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Distance Learning for Jewish Teens It is getting harder and harder to persuade Jewish teenagers to continue formal Jewish studies after bar/bat mitzvah. Extra-curricular activities offer strong competition to families for whom Jewish education is not a strong priority, or who are not willing to make time for both. Some parents are willing to “let the child decide,” a decision that is costly for our Jewish future. I believe that every Jewish student should continue Jewish studies throughout their lifetime. Jewish education must never stop. Adults who become interested in their Jewish heritage later in life often regret that they did not continue increasing their knowledge after becoming bat/bar mitzvah. I believe that every Jewish student should continue learning in a classroom, in a synagogue or community Jewish high school. At age thirteen one hardly has begun to learn the vast riches of Jewish history, beliefs, holidays, life-cycle ceremonies, rituals, ethics, literature, Zionism, etc. With the pull of competing activities – academic, athletic, social and cultural – it is not easy to make Jewish studies a priority in one’s life. Not every Jewish family cares enough to do all the things necessary to make the busy life of a teenager work. Things like car-pooling, making time for homework, going to a second school (Hebrew High School) in addition to another public or private school…. The technological revolution has made it possible for Jewish youth to maintain their busy schedule of athletics, special-interest groups, advanced placement courses with lots of homework, and still take a course at their leisure, because Distance Learning permits one to study at his or her convenience – any time, any place, any hour. It is a special, wonderful opportunity. Jewish teens should not miss out on the most important bonus they can offer themselves: a course on Jewish history, leadership, Zionism, literature, Torah, and more, in their own home. One partial solution to this conundrum is to take one or more courses online. This is an opportunity that has not been available before this year. Until Fall 2006, there has been no opportunity for a teen to take a Jewish course online. Now that Gratz College Jewish Community High School has begun offering such courses through its Rothbart Program for Distance Learning (the only place in the world that offers Jewish teens the chance to study online), it makes it much easier to continue learning after bar/bat mitzvah. Students who are already enrolled in formal on-site classes can add to their intellectual enrichment by taking another course online. Students who for whatever reason have decided not to continue in formal classes can now avail themselves of the Rothbart courses. Students who live in outlying regions where no formal classes are offered to Jewish teens can now enroll in a course with some of the world’s finest instructors from many different countries (including Israel). We are living in a brave new world with endless possibilities for self-enrichment. With the advent of the Rothbart Program offered by Gratz College’s Jewish Community High School, Jewish teens no longer need be left out of the information revolution, and not be abandoned on the wrong side of the digital divide. |
