The End of Universal Jewish Education

“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?

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.

Breast Cancer - A Jewish Disease?

I recently attended a breast cancer awareness workshop at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My friend Debbie had asked me to attend to offer support for her friend and ex-AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) colleague Carolyn Newman who was scheduled to be the guest speaker. I was planning on going anyway, but as Debbie was going to be out of town, I felt it even more important to lend my own personal support.

The JCC event was promoted by the Florida Breast Cancer Coalition Research Foundation and offered the chance to hear Carolyn, a 42 year old Jewish woman who was just diagnosed in May with the disease, as well as a medical professional who discussed prevention strategies and current research.

Even though I have attended these types of advocacy workshops in the past, I learned a few new pieces of information which really struck home.

As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I follow news and information about cancer research very closely. What has continued to perplex me is why I seem to know or have heard of, many Jewish women, young and old who have either beaten breast cancer or unfortunately succumbed to this horrible, ravaging disease. Now I may have the answer.

At the workshop, Carolyn read from her own personal journal and emotionally described her diagnosis, treatment and personal journey and commitment to educating and helping others even as she is helping herself.

The medical professional on hand, Dr Alejandra Perez, co-director of the Breast Cancer Center at Memorial Cancer Institute in Hollywood, Florida, mentioned the fact that one in forty Ashkenazi women carry the BRCA gene mutation which significantly increases the risk of breast cancer.

One in forty?! I was floored. How could I have not heard of this fact before? Perhaps I was not paying close enough attention at previous workshops.

So, I did some research. According to the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C., studies of DNA samples done in 1995 and 1996 revealed that Ashkenazi Jews are 10 times more likely to have mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes than the general population. Approximately 2.65 percent of the Ashkenazi Jewish population has a mutation in these genes, while only 0.2 percent of the general population carries these mutations.

With these facts, is the Jewish community doing enough to promote breast cancer awareness, education and advocacy?

I have been impressed with how organized breast cancer awareness is in America and how Jewish organizations like my JCC promote such events. Jewish day schools, synagogues and other community organizations usually have fund raising drives and sponsor advocacy seminars like the one I attended. It is also encouraging to know about organizations like Sharsheret and One in Nine.

While I often slam the level of media sensationalism that prevails in this country, I will concede that American media in general does a pretty decent job in supporting and airing stories regarding events, research and education for cancer related issues.

How the Israeli media fares in promoting breast cancer awareness is not something I have a great handle on, as I live in America. I did run an internet search of the major English language Israeli news sites for “breast cancer.” The only recent item I could find connected to Breast Cancer Awareness Month was about a special blender now being sold in the color pink, which is associated with the fight against breast cancer. I can only hope and assume that way more is being done (beyond what I found on the internet) by the Israeli media to promote awareness during this whole month of October.

Looking further for an answer, I found a 2003 report by an international public relations association which evaluated the ICA’s (Israel Cancer Association) efforts to promote a special campaign, “333 Women Every Month.” The report stated that the campaign generated extensive media coverage and impact. According to the association, this achievement was despite the fact, that perhaps media attention of Breast Cancer Awareness Month each October might be muted because it often falls during the ssame time as the Jewish holidays.

But I can’t help but question why the Israeli media wouldn’t consider the Jewish holiday season to be the perfect time for promoting awareness and education of this terrible disease. Don’t we pray during this time of year about our fates being sealed and who shall live and who shall die?

At the JCC seminar, Carolyn Newman instructed the women and men in attendance to be lions, not lambs in terms of their own health care and breast cancer awareness. Everyone should do their part, whether it is having mammograms, self examinations, supporting cancer research through donations, or even pushing the media to continue to cover this issue.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we all owe it to Carolyn, and the other brave Jewish women battling this disease, to be lions and to make sure that their personal battles become our battles too.

A Kinder, Gentler Religion?

My 100 year old observant grandmother did not go to shul on the first day of Rosh HaShanah this year. She did go on the second day. The reason for her absence the first day was not due to illness, but because her rabbi did not want her to attend if she had to arrive in a wheelchair.

For all the years I have known my grandmother, she has somehow managed to attend High Holy Day services at her New York City shul, except for last year when she was hospitalized for a broken leg. But even then, she still attended services held in the rehabilitation center.

Her apartment is directly across from the shul, but this year, due to renovations, services are being held a few blocks away in a different location. It seemed practical that my grandmother’s non-Jewish assistant would be able to push her in a wheelchair to the temporary location.
When approached, the rabbi felt it important to counsel my grandmother that doing the right thing by Jewish law does not include someone pushing her to shul on the Shabbat of Rosh HaShanah. He also told her that she should not attend Yom Kippur services.

