous factors that are weighed in the decision on career choice,
income being only one of them. Might I add, however, that I join with
those who fear its overwhelming dominance in the career decision making
process and I agree with those who wrote that they recognize this issue as
a more serious and endemic problem in the values ladder in the Jewish
community. So that is probably one issue that is much broader than this
discussion but it is clear that the remuneration issue must be focused on
as a serious component of this discussion. Again, here I would suggest a
survey, not an attitudinal one but rather a gathering of data, an update
indicating what the actual current facts are regarding compensation, one
that demonstrates (as I am almost certain that it will) that the situation
is indeed much better. This could be a powerful marketing tool for making
Jewish education more attractive as a career choice. Such a study could
also reveal which schools and communities offer better compensation. This
would produce pressure on the other schools to improve their compensation
packages. Schools and communities must recognize (a few actually do) that
they are competing with the world in trying to attract quality Jewish
educators. It seems to me, that an updated survey showing what the actual
state of affairs is, can only be very helpful to Jewish education. (But
see the comments at the end of this posting).=20
The issue of prestige: A number of respondents commented on the lack of
prestige accorded by the community to Jewish educators. Again, is this
real or perceived? How does one measure? I am certain that many Jewish
educators find themselves in a position where they are not fittingly
valued or respected. But is this a universal phenomenon? There is no
doubt that many in the community do not accord appropriate respect or
recognition to Jewish educators (my hunch is that they relate to other
people that way as well), that many lay people do not see it as a
prestigious career and therefore actually discourage their children from
pursuing Jewish education as a career option. In this area too, it would
be interesting to study how really successful Jewish educators see
themselves. Do they suffer from a lack of prestige? I dare suggest that
Jewish educators are often themselves responsible for how they are
perceived. I might add that if one of the measurements of prestige is
remuneration, then again Jewish educators must take a hard look at
themselves. How many, for example, know how, or are prepared to be tough
and reckoned with negotiators? Even in schools where there are scales or
teachers are organized or even unionized, teachers are often their own
worst enemy. Remember, the Midrash states that the real slavery of Israel
in Egypt was that they learned to endure it.=20
The claim that things seem to be getting better: It is interesting that
there seems to be a perception that many talented individuals from Yeshiva
University, Yeshivat Har Etzyon (as examples) etc. (I presume from Chaim
Berlin or JTS or HUC as well, although no participants on the list from
these places commented on the issue) are entering the field of Jewish
education. I am quite close to both YU and Yeshivat Har Etzyon and am
regularly updated on both places, admittedly not scientifically. The
observably small number of the best and brightest who actually enter the
field of Jewish education from these two "bastions of Jewish commitment
and concern for the Jewish future", is frightening. It may soothe our
conscience to think that many talented young Jews are entering this field
and thereby suggest that in ten years the problem will be mostly resolved,
but this claim does not seem to be supported by the facts. Setting the
Israeli students aside, I would like to know what percentage of foreign
students, and particularly North American students who have studied at Har
Etzyon or Shaalvim or Kerem BeYavneh or Mevasseret etc. have gone on to,
or are planning to go into careers in Jewish education. I would venture to
guess that the numbers in the girls programs and certainly in the
university programs are even lower. I would be thrilled to be proven wrong
on this.=20
The parallel perception that significant numbers of successful educators
are moving to Israel, borders much to my chagrin, on the absurd. I have
the incredible privilege of working with a number of these individuals who
have come on Aliya, but contrary to this somewhat popular perception, the
numbers of individuals in this category is actually quite small. One need
not investigate this as a cause of our problem. The enthusiasm for Aliya
among Diaspora/North American Jewish educators is perhaps a tad more
significant than it is in the general population, which essentially makes
it insignificant. But no more of this. I do not want to lose focus and
confuse this issue with Zionist babble.=20
The issue of inspiration: (not to be confused with vision). Although not
commented on thoroughly at all, the issue of inspiration is perhaps the
key issue that was brought up in the discussion. It is clear that this
issue is organically and systematically connected to what has been stated
up until this point. Without getting overly ingenuous, and with the risk
of sounding pretentious, can one not legitimately ask, what are we as a
community in general, and as a community of educators in particular,
inspiring our students to go on to? Clearly, selected individuals many
of the people in this forum), have been inspired to enter the field of
Jewish education. But let us innocently ask how many of our best and
brightest have chosen to be inspired by a particular rebbe (one model
mentioned in the discussion), or a group of teachers, or a communal Rabbi
or professor or ...? These models do not compete so well in a world
dominated by much more glorified competitors. How many of even the
students that we hold dearest, look to Jewish educators as a model to
emulate? To respect, yes; to admire, yes; to recognize the importance of,
yes; but to follow in his/her footsteps? Almost certainly not. So these
models may inspire, but they inspire conceptually, and certainly not with
the power to impact on one=92s career decisions. I recently had a
conversation with a friend, a very successful businessman and influential
lay leader in the community who commented that the best and brightest in
the Jewish community are voting with their feet and marching forward to
Wall Street, even abandoning medical school to get there. He also added
that it was clear that leadership in the Jewish community today is in the
hands of the lay leadership.=20
We as a community communicate many messages, some direct, some subtle. I
think that it is safe to say that we communicate a message that focuses
inordinately on competition and the bottom line is, that we do place
incredible emphasis on achievement, on wealth, on prestige. Where does a
great teacher's inspiration to enter Jewish communal work and Jewish
education fit in with all of this? And if lay people have indeed taken
the reigns of leadership, then why bother becoming any kind of Jewish
professional altogether?=20
But we have always had idealists, always a minority but always a tangible
minority. Where are the talented, inspired, young people who are moved by
the challenge of creating and leading and enriching a model, vibrant,
educational institution that will have the potential to impact on the
lives of thousands of Jews, indeed generations of Jews long into the
future? (lay leaders, "movers and shakers" play important roles in this
and are clearly essential partners, but they cannot possibly captain the
ship). Does the excitement, attractiveness, and appeal of such a
challenge not even hold a candle to the allure of Wall Street? How is it
that Jewish education is not even a reasonable alternative to the best
and brightest of our children? Shall we have to concede to those who
claim that remuneration is THE reason for the shortage of school leaders
and admit that it is not only an issue of money but more accurately an
issue of a lot of money?=20
I admit that I have waxed somewhat passionately on what is very good and
positive and compelling in leading a Jewish school. But those elements are
the core of the job and the thrill of the work. It does not mean that all
of the tedious and tiring and annoying and often exasperating components
are not there, but although these little irritants may at times seem
overwhelming, a good principal most often knows how to maintain
perspective.=20
Leading a Jewish school is a compelling and noble calling, in fact I
would claim that it is the call of the hour. With all of the genuinely
wonderful accomplishments that our community has to it credit, and they
are many, it seems to me that the essence of the message that we are
communicating to and modeling for our youth has somehow gone awry and
wandered way off the mark. Is it improper for me to wonder whether we are
assuring ourselves of a very materially comfortable, but at the same time,
sterile Jewish future?=20
Stuart Zweiter, Director
The Lookstein Center for=20
Jewish Education in the Diaspora
Bar Ilan University
Phone: 011-972-3-531-8199
Fax:011-972-3-535-1912
Home Fax: 011-972-2-586-6135=20</HTML>
