<HTML>
I have a few reactions to the request:
1) It is indeed a problem, or at the very least an issue that all day
schools and yeshivot need to address, from nursery through high school and
beyond. We all know of plenty of appalling examples of the lack of ethics
and "menschlich" behavior both within "kotlei beit hamidrash" and outside
it.
2) I an skeptical of the idea of an "ethics specialist" within a
particular institution. Although, of course, certain individuals, both
male and female, are certainly recognized as experts in various fields, to
identify one such person within each institution in order to promote
better ethical behavior may be viewed as insulting to others.
3) The past two years we at the Yeshivah of Flatbush Elementary
School, Lower Division (through grade 5) instituted "Project Derech", a
wonderful way of inculcating the halachot of derech eretz from
kindergarten on. The workbooks, stories, poems, pictures, posters,
lectures, learning sessions that took place with the faculty, the
students, as well as the parents proved valuable and welcomed. We saw a
perceptible change in our students behavior because of it. Their writing
as well as their speech showed that they had internalized some of the
lessons taught. Simply finding multiple opportunities to inject derech
eretz awareness into everyday activities, although not necessarily an easy
thing to do, yields positive results. The project, originally from
Canada, comes in six or seven different versions, Hebrew, English, Lashon
HaKodesh, Yiddish, for Chassidic populations, Yeshivish, Modern frum, etc.
etc. They really made an effort to reach all segments of the population
"bilshonam". I highly recommend it. I also applaud the Orthodox Caucus
for tackling this challenge.
L. Schwed</HTML>
