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Jewish Education

In most societies today, a person’s status in the community is determined by economics. The amount of money made or had; the home lived in; the vacations taken; the cars, clothing, jewelry, and miscellaneous “toys” possessed—all of these, along with fame and notoriety, are the indicators by which we judge a person’s success. Not so in the traditional and historical Jewish community.

In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye sings that he wishes to be a rich man. Why? True, he would like to dress his wife and family in fine clothes and have a big home with staircases going up and down and nowhere. However, for himself he longs for the time and freedom to sit and study all day in the synagogue and to command the respect of the men around him, something that only scholarship brings.

Through the ages, education and wisdom were the means of gaining status in the Jewish community. If a couple had a daughter to marry off, a young scholar who was knowledgeable in the ways of the Torah and the Talmud was often considered a more preferable suitor than a wealthy man.

In modern American Jewish communities, the standards are a little different. Jewish education for boys and girls often ends either after or within a few years after a bar or bat mitzvah. Secular, general education takes precedence over religious training. The traditional desire and respect for a religious education seem to have been redirected toward a good college education, often followed by graduate and/or professional studies.

In spite of this great emphasis on secular education, there are many institutions of Jewish learning in the United States. They range from Jewish elementary and day schools to Jewish high schools, colleges, and universities. Many Jewish institutions of higher learning are run by Orthodox or Hasidic groups or congregations, but this is not always the case. Regardless of their affiliation, these schools often attract students from more liberal Jewish backgrounds.

Sometimes parents choose a Jewish religious education for elementary or high school students because they consider the educational standards higher at a Jewish institution than at the local public schools. In this way, Jewish parents are not much different from non-Jewish parents who send their children to parochial or private elementary and high schools.

Along with Jewish seminaries for prospective rabbis and cantors, there are also independent religious colleges that offer joint degree programs with other colleges and universities (a Jewish religious college is called a yeshiva). In addition, there are universities that are either sponsored by or were founded by Jewish groups. Many public and private colleges and universities offer courses, programs, and, in some cases, degrees in Jewish studies or Hebrew.

On college campuses, student centers represent various religious groups. For Jewish students, there is the Hillel Center, which offers religious services, social programs, counseling, community service opportunities, and other activities.

For adults who yearn either to continue a previously interrupted Jewish education or to know more about Judaism and their Jewish heritage, there are many continuing or adult education classes offered through synagogues, Jewish community centers, and other organizations. These offerings encompass a wide range of Judaic subjects including language, literature, poetry, music, theater, film, history, religion, law, and politics. Although it is always possible for people to explore and study on their own, the Jewish tradition encourages study with a teacher as well as classroom study. I have enjoyed many hours of Torah study with the rabbi and a large group of adult students on Saturday mornings before worship services. The discussions are always lively, thought provoking, and remarkably fun.