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American sem, pros: Affordable, parental supervision, less chance of getting into trouble (ex: going to clubs etc..) Less chance of spiritual regression.
Israel sem pros: Can’t think of any.
Look into Chestnut. It is a beautiful neighborhood in Lakewood that has a Flatbush-like crowd. It is not yeshivish at all and you get to enjoy all the perks of Lakewood without dealing with the “Lakewoodness”. It is a friendly neighborhood, cheap houses and the cost of living is relatively low, compared to other Jewish communities. Been living here in Chestnut for a few years and I am very happy here. Oh- and it’s not a developement!
I would love to see more emphasis on Hilchos Shabbos and Hilchos kashrus, something every jewish mother needs to know. Your average high school class has chumosh and novi 6-7 times a week each, while Dinim is only 2-3 times a week. How come girls aren’t learning basic halachos till its drilled in? There is so much to learn, yet they are focusing on the wrong subjects. Halacha is something that pertains to everyone’s day to day lives. When a milichig spoon falls into the fleishig pot, every girl should know immediately what the halacha is, without having to call their LOR.
OOM first of all, calm down. I am entitled to my own opinion, as is everyone else in here. My posts do not contradict each other- it is the overwhelming pressure and stress of having to know every chazal and meforsh that drives people to resenting yiddishkeit. I remember people just breaking down in tears from the stress of never-ending tests, quizes and assignments. The girls were worn down, sleep deprived and just plain DEPRESSED from all the useless memorization. One girl was so stressed, she stated out loud, “I wish I could commit suicide”. So tell me, is this what Sarah Schenirer had in mind?? This is counterproductive to teaching love of Torah.
how about photography?
Do we really need to give the goyim another reason to hate us more than they already do? Next thing you know, you’ll be throwing stones at their cars.
I still stand by what I said. I truly believe that it is a risk (for their ruchnius) to be leaving their parents house. Aside from curfew, there is little supervision. No one overseeing where they are going, no one answer to. It is SO EASY to do whatever they want. Many would be afraid of doing those things at home, since they can risk ruining their name from being spotted. Don’t know about your particular school, but at mine, 2 people out of the entire grade stayed behind at the in town sem. The rest “had” to go to Israel. As for my Sem, I was very happy with it. And kudos to them for not even approaching the subject of kollel.
And btw, those yeshiva boys hanging out with girls- Those aren’t Israeli girls! They are American seminary girls. Don’t tell me that girls are so ‘innocent’. I don’t buy it. Even if they are not the majority and only fraction will fall, is it WORTH it?
As for the girls going to Sem, I just don’t see the benefit. Especially after speaking to girls who had just come back from Seminary in Israel. Their heads are in the clouds, they are on a “high” and are so not in touch with reality. As one girl put it, “It is such a zechus for my father to be able to support my future husband”. So this is what they are teaching them now? That the parents are LUCKY to be supporting 20 year old kids? So twisted! Where’s the derech eretz and hakaras hatov? I just don’t get it…
I personally chose not to go to Sem. in Israel for 3 reasons. A) I wasn’t interested in being brainwashed into marrying a Kollel guy. B)I found it to be a total waste of $ and couldn’t bring myself to do that to my parents. I had rather used the $ my parents saved for me on my wedding and down payment for my house. (Yes, I thought about buying a house when I was 17)And finally C)I was perfectly happy going to Sem. in town. They had just as much to offer, if not more.
I also think that it is crucial for schools to begin teaching kids to feel pride in being jewish. Our grandmothers didn’t have a proper jewish education and yet they didn’t perform mitzvos so robotically. They had heart, something today’s generation is missing. Let’s not lose sight of what’s important.
To those of you who claim that you hated extra curriculum classes in high school and that it was a waste of time- tell me, what 15 year old is interested in learning ANYTHING. Are you telling me that you would have rather been leaning every Rashi in the Torah? How is that going to make you a model mother? I would have loved to learn cooking, sewing etc…. It would have saved me tons of $$ on alterations. As a jewish mother, you always need to add a hem, add a button etc. As for all the Rashis and Rambams I learned, I don’t remember any of them.
Actually Sam2, you are misinformed. According to a majority of people who have gone there, it is considered a “success” if they stayed on the same level as they came. Many kids go places and do things that they would never have done in America. Even those who do not do terrible things will still become more lax in mitzvos, such as getting up late for davening, missing a shiur or two…etc. Every yeshiva bochur there has an unspoken rule- whatever happens in Israel, stays in Israel. They will never rat out their friends about the things they have done there. I personally know several people who met their spouses while “learning” there. Unfortunately, even parents who think they know their kids, do not. The only reason people send their kids to Israel is for shidduch purposes. This is not enough of a reason to send your precious children to a land of taayvos. Aside from it being an absolute waste of money, they will gain much more by learning in town, under the roof of their parents. Taking a course at night will also keep them out of trouble and prepare them for a much needed livelihood in the future. It is time for this trend to stop.