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| Former Dean of Hofstra Law School, Aaaron Twerdski |
As noted in a JNS article, Moshe Krakowski is a professor
and director of doctoral studies at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate
School of Jewish Education and Administration. He specializes in studying
Chasidic education in New York and is a well-known defender of Chasidic yeshivas. Activist organizations like Agudah have
relied on his expertise to argue that NYSED should leave these yeshivas alone
and not impose the substantial equivalency requirement to align them with
public schools.
The recent decision by NYSED to defund and close down two
Chasidic yeshivas has once again elicited a response from Professor Krakowski.
He has reiterated the arguments he has made before:
“There are many Chassidic schools that offer the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, social studies, and civics through at least the seventh- or eighth-grade level,” he said. “There are few schools that don’t do anything,” he added, but those “spend most of their day in incredibly rigorous, high-level religious study—and it’s not like these kids are left truant.”
Students in most of these Chasidic schools are studying Talmud in a way that most college students wouldn’t be able to do, involving high-level analysis, critical thinking skills, and reading comprehension—just in Yiddish. It is certainly different from what is offered in public schools, but there’s absolutely zero evidence that kids are struggling in life or not doing well as a result of the education they receive.”
Krakowski told JNS that while the curricula offered in Chasidic schools vary widely—with some providing a more comprehensive education than others—the level of secular education provided is viewed as a matter of religious obligation.
“These communities are, by all appearances, thriving and doing quite well, and there’s no crisis here that needs solving except for the dislike people have of the Chassidic community. And that, to me, is the issue,” he said.
As I have always maintained, the vast majority of Orthodox
religious schools including many Chasidic schools comply with NYSED’s requirements. However, to claim that a
community is thriving without teaching the basics of Limudei Chol
(secular studies) misses the point. There is more to education than simply
making a living. The lack of secular education denies students the opportunity
to pursue careers that are available to everyone else. It also perpetuates a
lifestyle so isolated from the rest of the world that it may ultimately harm
them.
The so-called matter of religious obligation stems from the fear that
exposure to the broader culture will unduly influence their values. While that may
be a legitimate concern, their method of dealing with it is
counterproductive—and contrary to the approach taken by the vast majority of
Orthodox Jewish schools who havde the same fears. The study of core curricular subjects like English,
math, science, and social studies has not negatively impacted Orthodox Jewish
students attending yeshivas that offer them. On the contrary, it has opened up
career opportunities that parents of children deprived of such an education can
only dream about.
Just because one can make a living selling products on
Amazon doesn’t mean they should limited to that and deprived of the chance to become doctors,
lawyers, or accountants due to a lack of foundational education.
And finally, what message does this insistence on remaining
ignorant of a basic secular education send to the world about Judaism?
None of this is new—I’ve said it all before. However, I was
surprised to find JNS report about an unlikely ally in Yeshiva World News:
A recent editorial in Yeshiva World News stated that the two yeshivas “should have had more concern about how their conduct is going to impact all yeshivas across New York State.”
“They are about to become the face of the yeshivah community, even though they are outliers and not representative of the vast majority of yeshivas,” the editorial noted. It criticized the schools for giving the state the cold shoulder while “the yeshivah community’s legal challenge to the state’s Education Department substantial equivalency regulations is pending before the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. A decision is expected before the end of the school year.”
“It is always wiser to make your case to the government rather than refuse to respond. That makes it seem like they had something to hide,” the editorial added. “The yeshivas should have demonstrated pride and confidence in their students and chinuch (religious instruction). Explain the beauty of Torah education. Most of all, do not tell the government that the rules don’t apply to you.”
While Yeshiva World News did not express my all of my concerns, their concerns are just as legitimate. I’m glad to see some common
sense within the Charedi world. It’s not all about accusing NYSED of being
anti-Chasidic, as Professor Krakowski seems to believe. I don’t think that has
anything to do with it.
I would be willing to bet that NYSED would have no problem
with Chasidim like the late Dr. Abraham Twerski, his son Dr. Ben Zion Twerski, or Professor Aaron Twerski - three highly regarded experts in their respective
fields who remained deeply Chasidic.
No, this isn’t about disliking Chasidim. It’s about rejecting ignorance. Sure. One can make a decent living and still be ignorant. But that does not serve them or the Jewish community well.
