{Originally posted on author’s site, Emes Ve-Emunah}
There are a lot of crises facing the Orthodox Jewish community these days. Among the most important is Jewish education. It is a crisis of existential import. Leaving aside the serious problem of financing it (itself an existential problem) I don’t think it’s arguable that Judaism can be perpetuated without it.
That has become abundantly clear to all Jewish denominations via the success of the Orthodox educational paradigm that has increased our numbers versus the relative lack of it in other denominations – which has led to their decreasing numbers.
But what should a successful Jewish education look like? The obvious answer is to examine what it has been in the past, and to continue that model. Changes to it should be made with caution. Even if those changes are seen as positive in the short term.
Until relatively recent times (say… 35 or 40 years ago) Jewish education in just about all Orthodox American high schools were of the Lithuanian model. In their American incarnation the curricula consisted of two primary components: Gemara study in the morning and secular studies in the afternoon. Even the most right wing Yeshiva high schools like Telshe and ‘Philly” (Lakewood’s high school) had this program. Those who attended these schools studied the basics so that they could – if they chose – go on to college and in some cases eventually become successful professionals.
Some of the most notable Charedi leaders (both lay and religious) are college educated. For example – the executive Vice President of Agudah has a law degree. And the head of the Agudah Moetzes has a college degree. As did a previous head of the Agudah Moetzes, Rav Avrohom Pam, ZTL.
In the early years post Holocaust, Survivor Chasidim sent their children to those schools. Until they built their own.Those schools have minimal secular studies at best. Some (most?) have no secular studies at all.
Enter Israel. There even the Lithuanian type schools have no secular studies. Not to mention the Chasidic schools. Lithuanian schools in America started looking Eastward… and to the Chasidic model here and started to lessen their secular studies in order to increase their religious studies. Now there are many that offer no secular studies at all. And the Charedi world sees them as the cream of Yeshivos – attracting the best and brightest
What we have now is a reversal of the very success the older paradigm has given us. While there are still many Charedi professionals, I suspect that nowadays very few are interested in doing that. Secular education is now denigrated – same as it is in the Chasidic schools and in the Lithuainian schools in Israel. It is seen as Bitul Torah at best. While it is still true that there are many Charedim that eventually do get good jobs despite their lack of a good secular education, there are probably a lot more that don’t because of the lack of it.
We know the results of that in Israel. Dire poverty. It is no secret that the Charedim of Israel are its poorest demographic. It is also true that Chasdic communities like Kiryas Joel and New Square are among the poorest cities in America. Shalom Bayis is often severely affected by that. It is also no secret that poverty is a major cause of family dysfunction. And that it increases the chances of children going OTD.
The current state of affairs is not good for the Jewish people. I believe that there are many Charedi leaders who in their heart of hearts know this. One of the more erudite Charedi spokesman alluded to it in last week’s Mishpacha Magazine. Without spelling out what kind of change he meant Jonathan Rosenblum called for change in the Charedi community for existential reasons. He said that in order to preserve the gains made by the Charedi world (the extraordinary growth of the Torah community is undeniable – both here and in Israel) you can’t remain standing. He says that often times it is necessary to change course just to preserve those gains.