David Zimand, the Head of School at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, California published an article this week the eJewish Philanthropy website in which he says that day school education can play a special role in guiding us all through these difficult Corona days and especially after the societal return to “normal”.
Entitled Jewish Day School Education – Now As Much As Ever, the article is a bit of a mishmash of too many ideas. It is also somewhat too self-extolling of the school of which he is the head. Nevertheless, Zimand offers a valuable insight regarding the proven importance of day school education and how the core experience and values of such education can be a positive influence for our future.
It is this insight we highlight for readers.
“In confronting the vexing challenges of our current circumstances, Jewish day schools have reconnected to great powers of our missions that have been there all along. These include awareness that human beings are but one part of a vast creation in the image of God, commitment to sustaining bonds of community as core to our enterprise, broad vision of what it means to persevere, and appreciation for the inestimable value of disputation in the name of all things good and true.
“As we meet the challenges that will come next, we will bring all these values to educating our students, with humble understanding – and faith – that how we help them process the transformative events of their young lives will shape how they, in turn, will work to repair our world. We need them and they need us.”
We agree that day school education can inculcate in our children the values, skills and strength of character that the future world will need of them. But that education must be affordable.
Be safe. Stay safe. Be well. Stay well. Be strong. Stay strong.
Shabbat shalom
GAJE
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 