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SCHOOL

The new school year here in Israel and throughout most of the Western world began in earnest this week. For millions of children this would be a nerve-wracking event, beginning a long journey of perhaps decades of attendance at educational institution. The idea of universal school education is a relatively modern one in most of the world. As late as a century ago most children received no formal schooling and universal literacy was confined to only a few countries in the world.

The advent of the great wars of the twentieth century, the speedy progress of technological innovation and the radical change in employment field opportunities, coupled with the pressures of ever increasing population urbanization gave great impetus to the ideas and programs of universal education. The demands of modern life and industry require an educated society.

The last century has witnessed an explosion in the number of schools and the number of students in attendance. There was and still is a firm belief in the idea of the Enlightenment that education is the key to the solution of most of the social and societal ills of the world. Whether that belief is in fact justified is open to question. After all, fully one-third of the commandants of the German death camps in World War II possessed either a Ph.D. or M.D. degree! But we can probably all agree that society generally benefits from an intelligent, literate, educated populace. How best to achieve that state is the rub.

The idea of school and universal education lies at the heart of all Jewish history. The Talmud records for us the great attempts by King Chizkiyahu in First Temple times and Yehoshua ben Prachya and others during the time of the Second Temple to establish a universal educational system in the Land of Israel. This was done so that entire population would be literate and possess knowledge of Torah, its values and ways of living.

In Eastern Europe all boys attended school from the ages of three till at least ten - this in a time of abject poverty and relatively short life expectancy. Girls however received no formal educational training. The Bais Yaakov school system for girls' and women's education did not begin until the 1920's. Since then women's education in the religious Jewish world has progressed by leaps and bounds.

In my opinion, it is the single most revolutionary societal occurrence within Judaism's community over the past century. Even though initially there was strong opposition in certain rabbinic and Chasidic circles to the idea of formal and intensive education for women, Bais Yaakov and similar school systems for women became the norm in the religious Jewish world. Both the Chafetz Chaim and the Rebbe of Gur championed the idea and cause of the Bais Yaakov school system and their imprimatur of holiness carried the day.

The creation of the modern-day yeshiva in the early nineteenth century in Lithuania also changed the Jewish educational system for boys and men. Today almost all Jewish boys in the religious world receive a yeshiva-type intensive education in Torah and Judaism. In terms of actual numbers of students engaged in yeshiva-type learning I believe that there has never been such a great number so occupied as exists today in our educational institutions.

But formal schooling has its drawbacks. Not all children adjust well to its discipline and rigors and not all teachers and instructors are truly skilled and adept at their profession. Large class sizes, bullying students, inadequate physical facilities and unrealistic curriculums all complicate the learning process in schools. The system of tests and grading often breed intense feelings of insecurity and jealousy within the students. Many times knowledge of facts is stressed over the acquisition of learning skills and the absorption of a Jewish value system within the student. And the shy, retiring student, though blessed with a good mind and great potential oftentimes falls between the seats due to lack of notice and identity.

These problems are pretty much inherent in all schools and most students are able to overcome them and gain a good education. However, the administrators and teachers in schools should certainly recognize these inherent shortcomings in our current educational system and take whatever steps they can to ameliorate these situations. I am certain that all of you join with me in extending blessings to our students and teachers on this forthcoming year of educational progress and achievements in their studies and teachings. Such educational accomplishments are only fitting for the People of the Book.