35
votes
Why don't most American orthodox Jews send their kids to public school?
I graduated from public school. My comments are not a result of the caliber of the education or even the environment - my school won national competitions in academic competitions, and was a very ...
- 57.3k
23
votes
Why don't most American orthodox Jews send their kids to public school?
I write as an Orthodox Jew, a parent and a teacher. The answer is both simple and complex.
First, the money. Yes, public school is cheaper. Can't get around that.
Next however is the contention that ...
- 36.5k
16
votes
Why don't most American orthodox Jews send their kids to public school?
The child attending public school knows that his attendance is
compulsory, because his parents and the government consider his
education of the utmost importance. Together with this comes the
...
- 1,092
10
votes
Can too many decorations render a sukkah invalid?
Even if there's a decoration that completely covers the schach, if it's placed there merely for decoration, than it isn't a problem, provided that the decorations are within 4 tefachim of the schach (...
- 21.4k
10
votes
How do you explain tzniut to a little girl?
"What is the best way to explain the concept of tzniut to a very young (say first grade) girl without explaining sexuality?"
The same way you would explain the concept to anybody else: ...
- 95.1k
9
votes
Why don't most American orthodox Jews send their kids to public school?
Although America is a much more religious country than other developed Western democracies, the typical social atmosphere among young Americans is extremely secular and often anti-religious. Most of ...
- 4,091
9
votes
9
votes
What texts are studied in a traditional yeshiva?
In Yeshivat Chachmei Lublin by Dovid Avraham Mandelbaum p. 322 we are given the daily schedule of the yeshiva, from which we can see what texts were studied:
My English rendering:
6:00 AM – Wakeup
7:...
- 47.8k
9
votes
Rav S.R. Hirsch and fairy tales
You may want to check this reference to vol 3, p.263 on regard chanuka:
Teach the jewish chanuka, don't feed the child with fairy tales. It
does not beguile childhood and youth with the notions ...
- 6,662
8
votes
Hitting your child as a disciplinary/educational measure - modern opinions
Rav Shlome Wolbe in his sefer זריעה ובניין בחינוך pg. 24 writes, that we do not hit anymore, because of lifnei iver the son might hit back, even at a young age and it also can ruin a relationship.
...
- 39.5k
8
votes
Hitting your child as a disciplinary/educational measure - modern opinions
Rav Yaakov Weinberg, speaking about חושך שבטו שונא בנו (one who spares the rod hates his child), said that this needs to be understood with the caveat that the "rod" means whatever will be effective ...
- 57.3k
8
votes
What is the halacha regarding the expulsion of a student deemed a "nuisance student"?
This is indeed a serious issue and has been discussed by many rabbonim. There have been a number of articles on this. Here are a few.
Jerusalem - R’ Ovadia Yosef: It Is Forbidden To Expel Children ...
- 41.8k
8
votes
Where can I find Rav Kook's writing of this?
I have asked this question to R Moishe Bane, the president of the OU, and he responded
Thanks for the interest. I came across Rav Kook’s thought in an essay
of his that I read in a rabbi’s home ...
- 43.3k
7
votes
Jewish Books on Education
My suggestions are:
Planting & Building in Education: Raising a Jewish Child Hardcover
by Shlomo Wolbe
extract from the Amazon blurb,
“The author is one of the foremost spiritual leaders of ...
- 45.6k
7
votes
Accepted
How were girls educated during the Talmudic era?
Women's Torah education in Judaism has been the subject of debate from Mishnaic times right down to the present day.
As the Mishnaic and Talmudic literature are primarily legal texts, they are more ...
- 47.8k
7
votes
High School Math in the Talmud
The gemara (Y'vamos 82b) discusses iteratively replacing mikva water with fruit juice.1 The case involves adding one se'ah of fruit juice to a 40 se'ah mikva, and then removing one se'ah of the ...
- 16.2k
7
votes
What is the halacha regarding the expulsion of a student deemed a "nuisance student"?
