The problem is that there is no centralized authority, every gvir just opens up his own school and sets the standards he wants. There is another large community (you probably know which one I am talking about) that doesn't have this problem, because they have relatively centralized rabbinic board and community schools with a priority of accepting everybody, while not lowering their standards. This is a much better system.
There are definitely communities that are able to handle the problems of kids getting left out better than Lakewood. But none of them have ever faced the kinds of crazy population pressures Lakewood is struggling with. It's possible to address and even overcome anything.
Good post! It's not a brand new story and is no different then what I had to deal with while my kids were attending schools. I got them into yeshivas and seminaries through connections.
The reason for the problem is that there is no national standard and no national education system. It's a disaster, but I don't see the shtetl mentality changing. You have to have money and connections while laughing and listening to lectures on emunah and bitochon. This is the reality of the frum life.
Although, in a way, the root of the problem is that we live with an *anti-shtetl* mentality. In other words, there's no kehila with authority to make and impose policies, so we're all at the mercy of the open market. And the market is at the mercy of some powerful financial and demographic forces.
True, but what I'd meant by the 'shtetl mentality' was the lack of national thinking and organization when the shtetl only exists for chassidic communities which ara a craddle to grave organizations for their memembers.
Well, the article is about school shortage in Lakewood. So if you make the invalid assumption that there aren't decent schools in Beth Shemesh, extrapolating that in passing to all of Israel which is bit far fetched, in order to avoid doing Alyah, then yes it's clearly an excuse.
Alyah does not solve any problem, you are totally right and culture schock is a reality, whether for children or adults, whether coming from the US or from europe.
But you have to understand that what you describe is also applicable to Israel. While there is no "perfect" mix of conditions it still does not justify staying in galuth when one can and therefore is obliged to make Alyah. All the more so when one can't provide a Torah education (and a expensive one if I'm not mistaken) without resorting to all kinds of schemes as you described.
It's about minimizing harm and learning to live with imperfection but in your real nation and land.
It's not an excuse. It's clarity. Like marriage, making aliya doesn't actually *solve* any problems. Both marriage and living in Israel are important mitzvos and can deliver life-changing benefits. But if a family has social, chinuch, or personal problems in חוץ לארץ, those problems will follow them wherever they go.
And I've known many, many families whose children reacted *very* badly to aliya. Finding the mix of schools, services, and career opportunities that's *perfect* for any one family will never happen no matter where they move. It's about minimizing harm and learning to live with imperfection.
That should definitely be a serious consideration. Although, as a friend involved in chinuch in Ramat Beit Shemesh (where some of my own grandchildren are in the system) just mentioned to me, it won't always be better there: "there are usually 32+ boys in a class" and "the beis yaakov's have 4 parallel classes of at least 40 girls each!" and that teachers often don't know the girls in their classes before Purim...
Getting education at this scale right is very hard.
The problem is that there is no centralized authority, every gvir just opens up his own school and sets the standards he wants. There is another large community (you probably know which one I am talking about) that doesn't have this problem, because they have relatively centralized rabbinic board and community schools with a priority of accepting everybody, while not lowering their standards. This is a much better system.
There are definitely communities that are able to handle the problems of kids getting left out better than Lakewood. But none of them have ever faced the kinds of crazy population pressures Lakewood is struggling with. It's possible to address and even overcome anything.
Except for simple mathematics.
Good post! It's not a brand new story and is no different then what I had to deal with while my kids were attending schools. I got them into yeshivas and seminaries through connections.
The reason for the problem is that there is no national standard and no national education system. It's a disaster, but I don't see the shtetl mentality changing. You have to have money and connections while laughing and listening to lectures on emunah and bitochon. This is the reality of the frum life.
Although, in a way, the root of the problem is that we live with an *anti-shtetl* mentality. In other words, there's no kehila with authority to make and impose policies, so we're all at the mercy of the open market. And the market is at the mercy of some powerful financial and demographic forces.
True, but what I'd meant by the 'shtetl mentality' was the lack of national thinking and organization when the shtetl only exists for chassidic communities which ara a craddle to grave organizations for their memembers.
Well, the article is about school shortage in Lakewood. So if you make the invalid assumption that there aren't decent schools in Beth Shemesh, extrapolating that in passing to all of Israel which is bit far fetched, in order to avoid doing Alyah, then yes it's clearly an excuse.
Alyah does not solve any problem, you are totally right and culture schock is a reality, whether for children or adults, whether coming from the US or from europe.
But you have to understand that what you describe is also applicable to Israel. While there is no "perfect" mix of conditions it still does not justify staying in galuth when one can and therefore is obliged to make Alyah. All the more so when one can't provide a Torah education (and a expensive one if I'm not mistaken) without resorting to all kinds of schemes as you described.
It's about minimizing harm and learning to live with imperfection but in your real nation and land.
https://youtu.be/DYvP9wINvR8?si=OA3CKQZ-kWTfTiDg
That can't be a serious excuse as there other places in Israel than Beth Shemesh and its surroundings to get a good religious education.
It's not an excuse. It's clarity. Like marriage, making aliya doesn't actually *solve* any problems. Both marriage and living in Israel are important mitzvos and can deliver life-changing benefits. But if a family has social, chinuch, or personal problems in חוץ לארץ, those problems will follow them wherever they go.
And I've known many, many families whose children reacted *very* badly to aliya. Finding the mix of schools, services, and career opportunities that's *perfect* for any one family will never happen no matter where they move. It's about minimizing harm and learning to live with imperfection.
Maybe the people in capacity to make Alyah should seriously consider and do so ?
That should definitely be a serious consideration. Although, as a friend involved in chinuch in Ramat Beit Shemesh (where some of my own grandchildren are in the system) just mentioned to me, it won't always be better there: "there are usually 32+ boys in a class" and "the beis yaakov's have 4 parallel classes of at least 40 girls each!" and that teachers often don't know the girls in their classes before Purim...
Getting education at this scale right is very hard.