Day Schools Essential

We could not agree more with the Opinion column by Charles Bronfman “Feeding Today While Nurturing Tomorrow” (Oct. 30).

The success and impact that Birthright Israel has had reflects the very best kind of strategic investment in our Jewish future.

The “spirit of partnership and cooperation” that Bronfman identifies in support of Birthright Israel is one that we observe similarly as more and more community leaders and federations invest in the future viability of Jewish day school education. Even in a challenging economic environment, visionary federation leaders like John Ruskay and the others cited by Bronfman are heeding the lessons of the past and expanding their support of Jewish education in creative and diverse ways.

Bronfman describes the mission of Birthright Israel as “stimulating an exploration of Jewish identity; creating a relationship with the Jewish people; and building a connection to Israel. Put more succinctly: building a healthy and vibrant future for the Jewish community.”

Much the same could be said of the more than 800 day schools throughout North America. We at PEJE believe that day schools are essential for fostering an engaged Jewish people for an enduring future. Like the Birthright Israel alumni, the more than 200,000 students currently in day schools and the hundreds of thousands of day school graduates are a winning investment for a solid Jewish future.

Rabbi Josh Elkin,
Executive Director, Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education
Deborah Cogen Swartz,
Board Chair

E-mail: Gary@jewishweek.org

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Westchester Jewish Conference

Westchester’s Jewish Community Relations Organization