LETTERS
FAN MAIL To the Editor: I was delighted with your February issue, and in particular with the first and last articles. Your interview with Peres was significant not for what Peres said (little or...
...Steven Greenfield Schenectady, N.Y...
...And it's Sabbath at the Western Wall...
...To the Editor: Charles Silberman is woefully out of touch ("Where Are Our Children...
...THE MOST UNUSUAL TOUR 01 () Jerusalem is Mount Zion, and the Tower of David...
...LottorS-conlimteil relevant questions were Jewish questions and the only answers worth exploring were those of the Sages...
...The only Continued on page 12 Loreto, Mukge, all in Baja and just opened resorts like Cancun on the Mexican Caribbean Coast and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo on Mexico's West Coast about 125 miles north of Acapulco...
...Audrey Friedman Marcus, Editor Alternatives in Religious Education San Jose, Calif...
...It's a private tour of the Israel Museum...
...He has based his thesis on a very narrow sample of schools and camps and his description of these institutions is archaic...
...The author is correct in his assessment of Jewish life in America today...
...Silberman's general characterization of Jewish education seems to be out of touch with recent developments within the various movements and seminaries...
...Silberman's philosophy of education...
...The article deserves both applause and thoughtful criticism...
...If only American Jews could understand that fact better, our community — and our support for Israel — would count for much more...
...Martin Hermann Cleveland, Ohio SCHOOLS RUSH IN...
...It's a tradition...
...Continued on page 6 No one will drink from this cup...
...There he would see the most exciting and sound Jewish educational programs he could envision and the most involved and committed Jewish youngsters I have seen in years...
...For the record...
...Unfortunately, I cannot respond more specifically without getting invidious about particular individuals, programs, institutions, or organizations — something I prefer not to do...
...Manischewitz wishes you a happy Passover...
...For even with the best of methods and the most controlled conditions, we do not always succeed, and the frustrations are many...
...I had a young and vivacious sixth grade teacher who opened up my eyes to Judaism and gave me something to dedicate myself to...
...Many curricula are geared wholly to helping students clarify their values and make these choices intelligently...
...O Jeru] ^•iLWfc^L* salem is also thd t \ \ \m I chance to talk with professor of historj ' I archeology, or religio] And to explore excavations no mally closed to the public...
...We are among the exceptions, and the teacher of whom I was so fond left after that year, which was her first...
...You stood up to a government official from Israel, and treated him fairly but toughly, as though the Israeli government were, in fact, a government...
...but they are the exceptions, not the rule...
...He just is not totally right...
...Keep it up...
...Marry Bershtein Randallstown, Md...
...Although there were other factors in my decision not to proceed, bitter opposition from some of the organizations Ms...
...Silberman urges...
...And occasionally, as in Mark Heller's article, you're perfectly willing to present a dissenting view — dissenting in terms of your own magazine...
...The profession is actively seeking improvement...
...And be assured, the welcome will be as delightful as the weather...
...You can even stay longer for not very much more than that...
...We reserve the right to edit letters to conform to our space requirements...
...Silberman in my classroom any time...
...As long as you're here learn a little Hebrew...
...A perfect example of how modern Jewish education disregards human growth questions is the Bar/Bat Mitz-vah, which concentrates solely on intellectual achievement and completely ignores the emotional and social changes brought on by puberty and increased independence...
...Charles E. Silberman replies: Of course there are successes in Jewish education, as I acknowledged in the third paragraph of my essay...
...I could go on and on, enumerating examples of program techniques which not only are exciting and fun but which also make Judaism come alive...
...O Tel Aviv...
...Most students I know come back from Israel feeling an inspired part of what is going on there...
...It's vi its to special craftsmen, a picnic the Dead Sea, and a Hebrew lessoi| too...
...And the egg and bitter herbs are a tradition...
...But it takes only a few minutes of eavesdropping as Jewish educators bare their souls to one another at a convention or meeting to know the level of their frustration and the sense of failure they feel...
...Your interview with Peres was significant not for what Peres said (little or nothing) but for what moment did...
