Are Jewish Schools Just for Jews?

A few years ago, I was considering sending my youngest son to private school. The schools in our county weren’t great in the first place, and we’d had pretty extensive problems when my older son attended the public school in our neighborhood. My mother asked if I would consider sending him to a Christian school, and I immediately fired back that if I sent him to a religious school at all, it would be a Jewish one. But we’re not Jewish. We’re not in the process of converting. We’re not even thinking about converting (much to the dismay of my rabbi, I’m sure). And before you say, “But non-Catholics go to Catholic schools all the time!” I want to say that it’s not quite the same thing — sending your non-Catholic-but-still-Christian child to a Catholic school would be something like sending your Reform-raised child to a Conservative school. Same ideas, slightly different presentation. It seems, however, that I’m not the only non-Jew who would consider sending their child to a Jewish day school.

Admittedly, I’m a little biased. I was one of the few gentiles in my Jewish Studies Masters program, and I loved (almost) every minute of it. But what’s the appeal of a Jewish school to a church-going family in Ohio? First, it’s a greater chance for individualized attention for each student. Of course, that’s something you generally get in most private schools, so that doesn’t entirely answer the question. There’s a multi-cultural/multi-religious aspect, but you could also find that in public schools. Technically, at least, since religion is supposed to be kept out of the classroom. There’s also the perception of high-quality education; Jews are still known for being doctors and lawyers, and a lot of people hear “People of the Book” and think of ivy league universities. I personally suspect that this last idea is the biggest draw.

And what’s in it for the schools themselves? Numbers and money, obviously, is the first answer. As more and more Jews intermarry and integrate into secular society, congregational numbers dwindle, and day school numbers face the same problem. And if day schools can be bolstered in small communities, it can help prevent the religious version of “brain drain” — either by keeping young Jews in the religious fold or by keeping them in the geographic fold, even if they later decide to be less observant. The multi-culturalism isn’t a bad thing, either. The more experience children have dealing with people of different social, religious, and cultural backgrounds, the better prepared they are to enter the workforce.

But there are potential pitfalls, as well. Holiday observances immediately become more problematic. The usually-prized mutli-culturalism could, in theory, lead to secularization if a Jewish and non-Jewish student decide to date. How would teachers handle the tricky questions of Jesus and Moshiach? In the words of one school leader, “We are cognizant of what many term the ‘tipping point.’ [...] At what point does an increasing percentage of non-Jewish students in the school lead to a school that doesn’t feel Jewish?” So, is it better to dilute the message and original purpose of Jewish day schools in order to stay afloat and pass on as much Jewishness as they can, or should they cling to their principles and risk going down with the ship?

How niche is too niche?

A few weeks ago, the Jewish Museum of Maryland posted a link to this article, which discusses the plethora of Jewish museums that are popping up across the world. The author doesn’t really question the importance of Jewish museums as a whole, but she brings up a valid point about using a limited pool of resources to build a museum dedicated to Jews born on January 8, 1789 who are also named Henry. (That’s a totally fabricated museum, of course, but some of the sites mentioned in the article are only slightly less specific, like the Little Synagogue on the Prairie.) So just how niche is too niche? How much do you need to consider the other projects that will fall by the wayside if you fund the niche project? What happens when the saturation point is reached (if it hasn’t been already)?

These are all valid questions, and more so, I think that they apply to the community of Jewish organizations as a whole. And yes, I’m writing this as someone who has worked both for a Jewish museum and as a current employee of a Jewish non-profit. I see the dichotomy; I do. What is it about each of our organizations that make us special? What do we provide to the community that the organization down the block doesn’t? And which of us is more “worthy” of your money? When we’re all pushing and pushing to raise money, at what point do we sit back and focus on what we actually have to offer?

I realize that I’ve done nothing but raise questions that have no easy answer. Maybe they don’t even have answers at all. But I think that we should all use this as an opportunity to look our organizations and agencies and non-profits in an honest assessment of what we provide to our communities and what we need to do in the future in order to stay vital to our constituents.

Can Pigs Be Kosher?

Maybe you saw the episode of Grey’s Anatomy where an Orthodox girl needs to have a valve replaced in her heart. She’s told that the best option is a cross-species transplant. From a pig. Drama ensues, and the staff scrambles to save her life in a way acceptable to her.

Using porcine products to treat humans is actually fairly common. It’s been done with insulin as a treatment for diabetes and, as Grey’s Anatomy portrayed, in heart surgery. While the statement that humans and pigs share 98% of their genetic material should be taken with a grain of salt, the primary hurdle in pig-to-human transplants is just one pesky gene, albeit one that causes a significant immune system response in humans. That can be accounted for by suppressing the porcine gene that causes the poor reaction in humans, but scientists are trying to take it a step further by attempting to create animals that are able to produce the internal organs of a totally different species.

Yes. You read that correctly. Human stem cells may, in the not so distant future, be implanted into pigs in order to grow replacement organs for the human stem cell donors. The article states that it wouldn’t be a quick fix (if it even passes trials, which have yet to start), so it would most likely be used for patients whose health issues can be managed, at least temporarily, with non-transplant procedures like dialysis.

But to bring it all back around to the Grey’s Anatomy episode, would a human organ grown in a pig be kosher? Depending on who you ask, a non-Jewish surrogate mother produces a non-Jewish baby, even if the sperm and eggs come from Jewish parents. The fruit produced by grafting a young (not-yet-kosher) branch onto an old tree is considered as fruit of the old tree, because that was where it received its nourishment. So would a human organ grown in and nourished by a pig’s body be kosher? Would the mandate to preserve life take precedence? Halachic issues aside, would ultra-Orthodox or uber-observant Jews themselves be okay with it?

