The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating for our educational system. That is the widely accepted narrative as school boards, politicians, teachers and parents lament the “no good options” available to students this fall.
But what if that narrative is wrong?
What if rethinking our school system has instead created an unprecedented opportunity to increase enrollment in Jewish Day Schools?
That is the question the Our Heritage project is exploring in a new grant-matching initiative that seeks to bring Jewish public-school students into quality Jewish day schools this fall.
Developed in direct response to the COVID crisis, the Our Heritage project is designed to embrace this unique moment in time towards the long-term goal of increasing enrollment in Jewish Day Schools. For many families, the COVID-19 crisis has inspired introspection and self-reflection, with people exploring values that really matter in life. The school shutdown has called into question the value of schooling. Is it simply babysitting or conveying information, or does it have the ability to instill values and spirituality, which no educational app can do?
Jewish day schools have long championed the holistic education of children – academically, emotionally and spiritually. Throughout the crisis, Jewish day schools, and private schools in general, have been showcased at their best. In contrast to the public-school system, which faced significant resistance to adapting to the new needs, most Jewish and private schools responded with resourcefulness and agility in a successful transition to online schooling.
A Safer, High-Quality School Option
As parents look to the coming school year, many public-school systems intend to begin online for months, with limited educational options. The vast majority of Jewish day schools plan on opening in-person, with comprehensive contingency plans for potential closures. Jewish day schools tend to have smaller student populations and are not subject to the complex bureaucracy of the public-school system. Thus, they are able to implement rigorous protocols for cleanliness and safety on a contained scale and the ability to monitor a potential outbreak (G-d forbid).
“Covid-19 has been a disaster for our communities,” says Rabbi Yossi Mintz, Executive Director of the Academy of the Arts in Redondo Beach, CA. “But the Rebbe taught us to always look for the silver lining or opportunity in every situation. We currently have the ability to attract families to our Jewish day school who previously would have sent their children to public school.”
“Every Jew should have access to Torah education,” says Rabbi Zalman Shnuer, Director of the Menachem Education Foundation. “That is the key teaching in Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe Morasha Kehilas Yakov. This is our heritage and birthright. We now have an opportunity to give families who would never have considered it access to their heritage through education.”
The Our Heritage program is designed to motivate Chabad Day Schools to invest in enrollment efforts to bring these families into the Jewish day school fold. The multi-phase program’s goal is to create a paradigm shift in Jewish day schools’ orientation towards new enrollments and ultimately generate interest and success that can lead to a national movement of day school enrollment.
In the first stage of the program, which coincides with the start of the 5781 / 2020-2021 academic year, 10 schools will be awarded a $25,000 matching grant challenge, contingent on enrolling at least 10 new students per school. This grant can be utilized at the schools’ discretion to subsidize tuition, increase staffing, offer remedial assistance to new students, or other needs. In addition, Our Heritage is partnering with the Nechomas Yisroel organization, which has agreed to grant Our Heritage schools $1,000 to subsidize tuition for each new day school family who transfers from a public school.
Realizing the Rebbe’s Vision
Mr. Bob Aronson, chairman of the Our Heritage project, says that the program was inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s early vision of building Jewish education in North America. Aronson, who is the former Executive Vice President of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, former president of Birthright Israel, and involved with the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, says that the program will “expand and build on the Rebbe’s vision by bringing new children into our institutions.”
The Academy of the Arts day school in California has already utilized Our Heritage’s resources to attract two new public-school families to the school, enrolling five students. He hopes many more will join.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer a quality Jewish and secular education to families in our community,” says Mintz. “Now that they have joined our community, we have a great responsibility to provide the highest quality program and care that will keep them here in subsequent years.”
Shneur Zalman and Devorah Leah Hirsch, who are helping fund the project, say that the impact of this program is immeasurable. “This is a chance to change the course of a Jewish child’s life. Instead of going to a public school they can attend a Yeshiva and receive an authentic Jewish education. These children will grow up and lead Jewish homes based on Torah and Mitzvos. There is no greater investment in our future.”
Applications are now open for Phase 1 of the 2020 Our Heritage program. Learn more or apply to participate here: https://mymef.org/ourheritage/
The Our Heritage program is a project of the Menachem Education Foundation. For more information please email [email protected]. Our Heritage is funded by Alan and Lori Zekelman, an Anonymous Foundation in Milwaukee, Shneur and Devorah L. Hirsch, and the Blavatnik Foundation.
What about keeping our kids out of public school to begin with? I know frum kids who weren’t accepted by our schools and had no choice but to put them in public school.
What if all the orthodox jews in nyc sign up to public school, and completely overwhelm the system, and essentially hold them hostage until our demands for yeshivas are met