Regarding Rav Klapper's bold questions about day school education, I think that while these questions are valid and should be discussed, in the Orthodox world, day schools will continue to be the desired instrument for elementary and high school education. The larger question is what works best for the majority of Diaspora Jewish children who are never going to be in day schools. I live in a community that has over 30% of its children in day schools of all colours and persuasions. While that is impressive, given the fact that the other 65 or 70 percent are not all in supplementary settings, it is probably the case that in a traditional community such as mine, 50% or more of our children are receiving no or very little Jewish exposure, formal or informal. The organized community is justifiably concerned about day school tuition, and this in a community with the highest rate of Federation support for day schools. But there is insufficient concern for the thousands of Jewish children who are being cheated out of exposure to their heritage. We are way too tiny a people to abandon the Pew "just Jews".
Some new forms of Jewish education, formal and informal, must be created that can appeal to the indifferent and disaffected Jews who do not find themselves in either our synagogues or our JCCs. There is a desperate need for teachers who can, at one time, stand proud in their own ideological persuasion and yet be open to teaching in a pluralistic, non-coercive environment.
Here too, bold questions must be asked, and even bolder answers given.
Dr. Seymour Epstein (Epi)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2017 07:29PM by mlb.
