Observances & Rituals:
Jewish education, a spiritual menu
Rabbi Yossi Kenigsberg
June 20, 2008
Soon the academic year will come to a close in all the yeshivas and Jewish day schools across the country. The students will exuberantly exit their institutions of learning and enthusiastically embrace the freedom and liberty that summer offers them.
As parents or educators it is appropriate, at this juncture, to reflect on what our children and students have accomplished during this past year and to calibrate our goals and objectives in their Jewish education to make sure that they are properly attuned.
There have been a plethora of articles, books, columns, and seminars over the past few years lamenting the scourge of kids at risk in the Jewish community. The malady of children abandoning their Torah roots has infected all segments of the Jewish community. Diagnoses have been rendered, treatment plans have been recommended, and prognoses have been offered. A multitude of reasons for this frightening phenomenon has been suggested.
At a national convention of the Agudath Israel, a question was posed to Rabbi Noach Orloweck, one of the premier Jewish educators of our time. He was asked how parents and educators can help the children of this generation confront the serious moral challenges they encounter in today's society.
Rabbi Orloweck responded to the query with an analogy. What would a diabetic do if he were invited to an extravagant wedding where he knew he would be surrounded by a sumptuous smorgasbord, a meal comprised of gastronomical delights, and a Viennese table laden with delectable desserts? The only chance to resist these inevitable temptations and avoid the painful medical consequences would be to have a full and satisfying meal before leaving home. Hopefully, if he arrives at the wedding hall already satiated with a wholesome meal, the inclination to indulge in a potentially toxic menu would be significantly decreased. If, however, he arrives in a ravenous state, all the inappropriate foods will be consumed, resulting in devastating consequences.
Rabbi Orloweck utilized this analogy to apply to the education of students and parenting of children. We live in an era when children are exposed to a relentless assault of noxious debris from the media, society and various forms of technology. We wish to protect our children from this onslaught; however, sheltering children beyond a certain age may not be a realistic option. The only remedy that exists for parents and educators is to exert the maximum effort to ensure that our children are "full" by the time they reach adolescence, when they become more exposed to the temptations of the world. "Full," explained Rabbi Orloweck, "means having an appreciation and love of Torah and mitzvos; nurturing, safe and loving home environments; schools that are welcoming and inspire children; and teachers who develop deep and meaningful relationships with their students."
Although adults who supervise and raise children need to be vigilant in order to protect them from immoral influences, it is important to transcend this exclusively defensive posture. By taking a proactive stance and feeding them a spiritually satisfying menu, they will hopefully be less vulnerable when confronting the vicissitudes of life.
Education is a considerably more complex enterprise than simply transmitting information and inculcating skills. A significant segment of time also needs to be devoted to offering Torah as a palatable feast so that our children are delighted to partake of its flavors.
We certainly should not minimize the importance of the skills acquired and information accrued throughout a child's academic career. If we are honest, however, we need to admit that our children may not remember every Rashi they learn or every vocabulary word they master. What they will remember is the adult who cared, the teacher who was sensitive and the mentor who inspired them. If we expend the extra energy to provide our children with lavish spiritual nourishment, we will hopefully provide them with sufficient sustenance to withstand the challenges they will ultimately face.
Rabbi Kenigsberg is an educator who lives in