...Look at some of the new curriculum materials put out by Alternatives in Religious Education, Inc., the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and Behrman House...
...However, Mr...
...Gabriela Weiss Fair Lawn, N.J...
...It's dinner with Jewish families from Yemen or Iraq, or with new immigrants from Russia...
...To the Editor: As the Educational Director of Temple Beth El in San Pedro, California, and as a graduate of the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at Hebrew Union College, I must take issue with Mr...
...I had to be literally dragged into the car on the first day of sixth grade Hebrew...
...However, Mr...
...I can name hundreds of schools that employ the methodologies which have come to be identified with Mr...
...The truth is, O Jerusalem isn't like any other tour of Jerusalem...
...Perhaps if that was all he attempted to discuss, I would sing only praises for his accuracy and forthrightness...
...Siegman's article shows me that what I have long been hoping is in fact true...
...There are men and women in positions of power and responsibility who are willing to define Israel's best interests independently, at times, of how the Israelis would have us define them...
...But neither am I comfortable with the small minority of Jews who loudly proclaim their suspicion of Zionism, Israel, and the organized Jewish community...
...HIE CITY IN 40 CENTURIES...
...The letters from teachers, administrators and publishers remind me of a d'var Torah that Martin Buber once offered some visitors...
...If Mr...
...To the Editor: I was very moved by "Where Are Our Children...
...Kosher for Passover Mogen David Wine Corp., Chicago, 111., Westfield, N. Y. Letters—continued state of Israel...
...It's a supper party it a home in the Old City...
...unchat a Yeshiva...
...Or, perhaps I should say, of how the Israeli government would have it...
...To the Editor: While many will be defensive about Charles Silberman's article, I can only thank him for articulating a perspective I have had through my 28 years...
...Those who are unable to do so, or may not wish to do so, are inundated with periodicals, books, and curricular materials espousing exactly what Mr...
...Silberman is not altogether wrong...
...January, 1976...
...But as an American Zionist I do not believe that my loyalty to and support for Israel can be demonstrated only by my adhering to a particular policy, one which tends to equate an Israeli administration, or government, with the State itself, and in fact with the whole Jewish people...
...Something must definitely be done to change the Hebrew school system, and quickly...
...Manischewitz Wine Co...
...If one were to judge only by the papers appearing in the various Jewish educational journals, Ms...
...few tours have the kind of negative leadership that Mr...
...moment is good and getting better each month...
...we must also find out "Where are our parents and educators...
...Maxine Mayo San Pedro, Calif...
...However, I was "saved" from the destiny of my brothers at the last moment...
...Perhaps I should mention, however, that I did give serious thought to following Crisis in the Classroom with a study of Jewish education...
...Silberman's article, I invite him to spend a few days at the Union of American Hebrew Congregation's Camp Swig in Sarasota, California, or for that matter at any Union Camp or Camp Ramah...
...You have no idea how heartening this is for readers of Jewish magazines...
...More, it takes such acquiescence for granted...
...Mogen DavidJWines...
...Silberman had invested his energies in Jewish education for the last 10 years, if he had written a book called Crisis in the Jewish Classroom, or if he had more evidence for his position than a few brief contacts with his son's school, camp, and trip abroad, then he might have been able to make a serious contribution to the literature of Jewish education...
...No matter how narrow-minded a teacher may be, it is impossible to teach Shabbat without emphasizing joy, as is obvious from the basic Sabbath prayer: "Those who keep the Sabbath and call it a delight shall rejoice in Your Kingdom...
...And now, as a parent of two small children, the issues raised seem even more urgent to me...
...Silberman's article, which sounds scholarly but is in fact based on what the author is told by his own children...
...Sometimes I agree with what they say, but I do not trust them as Jews and would not want them as bedfellows, political or otherwise...
...Perhaps then he would be convinced that his assessment of religious education — in the classroom or camp setting — contains gross inaccuracies...
...To the Editor: As a religious school educator for seven of my 27 years, I feel compelled to respond to Charles Silberman's article...
...Men and women who have served as educational directors for years are returning to school...
...Its celebration deserves a very special wine...
