January 11, 2002 "The Fires of
Assimilation Rage - Terror in Israel and the United States has consumed oceans of ink and torrents of words, and rightfully so. In the interim, however, little attention is being given to Jewish continuity. The fires of assimilation continue to rage, and the mistakes of the past grow larger by the day. Jewish education greatly suffers because of its unavailability to those who, were circumstances different, would enroll their children in Jewish schools. However, the cost for educating a child in our religious institutions has become prohibitive, turning away those not yet committed. There are institutions that turn many away from coming closer to Torah and yiddishkeit. The other day, I experienced two different calls; both were very painful. The first caller lives in New York City. We met a number of years ago, and I successfully influenced him to send his children to a nearby Jewish school. He began his conversation by thanking me but then telling me that he was removing his children from that school to place them in a public school. "They have just raised the tuition." "Did you speak to them and tell them you were unable to afford it?" I asked. "Every time I have to register my children for the next year, my wife and I go through living hell. We have to provide tax returns and all other confidential matters of family finance." Growing more angry, he continued to tell me how, out of necessity, they had added a room to their house and thus were told that anyone who could add a room could afford to pay full tuition. I then asked him to consider another school with a lower tuition in his neighborhood, and he was quick to respond that he had. He and his wife had met with that school's principal and were told that because there was a television in their house and because his wife does not cover her hair, their children could not be accepted. These parents, influenced by their children, had already made major adjustments and fully observed Shabbos and most other mitzvot. The now felt demeaned and frustrated by that school's rejection of their children. The other caller hysterically cried. Their son had been expelled from his yeshiva high school for smoking marijuana. "But it was in the same yeshiva where he had discovered that illicit drug, and as my wife and I saved every penny for tuition while depriving ourselves of vacations, new clothing and much more. . . it's their fault." Their arguments were valid, for the fact remains that few of our Orthodox schools are willing to face the reality of drug consumption and availability, but more significantly, fail to provide information and programming that could effectively teach students how to avoid exposure to the horrors of substance abuse. Creative thinking and speaking out on these and other issues are critically important. Jewish education for young and people of all ages is imperative, thereby assuring us of our continuity as a people and faith. More and more American Jews are ambivalent towards Israel, feeling less connected Jewishly and thus less concerned with Israel's political, supportive and ideological needs. Israel's future cannot be separated from the destiny of world Jewry. Jews must be consciously and openly committed to Israel's survival and success. As the "ignorant cannot be pious," they, too, will not be supportive of Jewish continuity and survival. These are by no means the only challenges to Jewish continuity or in the arena of Jewish education. I cite the above only as serious and immediate concerns. Let no one think that Jewish education in Israel is without serious problems, and being an Israeli is an assurance of Jewishness. In a future column, I will address these concerns and share some of my thoughts with you. I will welcome your ideas, and if viable, they will be included. Shabbat Shalom
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