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The Goal of Jewish Day School Education
By Rabbi Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
Director of Education, Hillel Academy of Ottawa
What is the purpose of the Jewish Day School whether in
Ottawa,Vancouver, New York, or San Diego? The obvious answer is, to
effectively
transmit the key values, knowledge and skills necessary for a
child to become an
active participant in Jewish civilization.
That response, however, gives rise to another question: Is it
really important
in the modern world to continue Jewish civilization? Why, after
all, are we doing
this? Why bother? Isnt it enough just to raise children who will
be good citizens?
Why should Jewish parents and the Jewish community spend all
this time, money,
and effort to perpetuate the culture of of 1% of the worlds
population? Is there
not something ridiculous about this enterprise? In todays world,
why be Jewish?
Certainly, we know that to be a Jew is to be part of a people, a
nation. But, if
being Jewish was no more than being Irish, or Russian, or
Peruvian, or Canadian,or American, I, for one, would definitely
chuck it.
Being Jewish, though, is so much more than being part of a
people. It means
participating in Judaism, and Judaism is a national religion, a
religious civilization,
of inestimable worth.
Simply put, Judaism is the greatest ethical civilization on the
face of the
Earth.
Who gave the world the idea that all human beings were created
equal, and
that human life was sacred? Judaism, through the Torah and the
Talmud.
Who gave the world the concept that God is not only
supernatural, but
ethical, and cares about the world and all life in it? Judaism,
in the Bible and
Talmud.Who gave the world the idea that murder and other heinous
crimes were
absolutely evil, under all circumstances, and that human beings
had the free will to
choose good over evil? Judaism, the Torah.
Who gave the world the idea that the individual was responsible
for the
community and the community was responsible for the individual?
Judaism, the
Bible and the Talmud.
Who gave the world the concepts of the work ethic, of weekly
rest from
labor, of human rights, of the limitation of the power of the
government, of the
hierarchy of ethics over ritual, of the rights of women in
marriage, of the individual
and communal duty to care for the poor, the widowed, the
orphaned, and the
stranger? Judaism, the Torah, the Talmud, and the Codes of
Jewish Law.
Who gave the world the ideas of judgment based solely on merit,
of the
efficacy of repentance, that charity and doing good for others
are obligations, the
hope of redemption, of constantly striving to improve the world
for the benefit of all
human beings? Judaism, Judaism, Judaism.
What I have mentioned above is only the tip of the iceberg. It
is not for
nothing that both the quantity and influence of Jewish ethical
literature far exceeds
that of any other civilization.
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And where today is the Jewish child to acquire this knowledge?
What other
civilization has brought to the world these ethical and
religious teachings? Will she
learn this in the public school? In the secular private school?
Does the synagogue
supplementary school have enough hours in the week to teach
these values,
knowledge, and skills? The answer is obvious, only the Jewish
Day School can
provide the time, the effort, the education, and the environment
in which totransmit to our children the incomparable messages of
our unique civilization.
This is the challenge facing Hillel Academy, and that is why we
must be
successful. For if we can bring our children to inculcate the
positive, the benefits of
living a Jewishly committed life, then we will indeed be
improving the world.