...I thank Charles Silberman and moment for raising these unpopular but exciting questions, questions which require the re-examination of our community's values...
...Using these methods, we attempt to bridge the cognitive and experiential needs of young Jewish people, and we believe that we have been extremely successful...
...Yes, we have a great challenge...
...Something new on a tour...
...All I can say to Mr...
...Maureen Rittenberg Sunnyvale, Calif...
...It's all the history of Jerusalem...
...Idealistic...
...He is obviously not familiar with any methodologies, such as confluent education or values clarification, which are used extensively by religious school educators and camp program staff members (and have been used for the last five years...
...That's a tradition, too...
...The unleavened bread is a trad it ion...
...His use of such terms as "authoritarianism in the classroom" could not be further from the truth...
...Silberman's point one step further, I have found that Jewish education somehow separated "being Jewish" from "being human...
...In order to connect with one's rich heritage, one must experience that heritage...
...It's a trip out to Massada...
...And my research, writing, and lecturing about secular education has taken me to college campuses in every part of the United States, where I have talked with Jewish students about their experiences with Jewish as well as secular education...
...Silberman that he join another congregation...
...As to the much maligned summer camps in Mr...
...One finds there purposeful sophistication in educational theory and practice along with dedication to serious Judaic textual scholarship and historiography, and lively activity within the Jewish community...
...I see many more kids turning away from Judaism than I see turning to it...
...Perhaps...
...This type of education would promote balanced, whole personalities, rather than intellectual, head-dominated Jews so often lamented by Jewish novelists...
...Silberman's son experienced...
...If only we would listen, if only we would hear . . ." If only Jewish educators would listen — to their own stridency and de-fensiveness, as well as to what their students are saying...
...1 suspect, therefore, that the sample on which I base my conclusions is considerably larger and more varied than that available to my critics...
...We do that by recreating situations such as life in the shtetl, a Chassidic wedding, the First Zionist Congress...
...If we indeed want to answer "Where are our children...
...Some of the horror stories in my essay, moreover, came from experiences my children (and my wife and I) have had with programs Ms...
...New York...
...Altogether, it's a chance to meet a cross-section of Jeru salem...
...I have long had the impression that every few weeks a directive goes out from Jerusalem, which in turn is relayed to Israeli consulates in America, and from there to major Jewish organizations...
...It is apparent as well that he has not been in a religious school classroom or a summer camp in the recent past...
...Why is it, he asked, that our most sacred prayer commands us not to believe but to listen, to hear...
...I would welcome Mr...
...Ira Teichman San Francisco, Cal...
...It's even a visit with Israelis from places like Cleveland...
...Because that is the most difficult thing of all," Buber answered...
...For as we all know, there is no shortage of discussion on all the major issues among the Israelis themselves...
...Yet for all of this, it doesn't cost any more than an ordinary tour...
...Silberman is, "Get with it...
...O Jerusalem is even a stop in Tel Aviv...
...and cof-ee, tea, or a camel ride with a Bedouin sheik...
...Rather than comprising a scary repetition of memorized prayers, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah could recognize the maturing process — maybe by helping the child see who he is as a person...
...Religious schools are dramatically changing...
...I am sorry to say that I, along with my classmates, was subjected to the type of Hebrew school education talked about in the article...
...Marcus's optimism might seem justified...
...And a private reception sponsored by the mayor...
...And an evening with Zev Vilnay, who wrote the bible SALEM...
...From the people who run the buses, to the people who runj the city...
...I know for a fact that this teacher was also able to reach a few of my classmates...
...For instance, each child, using his favorite medium, could create an essay — through word, photography, art, sport, or song — of who he is and what is important to him...
...ANISCHE W-Tt Produced and bolllcd under strict Rabbinical Supervision...
...The result is a party line, usually predictable, which insists that American Jews toe the mark with regard to Israel...
...In fact, all things considered, O Jerusalem isn't like f^TH any other tour of anywhere...
...Other kinds of dissenting views are a dime a dozen...
...It's Elijah's cup...
...Rachel's Tomb, the Dome of the Rock, and Bethlehem...
...as though moment, were, in fact, a serious magazine...
