Religious Rights Versus Educational Standards

Eli Steinberg has written a thoughtful article about the right of fellow Jews to be educated in any manner in which they choose. Even if it means lacking any formal secular education. He bases that on freedom of religion issues. From that perspective, I suppose one can make that argument. But there is an additional issue that he does not address.

Eli joins the many religious schools that are protesting government interference in our educational institutions. Interference that has morphed into a legitimate concern for anyone with a child in a parochial school regardless of Hashkafa, religious denomination, or even religion! Which I protest as well.

But as I have said - what seems to be a countless number of times - legitimately protesting government interference does not mean we can't support reasonable secular studies standards set by he goverment to assure as much as possible that it produces productive citizens. 

We have been down this road before. More than once. But every time it comes up, it needs to be addressed.

Eli’s recent article in the Daily Wire compares the current spate of antisemitic violence with this issue. He calls this ‘government assault’ on the Jewish education frightening - and a version of an antisemitic attack. And just like fellow his fellow Charedi protesters he blames the ‘messenger’ and asserts the following: 

Over the last few years, and under the guise of a call for “reform,” progressive activists have been waging an all-out assault on the entire private school system, starting with the educational system of Orthodox Jews. These activists — mostly formerly Orthodox people who are intent on destroying their former community by tearing down their institutions — have found willing allies among the liberal intelligentsia and media elite. 

I have no clue about the accuracy of the assertion that their real goal is the destruction of their former community. But even if he is right, what they are publicly calling for is schools (mostly Chasidic) schools identified as short-changing their students for decades (in some cases offering no formal secular curriculum at all) be required to live up to at least the government’s original mandate of substantial equivalency. Much the same as most other Orthodox schools have been doing successfully for decades.

The complaint is that new equivalency guidelines issued by NYSED have gone too far - and have crossed into religious rights territory. They probably have. And if so should absolutely be protested. The government should have left the original guidelines as they were and instead have more rigorously enforced them. 

Government interference is NOT OK. But insisting on reasonable educational standards is more than OK. Eli should recognize that what is at stake here is not only freedom of religion. But the welfare of a community that sees the outside world as so evil that they insist on isolating themselves as much as possible. 

To take one very important example, I have heard from more one source that the leadrship of those Chasidic communities consider speaking English language well - Chukas HaGoy! If so it should be no surprise that they refuse to teach English.

This is the mentality that has to be fought. Allowing it to be perpetuated as a Jewish value is in my view as bad as the assault Eli sees upon our religious freedom.

I find it troubling that those who cry out so loudly against government interference in education ignore - or at best pay little more than lip service to - the fact the people in the largest and fastest growing segment of observant Jewry are allowed - or even encouraged by their leadership - to mangle the language of the country in which they live. 

I have said this before. Instead of fighting each other and calling each other names they ought to be combining forces in the common goal of - not only assuring our religious rights but assuring the right of all of our children get the education they deserve. Just like Eli did. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Updated: 1/31/20