Congregational schools

Isa Aron

pp. 691-712

in: Helena Miller, Lisa Grant, Alex Pomson (eds), International handbook of Jewish education, Berlin, Springer, 2011

Abstract

The congregational school, whose origins date back to the eighteenth century, enrolls 57% of Jewish students in the United States. Over the years it has been plagued by a host of problems, the most fundamental of which is that its overarching mission has been thought of as instruction, rather than enculturation. In the past two decades, a variety of new models have been created to either supplement or supplant the schooling-instructional paradigm. Among these models are Shabbat communities, in which parents attend along with their children; combinations of childcare and school; and programs based on retreats, day camps, and/or book groups. Though many challenges remain (including a shortage of highly qualified teachers, resistance to change, and the competing commitments of both parents and children), these are exciting times for the congregational school. It is hoped that future research will focus on these newer configurations.