...Marcus cites as success models...
...So whether you've already been to Jerusalem, or you're coining for the first time, call us at El Al...
...I would rather substitute my own description of Jewish education in the mid-1970's as "erupting with energetic revitalization...
...I learned far more than I taught when I served as Scholar in Residence at a Jewish summer camp which draws youngsters from Latin America and Canada as well as northeastern, midwestern, and southern states of the United States...
...Kashruih Cerlilicale available upon request...
...No doubt Jewish education in America leaves a lot to be desired, but I would expect an article on the subject to be based on research...
...Investigate some of the programming that is going on in our schools such as kallot, the Beth El Chavurah Program in Great Neck, N.Y., and the family education projects that are being successfully initiated by many congregations...
...I place great stock in the judgments of my four sons and one daughter-in-law, but my case in no way rests on their experiences alone...
...Silberman entered into an area of discussion regarding Jewish religious schools, Jewish summer camps and the like, where it is clearly evident that he is not very knowledgeable...
...A case in point: I find it hard to believe that being taught only the "difficulties" of keeping the Sabbath is a common approach in teaching the Sabbath...
...It is no wonder so many of my peers (and I) have pursued Zen, spiritualism, and the personal growth movement for answers to questions of contemporary life and faith...
...Silberman's sweeping appraisal of Jewish education as a "disaster area...
...We all agree that Judaic education should inculcate feelings of love for our tradition, appreciation of the value and vibrancy of Jewish life, and awareness that Judaism is a living dialogue with God in each Jewish soul, between the people Israel, and with the Continued on page 8 The Passover Seder is a very special event in our lives...
...Prices start at s1039 for a 9 day stay that includes round-trip air fare from New York, Israeli breakfasts, 7 special meals, and a room in the new Jerusalem Hilton, or the Plaza...
...But to have just one child say to me, "It was pretty good today," makes the struggle worthwhile — for it is that child who may someday stand in my place and teach yet another generation...
...Get a reception you'll never forget...
...People...
...Marcus and Ms...
...I find it significant, though not surprising, that the students who chose to write to moment agreed with the main thrust of my argument, while the educators disagreed — often with considerable anger...
...I am quite sure that, perhaps with a few exceptions, this description does not fit any 1976 model...
...Or have your travel agent call us...
...It offers me a way out of an uncomfortable and increasingly pressing dilemma...
...11232 Letters—continued_ And finally, I would recommend to Mr...
...a/u/ Ma J/crtc?, ecu/ia//y invite yet/ tc a cftMail leceplicfi 6:00pm of Israeli guidebooks...
...I disagreed with Mark Heller's jaundiced view of Arab-Israeli dialogue, but his was a provocative and unexpected piece, and showed me another nice thing about moment: you do have a point of view, but you don't hit us over the head with it...
...I am 15 years old and in my second year at the Baltimore Hebrew College...
...One has only to read such publications as Compass, Alternatives in Religious Education, and Religious Education to find articles discussing both philosophical and tachlis matters...
...ISRAEL'S BONDS To the Editor: I am greatly heartened by Henry Siegman's article on American Jews and Israeli policy ("For Zion's Sake") which appeared in your January issue...
...DBe guided by the man who wrote the book...
...Programs such as those found at Hebrew Union College, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and elsewhere infuse energy and scholarship as well as a sense of humor and humanity into the profession...
...After hours...
...To carry Mr...
...Learn a little about the Confluent Education Project of the Hebrew Union College and the Melton Research Center of the Jewish Theological Seminary...
...Authoritarianism is fading, becoming replaced by administrators, teachers, and even rabbis who recognize that students must make their own choices as to whether to be a Jew or what kind oj a Jew to be...
...And it's also the people of Jerusalem...
...Mayo mention so approvingly played a significant role in that decision...
...We actively want to bring excitement and vitality to Jewish schools, and at the same time instill respect for the challenge that is inherent in Jewish study and Judaism itself...
...To the Editor: I am upset that you should publish Mr...
...And if one listens to the students themselves, as I have done, the picture is gloomier still...
Vol. 1 • April 1976 • No. 9