My grandmother is a very tough lady. While she never listens to anyone else, Grandma takes her Rabbi’s opinion as law and would never go against his word.

But his word infuriated me and I felt that I needed an explanation.

So I called the rabbi.

According to Grandma’s rabbi, she never actually asked him what to do, “She understands Jewish law and knew what I would say. She said she wants to do the right thing. So she is doing what she knows I would say,” he said.

On the contrary to what the rabbi said, my family believes that he did have some say in Grandma’s decision to stay home on the prescribed days.

When I questioned the fact of why Grandma’s non-Jewish assistant could not push her, he said, “Halachically, she is involved in the action of being pushed. That is the law.” He also went on to say that “a goy cannot do what a Jew cannot do.”

I suppose there are many people who might say that the rabbi is simply following the rule of Jewish law and setting the right example for his congregation and maintaining his own religious integrity.

But it still doesn’t sit right with me. For all I know, this could be Grandma’s last Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. What purpose does it serve for her not to go to pray with the congregation that she has prayed with for more than 40 years?

So I sought out the counsel of my own rabbi. While conservative, grew up in an observant household and fully understands the ideology of Orthodox Judaism. He reviewed the concept of “Halacha with Compassion” and said that the laws of what can and cannot be done on Shabbat or Yom Kippur should not have been applied to my Grandmother’s non-Jewish assistant.

In my own life I have been involved with most of the “branches” of Judaism. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and a bit of Reconstructionist. I am not saying that any one of them is perfect or more just then the other. My own personal belief is that they all have their own weaknesses and problems. And yes, I have met some wonderful, tolerant Orthodox rabbis over the years.

In his sermon this weekend, my rabbi spoke about how nice it is for Jews to come together as a community at this time of year. That in coming together, we form a united entity which reinforces the essence of the holiday season. What a lovely thought. How sad though that this does not appear to be the case for all Jews. Our religious affiliations or “titles” seem to be driving us further and further apart.

My grandmother looks up to and respects her rabbi. He is her spiritual leader. As a devout woman, she trusts his word and will not question his authority. I cannot ask her how she feels about what she has been told to do or not do because I know she will never speak ill of her rabbi. I on the other hand, cannot sit idly by.

I do not claim to be the most learned Jew in the world. Or even the most committed. But I do try to be a caring and contributing member of the Jewish community. So I feel it is within my right as a Jew to question the actions of a fellow Jew who might be hurting someone I love.

I challenge anyone to give me a reasonable excuse as to why and how this rabbi is correct in how he counseled my grandmother. As Jews, we may not always agree with each other, we might even yell, but at least the lines of communication are still open.

Shana Tova. We should all pray for Ahm Yisrael to have a more tolerant and unified 5767.

HPV Vaccine Price Gauging?

On June 8, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by certain types of genital human papillomavirus (HPV). The quadrivalent vaccine, Gardasil®, protects against four HPV types (6,11,16, 18), which are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. On June 29, 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP* ) voted to recommend use of this vaccine in females, ages 9-26 years.

The vaccine, Gardasil, is the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous genital lesions, and genital warts due to HPV.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for 11-12 year-old girls, but can be administered to girls as young as 9 years of age. The vaccine also is recommended for 13-26 year-old females who have not yet received or completed the vaccine series (For more information, visit www.cdc.gov)

Being the good doctor's daughter, I rushed to get an appointment for my own 14 year old daughter to get the first in the series of three vaccines.

While I was at my my own annual exam, I questioned my gynecologist about where to take my daughter and he suggested that I should bring her to his office as it would be "easier" then taking her to the pediatrician's office. He told me that the shot was pricey, about $250 per shot (about $750 in total). I had heard it might be very expensive, but as I knew it was necessary, and I am already used to the often high cost of any medical add-ons in the U.S., I didn't question this information.

Took my daughter for the shot, paid the $250 and left. All well and good.

Until...

I told my folks about the cost and my Dad went ballistic. He sent around some e-mails and got a response from the American Academy of Pediatrics: "The current average wholesale price (AWP) reported in Thomson Red Book for Gardasil (.5 ml pre-filled,syringe, single dose) is $144.00."

According to the CDC website, "The private sector list price of the vaccine is $119.75 per dose (about $360 for full series)."

My mother even did her research, called her own upscale upper West Side OB/GYN office who said they charge around $170.

Dad said the cost was outrageous and that I should ask for an immediate refund to reach a more acceptable amount.

Before doing that I did some more of my own research and called the pediatricians office. They said that they do give the vaccine, but I would need to pick up a prescription and then go to a local discount pharmacy to get the vaccine.

I called the discount pharmacy, they sell each dose for $140. Then, with co-pay, administering the dose would cost $155 at the pediatrician's office.

