We are at that point in the year where our schools have finally settled into a routine. We are through the chaggim, and the beautiful work of making mensches has begun in earnest. But this year, everything is different. In the days leading up to October 7, in addition to learning about the holidays and making paper chains for Sukkot, our students were also commemorating the events in Israel with beautiful, solemn, developmentally appropriate ceremonies. Our students know that Simchat Torah is now also a day for remembrance.
In these difficult times, with an unprecedented and exponential rise in anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our schools are more important than ever. In our recent piece in eJewish Philanthropy, Prizmah Vice Chair Gail Norry and I stated that we believe the best way to fight antisemitism is with Jewish pride and Jewish joy. We need to raise a generation of strong, proud, knowledgeable, literate and unapologetic Jews, and there is no better way to do this than Jewish day school. To that end, one of Prizmah’s strategic goals is to increase enrollment in Jewish day schools by 10,000 over five years.
We are seeing an uptick in enrollment in North America. In a recent survey from the Jewish Federations of North America, 39% of Jewish parents indicated they may reevaluate or reconsider school enrollment or summer programs for their children, and 38% of parents with kids in a secular private school reported considering making the move to Jewish day schools. During the Covid pandemic, we saw a similar uptick in enrollment, which many believed would be a one-year phenomenon.
A Prizmah study found that those parents were happy with the switch, and 75% chose to stay even after the pandemic eased. They discovered what we have known all along: Our schools are excellent. Our schools are warm and nurturing. And our schools are so much more than educational institutions; they are tight-knit, supportive, values-based communities.
We know that there are several roadblocks to increasing enrollment, and these issues are linked together to form a barrier. Prospective families mention several hurdles, affordability being just one. Misperceptions of our schools are a huge impediment to enrollment. Some parents feel that our schools do not provide academic rigor, although we know our students go to the most competitive colleges and universities. Other parents feel the schools cannot serve differentiated educational needs.
Because these issues are linked, we believe that addressing any of them can have the effect of pulling just the right puzzle piece so that the entire barrier to day school comes tumbling down. We are seeing positive effects on enrollment and retention in some areas due to community initiatives, notably in Montreal, Toronto, Metrowest New Jersey, Chicago and Atlanta. One funder likened it to a “one needle pulling several threads.”
A program that addresses affordability can free up funds for schools to spend more on excellence programming, teacher development and differentiated education programs. Programs that address excellence can increase enrollment, and as more students come, more funds are available for scholarships and affordability programs. Something as simple as a free school bus can have incredible impact. There is no one magic issue; schools and communities have to be willing to experiment to find the piece that brings the barrier down.
In describing the value of Jewish day school, perhaps the biggest objection we face is the perception that our schools are “too Jewish.” I have never been exactly sure what that means, but it makes the hair on my neck stand up every time I hear it. It is as if we don’t have to explain the value of a Jewish education, but of Judaism itself. So when asked my opinion on why I think Jewish day school is the best option, here is my response:
Jewish day schools provide an excellent, values-based education. Incorporating Judaic study into the school day sends the message that Judaism is not an add-on to the school day, and by extension, not an add-on in life. Our students will never have to choose between extracurricular activities and Hebrew school, because their Jewish studies are not extra. They never have to worry about exams or activities conflicting with Shabbat or holidays, and they will not face antisemitism from other students or teachers.
The study of Jewish texts develops critical thinking skills that are applicable to all other fields of study. Our schools help develop our kids’ own opinions and relationship to Israel, in all of its contentious, messy, amazing complexity. They help our kids to contextualize where they fit in this world, as Jews and as human beings. Jewish day school teaches our kids that they are links in a chain of our people’s long, difficult and beautiful history, and our schools provide them with the tools to help them decide how to live their Judaism. Most importantly, Jewish day school gives them the moral compass to guide them no matter which direction they choose, and they are aware of their ethical responsibility to both their Jewish and secular communities.
Our schools are incredible communities that our families can turn to for loving support through good times and bad, long after the kids graduate. It is the greatest gift you can give your kids.
I am happy to report that the eJewish Philanthropy piece, which was intended as a conversation-starter, has had that desired effect. Jewish community leaders across North America are starting to gather to discuss how we can bring down those barriers and get more Jewish families to choose day school for their children. Ken yehi ratzon.
