■•■ •=1, Editor's Letter {— Ni a rc 4 Emboldened Opportunity L earning is a core root of the American Jewish land- scape. We nurture it in so many ways. One of the new- est concepts is the Hebrew-language charter school funded by taxpayers. The idea isn't new, but it gained traction when Jewish America's most provocative mega-philanthropist lent his financial s upport recently. The immediate prevailing concern was whether Conservative dayschools would bear the brunt of the effect should a national network of publicly funded Hebrew-language schools, which aren't Jewish schools, catch on. At issue is an application to open the Hebrew Language Academy Charter School in a district of south Brooklyn by fall 2009. A coalition of investors, with the backing of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life headed by New Yorker Michael Steinhardt, filed the application June 4 with the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Board of Regents, acOrding to the Forward. Key is the intent to have a secular elemen- tary-school curriculum where modern Hebrew is taught and spoken, although not exclusively. Classes would include a focus on Israeli his- tory, culture and society and those who use the Hebrew language: Israeli citizens and diaspora Jews. The-cur- riculum would have to meet New York charter school standards. Though Israel's language and culture would be central to its curriculum, the school would not be Zionist. Nor would it offer religious studies like Torah or talmudic study, thus assuring compliance with federal law separating church and state. Jewish holidays might be studied culturally, but not observed. The K - 5 school would be open to all, initially with kinder- garten and first grade. It would add a grade each year until attaining 450 students. News accounts describe the neighbor- hood as ethnically rich. It includes Orthodox families, Russian and Israeli Jewish immigrants and other ethnic groups; some of the kids are educationally at risk. _ language charter schools as a better option than Jewish day schools; they're not in terms of straight-line learning for Jews. But charter schools are taxpayer funded, making them instantly more attractive to middle-class families, Jewish or not, who have opted out of the local public school system. Funding is always a charter-school issue. In the case of the Hebrew Language Academy Charter School, the city and state would provide most of the funding. It's likely the Steinhardt Foundation and other private fenders wooed by Steinhardt would supplement that. I'll leave to the courts the overriding question of whether culture- and language-oriented charter schools are legal. I wonder if it's possible to teach Hebrew and Israeli cul- ture void of religious context given their inextricable link to Judaism. I also wonder about continued dilution of our public schools. I think about the role of U.S. public schools in general and their historic importance as ladders for Jews to reach the American dream. Day School Competition Further, the impact on Conservative day schools remains to be seen. The movement is undergoing a metamorphosis in thinking and practice to prevent continued erosion of followers to the growing Reform and Orthodox move- ments. It's proper to worry about Hebrew -language charter schools encroaching on the traditional and more expen- sive turf of Solomon Schechter schools. Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills, which just marked its 50th anniversary, is relatively strong and stable despite the rising tuition. The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and a vibrant support base have helped achieve that result through increased scholarships. But the fear that Schechter schools with less philanthropic muscle behind them could lose ground to an upstart Hebrew-language charter school is legitimate. Conservative day school enrollment is down 12 percent over the last six years, the Forward reported. Still, the confluence of religion, identity, culture, Israel and secular studies give day schools an edge in breadth of learning oppor- tunity over Hebrew-language charter schools. Before there's a stampede toward Hebrew-language charter schools, I hope the trend is evaluated. Who do such schools attract? Why do students stay or leave? How many graduates continue with Hebrew studies? Moreover, benchmarks should be set to determine if the overall Jewish identity of charter-school students is somehow enhanced; my guess is that such bench- marks would reinforce justification for Jewish day schools. Only then could we measure the impact of Hebrew-language charter schools and position them on the ever-changing land- scape of Jewish America. ❑ My big concern is marketing Hebrew- language charter schools as a better option than Jewish day schools. No Panacea Steinhardt is chairman of Southfield-based Jewish Renaissance Media, which owns the Detroit Jewish News. He once was a Jewish day school proponent. He now sees Hebrew-language charter schools as a more inclusive, more affordable means to exposing the language and culture of Israel to kids of all religious and ethnic backgrounds. The Steinhardt-backed Brooklyn school would be the nation's second Hebrew-language charter school. The first, Ben Gamla Hebrew Charter School, opened under a cloud of debate last August in Hollywood, Fla. It is headed by an Orthodox rabbi and serves kosher meals. Such schools are fraught with red flags although I agree with Steinhardt: To reject them without considering their potential is foolhardy. My big concern is marketing Hebrew- 0 C` Can Hebrew-language charter schools G N La help stave off total assimilation? I— p Z z How should Jewish day schools respond 0 0 to this new competitive challenge? a. 0- We take Tributes 'personally'. Personal Greetings Every Card Uniquely Yours Personal Service One Day Processing Personal Attention Customized Special Occasion Tributes Helping People with Disabilities Be Included in The Community — All Through Their Lives jam 248.538.6611 FAX 248.538.6615 ONLINE: wwvvjarcorg 30301 Northwestern • Suite 100 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 1347350 June 19 • 2008 A5