Robert Lichtman, a Jewish community activist in New Jersey wrote an edgy, and some will say, even provocative article this week in which he maintains that “Jewish day schools are the infrastructure that supports a full range of communal services”.
Entitled, The Tree of Life: Root Jewish community in day schools, the article sets out to make the case for day schools as “the keystone that upholds a Jewish community” in all its cultural and social vibrancy and self-sustaining health.
Lichtman writes “boldly”, without nuance and with considerable self-assurance. He confidently writes large, sweeping statements such as: “Synagogues may be the glue that holds the building blocks of Jewish community together, but all of this rests on the foundation of a strong day school.”
Lichtman also makes certain suggestions for ensuring the financial sustainability of Jewish education. To his credit, they are novel and worthy of wider communal discussion.
Agree with Lichtman or not, the heart of his article is a deeply-felt, robust acknowledgement of the utter irreplaceability of organized, intense Jewish education for a truly viable, Jewish community, in the fullest, broadest, most inclusive sense of being Jewish. He refers to such Jewish education as day school education.
GAJE agrees with Lichtman’s core proposition. Indeed, it is our view that this proposition is so important that it must be stated and re-stated whenever the opportunity arises. It is for this reason that we direct readers’ attention to the Lichtman article.
Moreover, it is also our view that the Jewish community of the GTA is a sparkling example of the truth of Lichtman’s core and ancillary propositions regarding the central role played by day schools in the overall health of a community. Community lay and professional leaders, and especially the parents of the school children who cope the best they can with the onerous financial hardship of school tuitions ought to be thanked and praised for this.
Lichtman maintains that day schools play a strategic role “in upholding Jewish community …in addition to the benefits of a day school education that enable communities to thrive: Jewish literacy; scholarship; Israel education and Zionism; embracing Jews and Judaism from a place of love, not fear; and developing future Jewish leaders — communal, rabbinic and philanthropic.”
Again, GAJE agrees with him. And we add that whenever possible, families, schools, educators, organizations and “ordinary” members of the community at large, must seize the opportunities that might enable our youngsters – in Lichtman’s words – to embrace Jews and Judaism “from a place of love, not fear.”
GAJE is committed to precisely this; to helping to turn possibilities into realities.
The Lichtman article can be accessed at:
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As GAJE supporters and readers of this weekly update know, GAJE has brought a motion to the Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the decision of the Divisional Court that agreed with the Government of Ontario and dismissed our application. We await a decision on our motion.
If you wish to assist GAJE in our pursuit for fairness in educational funding, and contribute to our lawsuit, please click here.
For further information, please contact Israel Mida at: imida1818@gmail.com
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Shabbat shalom. Am Yisrael Chai
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education (GAJE)
December 20, 2024
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 