Friday, January 31, 2025

The Value of Jewish Day Schools and School Choice

At first glance, I thought, What’s the surprise? Prizmah has concluded that Jewish day school alumni in college are more connected to their Judaism than are Jewish public school alumni? Are they kidding? Why is this news? Anyone with half a brain could tell you that getting a Jewish education will do that for you. Do you really need a study to prove it? It’s just common sense.

I don’t know much about Prizmah aside from what they state on their website. For the most part, I agree with their mission. 

Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools is the network for Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America. In partnership with schools, funders, and communities, we invest in talent, advance the financial vitality of schools, and enhance educational excellence so schools can thrive.

I have no clue whether this is an Orthodox or non-denominational group, but who can argue with their goals?

Back to my question about analyzing the obvious. Some Orthodox Jews believe that one can be a committed Jew without ever having set foot in a day school. They argue that the value of a day school education is overblown and certainly not worth the exorbitant, back-breaking tuition costs that parents must pay. They claim that a good Jewish education begins at home, where one's commitment to Judaism starts and should stay.

Except that history (and now this survey) has proven them wrong. This is not to say that it is impossible to be connected to Judaism without a day school or yeshiva education. History has shown us that it is quite possible. 

I wonder how many people know that the late Agudah Moetzes member and Telshe Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Chaim Levin, attended public school through seventh grade. I also know many elderly Orthodox Jews who attended public school in pre-Holocaust times and are nevertheless observant and deeply committed to their Judaism. It was at a time when there were very few day schools or yeshivas available to them. Outside of New York there were none.

Does this prove me wrong? Does this make it less obvious that a day school education will make you more connected to Judaism?

I think not—for a variety of reasons.

The most prominent of which is that the vast majority of Jews who attended public schools in past generations did not remain observant. Some lost their connection because they didn’t see it at home. Some even from Orthodox homes, struggled because their daily environment wasn’t Jewish. Their peer groups were not Jewish, and observant Judaism became an obstacle to social relationships with non-Jewish classmates. Or even with Jewish peers who had no interest in religious observance.

Despite that, in those days, there were enough Jewish students in public schools to form small observant social groups and networks among themselves. That helped some maintain their Jewish commitment. 

But that is no longer true today.

Nowadays, it is extremely rare for an observant Jew to attend a public school. If they do, they are unlikely to have any observant peers in school with whom to form a meaningful social bond. The pull to assimilate and be like their non-Jewish peers is far stronger today than it was back then.

I don’t have access to exact data, but I would bet that the proportion of Jews who attended day schools and yeshivas and remained connected to their Judaism is far greater than those who attended public school. Even if an observant peer group could be formed in a public school today, the overwhelming influence of non-observant peers would still present a challenge.

Why would any parent who cares about their child’s Jewish identity want to take that kind of risk just to save money? Yes, public school is free, and day school tuition is expensive. But is it worth the risk?

This is why I am thrilled that the president proposed that every state offer school choice to all parents. A choice that can include a parochial school. This policy will help reduce the unbearable financial burden that the vast majority of parents face when paying for tuition. Even after receiving some relief through their school’s scholarship programs, tuitions still require a financial commitment far beyond what most middle-class families can comfortably afford. Even those with substantial incomes. School choice will also help day schools and Yeshivas meet their budgets, ensuring they can continue to provide a quality education.

I don’t see how any parent who values Jewish education could oppose this initiative. And yet some have argued that school choice is unconstitutional, claiming it violates the First Amendment. But that argument has already been proven wrong by the successful implementation of school choice programs in several states. The government funds distributed to parochial schools are tied to the costs of providing the same core educational curricula and non-religious services that public schools offer. Religious studies and its teachers remain privately funded.

A national school choice program will likely require congressional approval.  If I understand correctly, the U.S. Department of Education is one with teachers’ unions and opposes it. As do the progressive members of Congress. So, we’re not there yet. But it helps to know that the Executive Branch strongly supports it. It also helps that the Executive Branch under which the Department of Education operates has even threatened to abolish the Department of Education altogether. 

So once again - thank you, President Trump, for caring more about parents and students than about  bureaucracies and the political agenda of teachers’ unions. This is yet another reason why you won the election.