Jewish Portal of Teacher Education

Source: RJ.org

Rabbi Micah Lapidus, Director of Judaic and Hebrew Studies at The Davis Academy in Atlanta, GA, shares his thoughts on what makes Jewish day schools unique and exceptional and asks his readers to add their thoughts.

His points:

• Jewish Time - Jewish day schools are the only institutions outside the State of Israel that allow families to live the rhythms of the Jewish calendar.
• Learning Community - One of the greatest misconceptions about schooling generally and Jewish day school in particular is that 'school is for kids.' Every dynamic Jewish K-12 learning institution understands that, while our primary mission is to educate children, we also educate parents, grandparents, faculty and staff.
• Community of Practice - Fact: Jewish day schools "see" their congregants (students) more in a given week than many other organizations see their congregants in a month or even a year. The sheer intensity of Jewish day school means that issues of Jewish practice are constantly being discussed and explored.
• Tikkun Olam - Only Jewish day schools have the ability to achieve this full integration of social action into the school experience.

See the entire post to fully appreciate Rabi Lapidus' views.