Andy Silow-Carroll weighs in on Hebrew school http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/andy-silow-carroll-weighs-in-on-hebrew-school/ The editor of the New Jersey Jewish News shares his thoughts on Hebrew school: Should it stay or should it go? en-us jberkman@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-04-30T;01:08:00-05:00 Comment by Robert Miller rmill2k@msn.com I’m not surprised that so many people have poor memories of part-time Hebrew school..without a full time committment to Jewish learning, it’s just one more burden on top of public school, to be flushed away as soon as the bar-mitzva’s finished. In a full time environment, there is more time for the kids to get the full flavor of what a Jewish education has to offer aided by loving and dedicated teachers, without it being crammed into them in the space of an hour or two on Sunday. My kids started full-time day school in 3rd and 5th grade, even though the finances and commute were a challenge. After four years, they have a firm foundation in moral education, Jewish life and Torah that will be with them for life, and they’re at least three years ahead of the local public schools. I was raised totally secular and am moderately observant today, so I had some doubts about this in the beginning. But as I see what kind of people they’re growing up to be, I know it’s one of the best things I ever did for my kids. Think about it. Robert Miller, Los Angeles I’m not surprised that so many people have poor memories of part-time Hebrew school..without a full time committment to Jewish learning, it’s just one more burden on top of public school, to be flushed away as soon as the bar-mitzva’s finished.

In a full time environment, there is more time for the kids to get the full flavor of what a Jewish education has to offer aided by loving and dedicated teachers, without it being crammed into them in the space of an hour or two on Sunday.

My kids started full-time day school in 3rd and 5th grade, even though the finances and commute were a challenge. After four years, they have a firm foundation in moral education, Jewish life and Torah that will be with them for life, and they’re at least three years ahead of the local public schools.

I was raised totally secular and am moderately observant today, so I had some doubts about this in the beginning. But as I see what kind of people they’re growing up to be, I know it’s one of the best things I ever did for my kids.

Think about it.

Robert Miller, Los Angeles

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by Kerry Olitzky KOlitzky@joi.org I am a Hebrew School drop out. I quit after my Bar Mitzvah.  It just didnt challenge me. When teaching education at HUC-JIR, I used to ask the question--so am I a religious school success or failure? I am a Hebrew School drop out. I quit after my Bar Mitzvah.  It just didnt challenge me. When teaching education at HUC-JIR, I used to ask the question--so am I a religious school success or failure?

]]> 2011-02-25T;01:28:00-05:00 Comment by ASC asc@njjewishnews.com I didn’t mention it in my piece, but my two oldest boys are enrolled in an excellent one-day-a-week Hebrew high school in Bergen County, NJ, (after attending Schechter through 8th grade) and both enjoy it quite a lot. That’s mainly because the school seems to emphasize the very things recommended in the AVi Chai report—building a sense of community, taking the classes seriously, offering a lot of extracurricular stuff to augment the classroom learning, etc. I also make my kids go to the dentist, but not every Sunday morning. If kids are going to value their Jewishness. we have to give them a better reason to go then “I say so.” I didn’t mention it in my piece, but my two oldest boys are enrolled in an excellent one-day-a-week Hebrew high school in Bergen County, NJ, (after attending Schechter through 8th grade) and both enjoy it quite a lot. That’s mainly because the school seems to emphasize the very things recommended in the AVi Chai report—building a sense of community, taking the classes seriously, offering a lot of extracurricular stuff to augment the classroom learning, etc.

I also make my kids go to the dentist, but not every Sunday morning. If kids are going to value their Jewishness. we have to give them a better reason to go then “I say so.”

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