And they are right. Besides the need for financial help, the schools also face the daunting task of finding teachers. In the Bay Area, where the dot-com industry has lured so many potential employees and offered them very good salaries, it is difficult to find people who want to work afternoons and Sundays to teach our children. On top of that, the schools need to become more selective in their hiring practices. They need to find teachers who will excite our kids and make learning fun.
Parents also have a role to play.
It's not enough to simply drop off our children at the synagogue door and pray that they will learn. Parents need to get involved in the religious schools, setting an example for their children. Jewish education is a family issue. Unfortunately, many parents did not receive a Jewish education in their youth. And for others, religious school was the place where they learned little Hebrew and less Judaism.