Opinion
X.
Dry Bones
D A S
Editorials are posted and archived on JNonline.us .
NOT VERY
CANCEL
THEIR PEACE
AGREEMENT
WITH ISRAEL
Editorial
Elevating Our Day Schools
ewish educators came with a zip
in their collective step from all
of Judaism's major streams to
ponder the state of Jewish day schools and
what can be done to improve them mark-
edly.
The religious diversity of the 625 attend-
ees punctuated the potential of the North
American Jewish Day School Conference
held in early February. The organiza-
tional cosponsors represent Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform and pluralistic
schools. The trans-denominational nature
of the gathering provided a rare chance for
day school leaders to study, reflect, discuss
and learn. Hillel Day School in Farmington
Hills, Frankel Jewish Academy in West
Bloomfield and Akiva Hebrew Day School
in Southfield all were represented.
By all accounts, it was a very popular
conference though only in its second year.
The Jewish world knows all too well the
financial challenges especially confronting
our day schools, seen by many Jews at all
levels of observance as a pillar of Jewish
identity building.
"We all want our kids to develop the
skills and the disposition and the infor-
mation base and the relationships and
experiences that will help them go on to
live active Jewish lives:' Marc Kramer, the
Jewish Community Day School Network
executive director, said as reported by the
j
Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. "And
the fact some of our schools have differ-
ent visions of exactly how that might look
doesn't change the fact that we all have to
do this together."
Head of School Steve Freedman said
the forum validated Hillel Day School
of Metropolitan Detroit's 2008 move to
become a Jewish community day school."It
is ultimately better for the Jewish commu-
nity when all Jews find ways to respect each
other and where possible work together."
Jewish day school students number
220,000 in 800 Jewish day schools across
North America. About a quarter of those
schools were represented at the Feb. 6-8
conference, which proved a high-octane
idea exchange of tough challenges and
top practices. Three days certainly isn't
enough time to dissect such hot-button
issues as integrating technology into the
classroom, better serving special needs
students and creating sustainable cost
models amid less-expensive options such
as Hebrew charter schools, home-school-
ing and online courses. No one left with all
the answers; but with regular and mean-
ingful follow-up, many of the challenges
can be addressed over the long haul.
There was debate about whether Jewish
education as a profession is still in its
infancy or already an emergent field.
Freedman is right: "Some of the most
progressive and
innovative educators
in this country lead
Jewish day schools.
And some of the best
independent schools
in America are Jewish
day schools."
Of course, other
Jewish day schools are
fighting enrollment,
tuition, scholarship,
development and
endowment hurdles
— their degree of
professionalism not-
withstanding.
Part of the debate
was driven by the
fact that the range
of Jewish education
— from Orthodox to
pluralistic — is so vast. For the conference
to succeed, it must create the climate for
one field of Jewish education, not divisive
sub-fields tied to the different streams.
Supportive schools, meanwhile, must
build on the sense of professionalism all
have to one degree or another by striving
toward well-developed professional struc-
tures and strategic boards. The intent is to
inspire dynamic, flexible educational set-
tings that compete earnestly with the best
www-Arylmassiles.com
surrounding private schools — with the
bonus of an exceptional Jewish education.
The seven Detroit Jewish community
day schools are a microcosm of what's
happening nationally. Each has positives,
weaknesses and a long list of challenges.
The strength of their institutional infra-
structure and human spirit — along
with how much the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit reasonably can invest
in them — ultimately will dictate how
successfully they will compete. I
Egypt's Chance To Reinvent Itself
Philadelphia
I
f developments in Egypt have gone
as well as one could hope for, future
prospects remain unclear. The exciting
part is over, now come the worries.
Let's start with three pieces of good
news: Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's strongman
who appeared on the brink of foment-
ing disaster, fortunately resigned. The
Islamists, who would push Egypt in the
direction of Iran, had little role in recent
events and remain distant from power.
And the military, which has ruled Egypt
from behind-the-scenes since 1952, is the
institution best equipped to adapt the gov-
ernment to the protestors' demands.
Now, for the problems. The military
itself represents the lesser problem. In
charge for six decades, it has made a
mess of things. Tarek Osman, an Egyptian
writer, eloquently demonstrates in a new
book, Egypt on the Brink: From Nasser to
Mubarak (Yale University Press), how pre-
cipitously Egypt's standing has declined.
ference." In a bitter appraisal,
Whatever index one chooses,
Mubarak himself focused on this
from standard of living to
same danger: "We see the democ-
soft-power influence, Egypt
racy the United States spear-
today lags behind its monar-
headed in Iran and with Hamas,
chical predecessor. Osman
in Gaza, and that's the fate of the
contrasts the worldly Cairo
Middle East ... extremism and
of the 1950s to the "crowded,
radical Islam."
classic third-world city" of
For its part, the U.S. admin-
today. He also despairs how
istration naively expressed no
the country "that was a bea-
such concerns. President Barack
Daniel Pipes
con of tranquility ... has
Obama downplayed the threat of
Special
turned into the Middle East's
the
Muslim Brotherhood, call-
Commentary
most productive breeding
ing
it but "one faction in Egypt','
ground of aggression."
while
his
director
of national intelligence,
The Muslim Brotherhood represents
James
Clapper,
actually
praised the broth-
the larger problem. Founded in 1928,
erhood
as
"a
very
heterogeneous
group,
the world's leading Islamist organization
largely
secular,
which
has
eschewed
vio-
has long avoided confrontation with the
lence"
and
pursues
"a
betterment
of
the
government and shies from revealing its
political
order
in
Egypt."
ambition to carry out an Islamic revolu-
This nonsense points to a U.S. policy
tion in Egypt. Iran's President Mahmoud
in
deep disarray. In June 2009, during
Ahmadinejad articulated this hope for it
a
would-be
revolution against a hostile
when he claimed that due to developments
regime
in
Iran,
the Obama administra-
in Egypt, "a new Middle East is emerging
tion
stayed
mum,
hoping thereby to win
without the Zionist regime and U.S. inter-
Tehran's goodwill. But with Mubarak, a
friendly dictator under assault, it effec-
tively adopted President George W. Bush's
impatient "freedom agenda" and sup-
ported the opposition. Obama seemingly
encourages street demonstrators only
against our side.
American pressure, steady and gradual,
recognizing that the democratization pro-
cess implies a vast transformation of soci-
ety and requires not months but decades,
is needed to open the system.
What next for Egypt; and will the
Muslim Brotherhood take over?
Something remarkable, unpredictable
and unprecedented took place in recent
weeks on Egyptian streets. A leaderless
mass movement galvanized large numbers
of ordinary citizens, as in Tunisia days
earlier. It did not rage against foreign-
ers, scapegoat minority Egyptians, nor
endorse a radical ideology; instead, it
demanded accountability, liberty and
prosperity. Reports reaching me from
Cairo suggest a historic turn toward
Reinvent on page 28
IN
February 24 • 2011
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