It was becoming clear that even with an added administration charge and a charge to cover overhead, I should not have had to pay anywhere near to $250 for one shot.

Armed with this information I called my gynecologist. It seemed that I must not have been the only irate mother/patient because the doctor apologized, saying that it seems he had "obviously been overcharged by distributor." He promised the price for the second shot would be closer to cost next time. I decided to give him benefit of doubt, let it drop and then raise the question of a partial refund when I took my daughter back for her next dose in about a month.

Then, while reading the papers today, I saw a simple ad for another OB/GYN office which mentioned that they offer the HPV vaccine. I decided to call and see what they charged...$200 for each shot!

I ran an internet search for HPV and cost discrepancies and couldn't come up with anything about price gauging. Perhaps it is too soon for this to come to light (The shot only received it's overall recommendation in June). But wouldn't it outrageous if doctors and distributors were taking advantage of this potential life saving vaccine which just happens to not yet be covered by insurance?

Window of Opportunity

For my very first post I thought that I would share something I wrote a few weeks back right after the war ended between Israel and Lebanon.

Historians and other students of conflict have long said that the key to changing the course of future discourse is dependant on how different societies educate their children. This is not a new concept. Much has already been written about the textbooks from which Palestinian and children from other Arab nations learn about what their leaders have deemed “history.”

But it is not just proper classic textbook education that these children should learn. Educators need to also move beyond that to include the important lessons of media awareness and literacy. Such education extends to children not just in the Middle East, but America and other countries as well.

We already examined and critiqued coverage of the recent war between Israel and Lebanon on a daily basis. Now the time has come to enact change. We need to teach our public, starting with the children, how to understand and when necessary, talk back to the media outlets, or if they choose, to become involved themselves as they grow older.

Media education is something that we all need to be taught. One of the lessons this current war has hammered home is that very concept. Day after day we read reviews of media coverage, analysis including discussion of bias, photo doctoring and much more. But did the readers and viewers really know how to understand and decipher this onslaught of information?

Even addressing some basic questions can provide a window into how the media functions and chooses its news stories. During this current conflict, the issue of the media’s responsibility to its public has been raised and debated. This is a subject that should not only be discussed during war time, but all the time.

Once upon a time, the American media viewed itself as providing a public service. In his 2005 book Bad News, former CBS journalist Tom Fenton said that time was not even that long ago. According to Fenton, since the 1980’s there has been a steady decline in America’s coverage in foreign news stories (except in times of crisis like the current war when reporters are often “parachuted” in to fill the ranks and cover, albeit temporarily, a breaking story); a rise of talk radio and television shows (which while interesting and entertaining, are not really news) and a general sense that the American public is under-informed.

In my own media education classes I refer to it as the “dumbing down” of the media consumer. I also fully support Tom Fenton’s call to arms. The public must get involved and make demands of what it expects from their sources of information.

But again, to do this, the public needs to be taught more about how the media works. Including who owns and supports the various news outlets, deregulation of broadcasting, ratings and even technical understanding of editing and satellite transmissions.

Teaching this kind of information to our youth does not have to be tedious or confusing. There are simple and understandable methods including using basic comparisons of news headlines in print and on television and radio. Lessons can be fun and include information on interviewing, live versus taped reporting and even role playing of how to create a balanced news story. Students are already taught how to create balanced research projects in their formative academic years. The media education concept is more or less the same.

Media education, literacy and awareness is taught all over the world, but not yet required in the majority of American public school curriculums. Canada has one of the most sophisticated media awareness infrastructures around.

If you google the words “media education,” nearly two million links will be listed. What is interesting is that while many of these links originate in the U.S., America still lags behind much of the world in educating their children as to how the media actually works. The good news is that there are some wonderful media advocacy groups in the U.S. who provide fabulous resources for teachers to experiment with in their classes. That is, if their already pre-structured curriculum allows for such creativity.

In their 2002 report, Thinking Critically About Media: Schools and Families in Partnership, the Washington D.C. based organization, Cable in the Classroom suggests that “although school systems throughout the United States are mandated to teach critical thinking, if the schools are not linking this skill to the media world in which so many students are spending upward of six hours a day, they are leaving a potential gold mine unexplored.”

How can we expect the American public to understand how to analyze news events, and in this case more specifically, the war between Israel and Lebanon, if they are not given the opportunities to learn how to critique their media?

It isn’t enough for us to search for and be satisfied with the occasional news story that presents a balanced view of a conflict. We shouldn’t have to constantly compare and pit one news network against the others. Media outlets in America and around the world have a huge responsibility to function as a service industry. If they don’t perform as we want them to, or need them to, it is also our responsibility to know enough about who they are and what they do so that we can make informed and accurate demands.