The Nation’s Synagogue is also the nation’s first officially certified green synagogue

Earlier this week, Ohev Sholom was the first synagogue to be a recipient of the EPA’s Energy Star certification – the 16 other similarly ranked religious institutions are all churches. “‘This is the sort of distinction or bragging rights that means they are walking the talk,’ says Jerry Lawson, EPA’s national manager for Energy Star small business and congregation networks. ‘They are practicing the energy stewardship that the faith tradition really teaches.’” (Article here.)

But what does that star mean? According to the Energy Star website: “To qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a building or manufacturing plant must earn a 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 energy performance scale, indicating that the facility performs better than at least 75% of similar buildings nationwide. The ENERGY STAR energy performance scale accounts for differences in operating conditions, regional weather data, and other important considerations.”

Good news for the environment, obviously. But also good news for the shul. By spending just under $400 to change their 17 incandescent exit signs to signs that utilize LEDs, they’ll save over $10,000 in energy expenses over the lifetime of the new signs.

All that being said, does this have anything to do with Judaism? Absolutely. It’s responsible stewardship of everything that God has given to us. It’s tikkun olam and bal tashchit. It’s even following the teachings of Hillel by not doing unto others things we wouldn’t want them to do unto us. (Yes, it’s a little clunky to say or write, but just think about it for a minute. Then go out and change your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents.)

Why was this seder different from all other seders?

Well, maybe because it wasn’t a seder at all. Most people (outside the realm of biblical scholarship, at least) think Jesus Christ’s last meal was a seder. But even the gospels don’t agree on the story. Matthew, Mark, and Luke (also known as the synoptic gospels*) mention the Passover meal, but John says that Jesus was killed before Passover began, on the day when the Passover sacrifice was offered. And interestingly, if you look at the Hebrew provided in in the original post, the word “מצה” (unleavened bread) is not found in the account provided from Matthew; instead, we see “לחם” (bread) in verse 22. And really, could it have been a Passover celebration without unleavened bread?

And now you have a fifth question to discuss at your seder table next week.

חג פסח שמח

*Synoptic, according to the second definition listed by dictionary.com states: “taking a common view: used chiefly in reference to the first three Gospels (synoptic Gospels), Matthew, Mark, and Luke, from their similarity in content, order, and statement.”

(Here’s the post I read first, which was tweeted by Jewish Ideas Daily.)

Israel & Medical Aid

During three of the most recent major disasters – Haiti, New Zealand, and Japan – Israel has offered medical aid to the troubled countries, and they are often the first international responders to set up field hospitals.

But why? Israel’s ambassador to Japan, Nissim Ben Shitrit, said he was not sure why Israel was the first to establish a field hospital, but suspected it had something to do with the vast experience of Israeli rescue and aid teams in dealing with such situations.

This article describes the Israeli field hospital that was set up during the humanitarian crisis in Kosovo in 1999. Although it was a different type of disaster, it will give you a better idea of the speed and ability with which the hospital was deployed and the high level of organization and prioritization necessary to ensure proper treatment for each patient.

Finally, there’s also a tenant in Judaism which we can apply to Israel’s willingness to send immediate medical aid to countries undergoing humanitarian and environmental crises. It states that whomever saves a life saves the whole world. “Every individual will never come again.” – Rabbi Dr. Barry Freundel (Listen to “Dying a Beautiful Death” here.)

Is Judaism Still Relevant?

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the relevancy of institutionalized Judaism – especially the more liberal Conservative and Reform branches. With the growth of indie minyanim (Mechon Hadar is probably the best known at this point, though it’s more than a minyan), online Jewish communities (like Punk Torah, who caters to the online community and those interested in DIY Judaism), and the number of young, unaffiliated Jews, it’s a valid question. But should the Chosen People take advice from a Mormon?

“I am occasionally asked what the essence of Mormonism is. I always answer that it is the “still small voice” that came to Elijah on the mountain. While Mormons appreciate articulate, learned speakers, the most popular speakers and teachers in the LDS community are those who are able to touch people spiritually while informing them.”

With advice like that? Maybe so. Either way, it’s an interesting article and worth a read.

Mikveh Complex in Balto Might Be Oldest in US

From the Baltimore Sun article (dated February 13, 2001):

“Archaeologists peeling back layers of history beneath the historic Lloyd Street Synagogue in East Baltimore have uncovered what is believed to be the oldest Jewish ritual bath complex in the United States.

Hints of the presence of the 1845 bath, or “mikveh,” were first detected during excavations in 2001. But further digging this winter has revealed about a quarter of a five-foot-deep wooden tub, and linked it to a related cistern found in 2008, and to remains of a brick hearth once used to warm the bath’s water.”

See pictures of the cistern mentioned in the article here at the Jewish Museum of Maryland’s website.

Drawing on Tradition: Megillat Esther

Full disclosure, I know JT. I worked at the Jewish Museum of Maryland when this show was on display there. So take it from one who knows, you won’t find a more personable, interesting, talented guy at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue – where both JT and his fabulous art will be appearing – on March 11. If you can’t make it on March 11, artwork from Megillat Esther will be on display February 25 – April 29 (yes, just in time for Purim).

New Podcasts Are Up!

We know that not everyone can make it to every lecture, so we do our best to bring the lectures to you with our podcasts. The two newest recordings are Dr. Michael Brenner’s Prophets of the Past (on Jewish historiography) and Dr. Jacques Berlinerblau’s Can the Jewish People Survive as Secularists? (on the different ways in which the term “secular Judaism” can be interpreted).

Listening on the go? We’re also on iTunes. We also post handouts, .pdfs of PowerPoints used in-class, videos, and preparatory readings website.