Two responses [slightly edited] to the post about illiteracy in Jewish day schools:
I loved the illiteracy post and from personal experience I found the examples you gave about the "high level gemara shiurim" to be so accurate. When I was in shana bet I still had no idea at all how to read gemara. Based on my understanding, there are probably 2 reasons (which you probably know) why yeshivas are like they are. The first is that like you said, the magiddei shiurim know how to learn and probably wouldn't want to give "basic" shiurim. The second reason is I think a historical one, the students of the traditional European yeshivot came in knowing how to learn on a high level and the shiurim that were given reflected this assumption of a significant amount of preexisting skills and knowledge. Many of the yeshivot now a days are based on that same model, but now the students don't have the same background in learning. So basically the student population changed, but the style of the yeshiva and level of the shiurim didn't.
Sort of like going into a yeshiva day school and giving shiur in yiddish because that's the way it was done in the old country.....
Also one other thing is that, from my experience, it's not only that the kids don't understand WHAT they are doing, (davening, learning etc.), and therefore resort to inappropriate amusement. It's also that the kids don't understand WHY they are doing it. I don't know many high school (or even post high school) kids that could: 1)Explain on more than a very superficial level why they believe in G-d. 2) Feel emotionally connected to Him. Part of the reason for this is that Machshava/Hashkafa isn't really taught and even when it is, it's usually taught, like the rest of limudei kodesh, as another course with grades just like the secular subjects.
Also one other thing is that, from my experience, it's not only that the kids don't understand WHAT they are doing, (davening, learning etc.), and therefore resort to inappropriate amusement. It's also that the kids don't understand WHY they are doing it. I don't know many high school (or even post high school) kids that could: 1)Explain on more than a very superficial level why they believe in G-d. 2) Feel emotionally connected to Him. Part of the reason for this is that Machshava/Hashkafa isn't really taught and even when it is, it's usually taught, like the rest of limudei kodesh, as another course with grades just like the secular subjects.
I really wanted to start a yeshiva to redress this wrong. Hope someone else does it...:)
And from the other side of the mechitza:):
I read your post on your blog about the illiteracy being perpetuated by the modern day schools. I just want to say I passionately agree with everything you said and I have personally experienced this.... And that's when I realized that my day school ripped me off because they never gave me the best part of Judaism which is a relationship with Hashem! Besides the fact that most of the boys can't read a Gemara to this day, or the girls can't understand a Rashi.... almost none of my classmates who went to seminary and yeshiva after high school know how to have a real relationship with Hashem. Some think they know what "being religious" is and reject it and decide not to care about certain things as time goes on but they don't realize that what they're rejecting isn't it!. No one ever showed them how beautiful the Torah is, and the amazing relationship a person can have with Gd! They think its just learning Gemara and not talking to girls and not using a slotted spoon on Shabbos, and if thats how it keeps getting presented in the schools, then we are just shooting ourselves in the foot (maybe thats being too nice).
My point is, I wholeheartedly agree with you, and I talk about this A LOT and it really upsets me that my classmates think they know but they have NO IDEA that they only have half a picture and I don't know what I can do about it and this is a seriously HUGE problem and much harder than showing kids who grew up secular the emes.
Interesting. What percent of day school graduates are fully halachically observant? That includes negiya, shmiras einayim, davening 3 times a day [trying to make minyanim]. I would say 5 percent or less. And those five percent don't know a lot of halachos because they were educated to be ignorant [I like that phrase "educated to be ignorant":)]. But at least they care. Then kids go to Israel and many are inspired. Then they go back to college and lose everything and end up like they were before Israel. Then they get married and have children who repeat the same pattern [my childhood friends have started sending their kids to Israel].
So what can we do about it? Maybe for a future post.
