Who Will Speak for the Children?

Who will speak for me? (Forward)

Once again, it appears that the New York State Education Department (NYSED) will be attempting to upgrade its educational requirements. And once again Agudah will be involved in seeing that our religious rights will be protected.

The issue of a quality education for our children is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Both in Limudei Kodesh (religious studies) and Limudei Chol (secular studies). If it were up to me I would require every elementary and high school to teach both disciplines at the highest levels. For the most part most Orthodox schools do that. Some better than others. But of those that do they all prepare their students for a better future both spiritually and materially to one degree or another. 

Unfortunately there are some schools that prepare their students only at a spiritual level – virtually ignoring any preparation for their material welfare. Despite claims to the contrary, in my view that actually hurts their spiritual development too. As Chazal tell us, Ein Kemach, Ein Torah. If there is no material sustenance there can be no Torah. In far too many cases graduates of schools that offer virtually no secular studies, the material success of their graduates is left to their own devices. Which means that in most cases, good job prospects are limited. 

That combined with their typically large families equals a pretty high poverty level for their community as  whole. Which also means relying on welfare. Or under the table cash businesses where income is not reported. 

That there are so many of these people  that seem to be ‘Sameach B’Chelko’ (happy with their lot)  is a tribute to their values of putting the spiritual ahead of the material. But there are far too many cases where that is a façade. Their lack of the means to be able to live beyond bare sustenance…. worrying how they are going to put enough food on their table to feed their large families is a daily concern. Although rarely expressed publicly. (I believe that this is at least partially responsible for some of their children going OTD.)

None of this is new. Said it all before. For me it should be mandatory that those schools offer at least the minimal amount of secular studies that the vast majority of other Orthodox Day schools and high schools do. 

Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh BaZeh. If they don’t do it voluntarily, it should be our responsibility as fellow Jews to see to it that they do. Which means that we should use all means available to us. And if necessary insisting that government enforce its mandate requiring all schools to provide a secular education equivalent to what they require of public schools. This is what our focus should be.

The problem is that this was tried and NYSED went too far. Instead of focusing on the schools that basically ignored those requirements - getting them to implement those requirements, they came up with a new set of guidelines that - for all practical purposes - would have destroyed Jewish education in New York. It was so bad that it would have negatively affected even those Orthodox schools who have excellent secular studies programs – and whose students graduate and surpass most public school students in their educational achievements. Most of them are eventually accepted to the finest universities in the world. And succeed quite well in them. Those guidelines were even opposed by the Catholic schools who joined Orthodox public advocacy groups to protest it.

Fortunately those guidelines were struck down by the courts. I believe it was because they were seen as an unreasonable infringement of upon religious rights.

It now seems NYSED has come up with new guidelines. Apparently they will present them in a public forum where the public will be able to evaluate them and give their own input.

Agudah just published a press release saying that they will be heavily involved in this to assure that the religious rights of all communities to educate their children as they see fit - be protected.

I agree that this is a proper goal. Provided it is accompanied with an advocacy that those schools lacking a secular studies curriculum be required to have a secular studies program comparable to  most other Orthodox schools that have one. And that it be enforced.

The concern of public advocacy groups like Agudah should not be limited to protecting the religious right to teach children as they see fit. They should be advocating that a ‘fit’ education be required in the form of a secular curriculum that is part of their overall curriculum. That will enable their graduates to get better jobs via a continuing education if they so choose. They should be advocating the idea that the welfare system NOT be seen as a Parnassa. That it should only be used as a last resort – after all else fails. It is a major flaw in any Hashkafa that hinders their constituents from doing better materially.

If Agudah does not do that, and instead keeps insisting that those Chasidic schools have a right to teach their children they way they see fit, while they send their own children to schools that have a secular studies program, it implies that they re willing to let them continue a policy of welfare dependence. Not to mention the fact that by not getting a secular education, it also produces a community whose public face often comes off as illiterate. The net result being that the most religious looking Jews among us are seen as the most ignorant which is reflected in their lack of basic English language skills. 

I would hope that someone at Agudah adopts a policy of advocating for a better education for those children as well as for the rights of their parents to educate them the way they see fit. Agudah is perhaps the most effective public advocacy group in all of Orthodoxy. They are the ones that can make this happen - if anyone can. Will they?