HaRav Eliyahu Mansour just touched on this topic in his derashah on Parashat Noahh 5775 (link):
The Hazon Ish (Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1878-1953) cautioned that in our times, the decision to ...
- 7,343
7
votes
Does a teacher have to ask forgiveness for embarrassing a student after scolding him?
Rambam, laws of Torah Teaching, Chapter 4:
ד,ז [ה] לא יהיה התלמיד בוש מחבריו שלמדו מפעם ראשונה או שנייה, והוא לא למד אלא אחר כמה פעמים: שאם נתבייש מדבר זה--נמצא נכנס ויוצא לבית המדרש, והוא אינו ...
- 126k
7
votes
Online Safrut Courses
I just saw your question and wanted to let you know there is an online safrut course starting on November 15th. All the information can be found here:
http://mastery.webyeshiva.org/safrut-...
- 81
7
votes
What texts are studied in a traditional yeshiva?
Generally, the Classic Lithuanian Yeshiva is focused on those tractates that provide ample area for "Lomdus"/"Iyun" - "Analyses: (Shabbos), Sukka, Psachim, Yevamos, Kesubos, Nedarim, Gittin, Kiddushin,...
7
votes
Accepted
Does the Rambam Contradict Yirmiyahu 18 on Prophecy?
The Rambam knew the pasuk in Yirmeyahu. Just because one has a question based on a plain-text interpretation of a verse, that doesn't mean that people should stop teaching the Rambam. There are many ...
- 19.9k
7
votes
What should someone tell a 10 year-old who wants to be “ Frum” and daven with a minyan while we have coronavirus?
Welcome and thanks for the question. I would suggest you quote the Psak Halachah from HoRav Hershel Schachter shlit”a.
The mitzvah to safeguard and preserve life overrides all mitzvos
haTorah. ...
- 45.6k
7
votes
Rav S.R. Hirsch and fairy tales
I checked the index in volume 9 and found a few places where Rabbi Hirsch denigrated fairytales.
All are found in volume 7.
Pages 113-114, 329, 376, 383-384.
None of the objections, as far as I ...
- 32.2k
6
votes
High School Math in the Talmud
A couple examples from Eruvin come to mind:
Eruvin 14a brings proof that for halachic matters, pi = 3, and then continues to explain the dimensions of Solomon's pool. This contains some prealgebra ...
- 22.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Shul, Children and Chinuch
This is from the Mishna Brurah 98:3 who quotes the Shla Hakodosh:
ג) בניו הקטנים - בשל"ה קורא תגר על המביאים ילדים לבהכ"נ והיינו קטנים שעדיין לא הגיעו לחינוך מטעם כי הילדים משחקים ומרקדים בבהכ"נ ...
- 39.5k
6
votes
Are there any crafts permitted to do on Shabbat?
Shabbos laws can be very complicated and many activities that might seem innocent enough superficially can be potentially problematic, at a Rabbinic (d'rabanan), or even at a biblical level (d'orayta),...
- 17.2k
5
votes
How to make Torah learning inspiring
B"H
If Torah is alive for you, your students will be enthused. If you teach by rote, if Torah isn't an integral part of your being but an appendage, children (and teens and adult students as well) ...
- 51
5
votes
How to teach tefilla to small children in a way that makes it meaningful?
Songs have helped me, and the children like to catch on to the words. Also teaching them a little about what we are saying in the tefilla, in a way they will understand.
- 51
5
votes
Can a man fulfill his mitzvah of Talmud Torah through his sons?
Rambam Hilchos Talmud Torah
Halacha 4
If a person wants to study Torah and he has a son whom he should teach
Torah, his [study] takes priority over [that of] his son. If his son
is wiser and a ...
- 482
5
votes
Accepted
Should one make a bracha on food if only a child is eating?
The Shulchan Aruch allows one to recite a b'rocha on behalf of a child:
אורח חיים קסז/יט
מי שאינו אוכל אינו יכול לברך ברכת המוציא להוציא האוכלים אבל לקטנים יכול לברך אף על פי שאינו אוכל עמהם כדי ...
- 741
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