Rabbi Sacks: “If You Want to Save the Jewish Future, You Have to Build Jewish Day Schools”
If you’re looking for the perfect school for your child, you probably have tons of questions running through your head: Do I want a public or private education? Should it be Jewish or secular? How much Jewish instruction am I comfortable with? Which is better—a smaller school or a larger one? At STARR JDS, we believe that every Jewish child deserves a Jewish day school education. Why? Jewish day school yields lifelong benefits both tangible and intangible.
Academic Excellence
Most day schools offer a rigorous dual curriculum that stresses critical thinking and individualized attention in small class sizes. Most graduates find that after the rigor of day school, college is far easier for them than for their peers. Click here to read What Difference Does Day School Make?, published by PEJE and Brandeis University, describing the positive impacts of Day School education on performance at the university level.
Jewish Values
Jewish day schools foster a values system and develop identity in their students. By living Jewish concepts such as gemilut hasadim or tikun olam, day school students become ethical individuals with a moral compass. Day school graduates are usually more resistant to social pressures than their public and private school peers.
Click here to read Hebrew University’s study on the impact of Day School education on a person’s Jewish identity: Impact of Jewish Education.
Fosters Leadership
Day schools foster leadership skills and traits within their students. At the same time, day schools themselves depend on dedicated volunteer and professional leaders to oversee and implement the vision of the school. Connecting leadership with Jewish literacy is a key for Jewish survival.
Judaic Literacy
By providing serious educational connections to Jewish history and texts and the Hebrew language, and by nurturing relationships to Jewish tradition, beliefs, and practices, day schools make Judaism second nature, instead of second best. Jewish identity is not inevitable. It requires an education that is meaningful and joyful.
