Letter to the Editor: In Praise of the Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore’s Curriculum Integration

Jun 5, 2018 by Susan Rosenbluth

On Friday, April 20, the Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore (YJS), an elementary and middle school based in Deal, NJ, announced it will not reopen in September 2018. While this was devastating news for many parents and students (and there is still a chance the closure will be reversed), I believe that, whatever the final fate of YJS, its legacy, its unique methodology of “integration,” should be kept alive.

At YJS, the curriculum was based on the notion that the Modern-Orthodox Jewish community should strive to integrate Judaic and secular education and apply what is learned in the classroom to situations that arise in everyday life.

For me, a prime example was an assignment given in Chumash (The Five Books of Moses) when the class was learning about the plight of the Jewish people as slaves in Mitzraim (Egypt). We were instructed to keep a journal in which, after reading a few psukim (verses), we would write entries from the perspective of either a Jew or an Egyptian. The task prompted me to consider the way ordinary people would have faced life and to empathize with them. Not only did it help me understand the ancient story in a new way, it influenced the manner in which I approached further study of Chumash, Navi (Prophets), and World and American history. Knowing that I could see the story from many different perspectives made my studies much more enjoyable as it brought the characters and the situation to life.

Even today, when, as a junior at Yeshivat Frisch, I approach learning about current events, political science, and our complex society, I remind myself of the importance of approaching every event, idea, and problem from as many difference perspectives as possible. This skill, which I learned at YJS, is important for every student.

At YJS, integration extended to school-wide projects and activities in which students in several grades would be encouraged to work together. This promoted teamwork and cooperation among students of various ages, which reinforced the concept of the school as one big happy family. It provided siblings with the opportunity not just to enjoy each other’s company, but also to learn and grow together academically and spiritually during the school day. All too often, members of the family are too busy with their own pursuits to participate in activities together. At YJS, the school’s “integration days” provided the perfect opportunity for that to happen.

While YJS may not be available for future generations of students, I hope Modern Orthodox teachers and administrators will find ways to incorporate the creative and important lessons this very special school strove to impart.

Although I was at YJS for only one year, my eighth-grade experience there was sufficient for me to appreciate what a truly special place Head of School Rabbi Dr. Eli Tuchman and his staff created. I want to express my personal hakaras hatov, gratitude, to Rabbi Tuchman and his staff for all the hard work that went into making YJS such a special place for so many kids.

Judith Rosenbluth

Highland Park, NJ