I grew up and attended public schools, in the NOW FRUM 5 towns over 50 years ago. I would walk right by a then fledgling Yeshiva each day twice a day for 3 years. Today, that Yeshiva is bursting at the seams and has expanded greatly, since that time.
Around 1970, I was considered a radical in the public school as I wore a yamulka all day in school. The high school in my day was 97% Jewish. One year, the homeroom containing C students, had 9 kids named COHEN….only one of whom was actually Jewish! Most non Jews were Italian. Even in those days, we had a tragedy in the making as very few of my former classmates are today FRUM. Even then, few cared about Yiddishkheit. At my conservadox temple that I grew up in….in order to be bar mitzvahed, each student of the afternoon Talmud Torah had to promise the rabbi that they would attend a Hebrew High School for a year. Most quit long before then. I was one of only about 6 who actually graduated. AND….very few of my classmates from High school were ever enrolled there at all. I know of some of my fellow public school graduates today, But I am not in touch with any.NONE that I know of ever became Frum. From the Hebrew High School, long since closed, I am also not aware of any who kept their Yiddishkheit. The public school systems of the 5 towns produced many Jewish graduates who have been lost to us today. Today the area is overrun with Yeshivas and Frum Yiddishkheit.
In my public school days, it was considered the IN THING to send your kids to the prestigious (free) pubic school system, few went to yeshivas. Many became professionals, but today lack Yiddishkheit. In those days, parents looking to move to an area looked speciffically for the success of the local Public schools in the area. A house was bought (then affordable), in a good area with good schools….nobody even had any priority to look for a good Yeshiva. And of course….the family joined the existing local temple or shul. who cared about its affiliation? The PUBLIC SCHOOL ruled above everything else…..Yiddishkheit was relegated to some back burner.
Thank Hashem that things have severely changed for the better. I feel that I missed out on so much growing up…. All of my children are yeshiva graduates today. I would NEVER consider sending them to any public school. Even though I am FRUM today, I feel something missing about never myself having experienced Yeshiva education. I feel incomplete, even though I have full semicha. My own sister today is very far from Yiddishkheit, and she also had the same education I did, including that Hebrew high school. Anything she had, she completely lost in college….and she went to colleges with large percentages of Jews. Today she calls me an extremist as I am FRUM. She thinks that she is a fine Jew and goes to temple at best a few times a year. She had her husband cremated. Her kids grew up with no Yiddishkheit….but alongside the menorah was a large bush….. Her husbands mother was Jewish, but hated it, and influenced my sister greatly. His father was a goy. Remember….we grew up in the same house….and my sister and I went in completely different directions. I also have a cousin who is actually a graduate of a well known Queens Yeshiva. Today he like all of his brothers is far from Yiddishkheit and is toeva also. He attended Public school after Yeshiva, need I say more.
NO yidden at all, even from totally nonobservant homes should be in any public school anywhere, it is bad for their neshamas. Even though I, who am quite FRUM, still feel the effects of the public school system more than 50 years later. Most people look at FRANCE as hostile to Jewish education as students have a day in the middle of the week of (Wednesday) and go to school on Saturday. I feel that this is a blessing as most Jewish kids DO NOT go to the public schools because of this.