“Universal Jewish education will never happen.” This is a very negative and surprising comment recently uttered by my children’s day school headmaster. Even though he is a very committed Jewish educator, he feels that the Jewish community as a whole will never be able to raise the funds necessary to support such a dream.
His comment scares me because since moving to America six years ago, I committed to sending my children to Jewish day school. I decided that if I cannot live in Israel at the moment, then at least my children could have a rich, daily source of Jewish and Israeli content infused in their lives.
When Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielsky spoke at a recent GA press conference he said that Jews have no future in America and should all move to Israel. I believe that providing the option of universal Jewish education is the key to proving that Mr. Bielsky is wrong. But I am scared and frustrated that my children’s headmaster may be correct.
Obviously my fear and frustration stem from the prohibitively high cost of Jewish day school education in this country.
A friend once forwarded an article to me from The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, “Middle-Class Squeeze: Mortgage-poor parents struggle with tuition in Los Angeles’ overheated economy.” The title tells most of the story. The gist is true not just for my Florida community, but the story has been repeated to me by friends around the country.
Speaking on behalf of my other middle class friends -- when we can’t afford day school at all, we pray to be lucky enough to qualify for financial aid from our schools. But when we can afford the tuition, we know it will stick us in a monthly financial struggle and potentially deep economic hole.
A close friend who is also committed to Jewish education even suggested that perhaps we are being irresponsible with our financial security by spending as much as 30% of our income on day school education. Is she right? Should our children’s current Jewish upbringing really supplant retirement funds, nest eggs to protect against health crisis and college savings funds?
My first reaction is always that my children’s Jewish education should come first. But is it the right answer?
His comment scares me because since moving to America six years ago, I committed to sending my children to Jewish day school. I decided that if I cannot live in Israel at the moment, then at least my children could have a rich, daily source of Jewish and Israeli content infused in their lives.
When Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielsky spoke at a recent GA press conference he said that Jews have no future in America and should all move to Israel. I believe that providing the option of universal Jewish education is the key to proving that Mr. Bielsky is wrong. But I am scared and frustrated that my children’s headmaster may be correct.
Obviously my fear and frustration stem from the prohibitively high cost of Jewish day school education in this country.
A friend once forwarded an article to me from The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, “Middle-Class Squeeze: Mortgage-poor parents struggle with tuition in Los Angeles’ overheated economy.” The title tells most of the story. The gist is true not just for my Florida community, but the story has been repeated to me by friends around the country.
Speaking on behalf of my other middle class friends -- when we can’t afford day school at all, we pray to be lucky enough to qualify for financial aid from our schools. But when we can afford the tuition, we know it will stick us in a monthly financial struggle and potentially deep economic hole.
A close friend who is also committed to Jewish education even suggested that perhaps we are being irresponsible with our financial security by spending as much as 30% of our income on day school education. Is she right? Should our children’s current Jewish upbringing really supplant retirement funds, nest eggs to protect against health crisis and college savings funds?
My first reaction is always that my children’s Jewish education should come first. But is it the right answer?
Jewish population studies tell us that alumni of Jewish day schools are more likely to maintain a lifelong Jewish affiliation and to pursue a Jewish education for their own children. With all the statistics of rising assimilation in our communities, shouldn’t that be enough for everyone to want and subsequently deserve an affordable Jewish education for their children?
It seems like a reasonable question, but sadly, the answer is not always what it should be. I have seen first hand the tears and frustration of parents who want their children to study in a Jewish school but who cannot afford the tuition. I have even heard stories of Jewish schools refusing to give enough aid and then playing games upping the financial ante when other schools offered more.
I refuse to believe that obtaining a Jewish education should be that difficult and demeaning. This is not what a Jewish community is supposed to represent. All Jewish children deserve the right to an affordable Jewish day school education.
There have been some inspiring, successful examples of providing “locally universal” Jewish education. Boston’s day schools received a $45 million dollar gift from several philanthropists in 2004 and a few other communities have seen numbers between $13 million and $20 million. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if benefactors could be found to set up endowments in all communities, so every American Jewish child can have an affordable Jewish education? The idea of putting 10% of my middle class household income towards day school is way more practical and affordable then having to struggle with almost 30%.
But my children’s headmaster says this will never happen. At least, not on a “universal” level. He did however suggest a possible alternative of creating Jewish charter schools partly funded by state educational systems (He projected that the amount supplemented by parents might be a more modest $3000-$5000 per child, a good two-thirds less then most day school tuitions). Supposedly he knows of people already in the community working to create such a reality, but who do not yet want to reveal the extent of their projects. I am not holding my breath, but I would love to hear more.
It is a pessimistic approach to say that Jews have no future living in the United States. But then again, American Jews are currently not doing themselves any favors by neglecting to come up with an overall solution for the problem of affordable Jewish education for their children. Interest is there, talk is there, what we lack is someone, individual or organizational to really take charge and lead us forward towards that goal. I only hope that the dream of universal Jewish education doesn’t remain just that…a dream.
