I often write or speak about the impact Jewish day school and yeshiva education has on the broader North American Jewish community.
On a macro level, day schools make a tremendous difference in and for Jewish communities. We know about this from numerous studies, including Keren Keshet’s 2021 report “The Jewish Education of Today’s Jewish Leadership.”
Not surprisingly, many of today’s Jewish communal leaders are day school graduates. Among younger Jewish leaders, the proportion of those who attended day schools rises dramatically. The vision for Jewishly educated lay and professional leadership – which was aspirational even a generation ago – is being fulfilled today thanks considerably to deep, immersive experiences of Jewish day schools, frequently combined with Jewish camps.
Day schools function as an anchor institution, attracting parents and communal professionals who seek robust educational options for their own children. In communities both small and large, those responding to the desires of their leaders for excellent full-time Jewish education are positioned to thrive. Communities that maintain strong schools signal their deep commitment to and significant investment in a strong Jewish future.
We have also witnessed the role day school alumni play in taking on the mantle of leadership soon after graduation. Theirs are the student voices supporting Israel and leading Jewish life on campus; they are the camp counselors passing on their love of Judaism, uniquely positioned to lead with knowledge, authenticity, and joy. Our community is stronger because of day school graduates.
The effects of day schools
The same can be said on the micro level.
Just as day schools have an effect on the broader community, so do they make a considerable impact on the families of those students, often across generations, in a kind of ripple effect. This is clear to me both from what I have witnessed across North America in the 10 years since I joined Prizmah as well as from my own personal experience.
This “ripple effect” explains part of what we observed in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic. New families enrolled their children in day schools primarily for the in-person nature of the schools, as opposed to the remote learning that took place in many public schools well into the 2020-2021 school year.
We know from Prizmah research that these families had decided not to send their children to Jewish day schools pre-COVID for familiar reasons – from affordability to perceived quality. Being immersed in our schools, they fell in love, appreciating the holistic value of the experience and overcoming their preconceptions. The families re-enrolled even after pandemic restrictions eased, and 70% remained more than three years later. They were hooked – for their children and for themselves.
Similarly, the “surge” of interest in Jewish life following October 7 led more parents to consider full-time Jewish environments. Choosing a school for your child is a major, long-term decision, different than many of the immediate choices to “show up” post-October 7. We are experiencing growing interest and enrollment, which builds as a wave that reverberates over years, bringing lasting, multigenerational impact.
Something happens to families when their children experience Jewish day school. They connect with friends who share similar values, develop relationships with faculty and administrators who see not only the “whole child” but the whole family, and gain access to a caring Jewish communal structure. Parents come to appreciate the value of full-time Jewish education, not only for their children but also for what it does to themselves as individuals and to their family.
Finding a wealth of Judaism
In my own family, choosing day school had a profound impact on my parents. My mother, who came from a secular background, recognized that there was a wealth of Jewish wisdom and experiences that she lacked. Marrying my father, who was raised in a traditional Jewish home, she knew she would be raising a family with rituals and beliefs that she had not experienced. She saw day school as an important partner for herself in this mission.
In England in the 2000s, a time when Jewish day school enrollment grew rapidly, a new set of digital resources emerged, called “The Jewish Way of Life.” It offered access to basic Jewish rituals, history, and traditions specifically for adults, a response to the growing appetite among parents to expand their Jewish knowledge. This emerged as a direct result of the experiences and passion their children brought home from day school, which motivated assimilated parents to “keep up” and learn for themselves.
Today, we know that many parents of day schoolers are active participants in the life of their children’s schools. Schools nourish a vibrant community of adult learners and of parents from many backgrounds who find in their schools a meaningful Jewish home and base.
The macro and micro impact of Jewish day schools continues to grow. Estimates put the number of living day school graduates in North America at close to a million. And with the impact of the ripple effect, we can be grateful to see the fingerprints of our schools across thousands of communities and a multitude of generations.
The writer is CEO of Prizmah, the network for Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America.