Are Jewish schools meant to be a commodity that we want to sell to our parent body, or are schools a communal responsibility whose goal is to raise the next generation of Jewish men and women? Although I think we all understand that schools are a combination of both, which of the two is of primary importance? The answer to this question–more than any other–impacts both school policies and the actual education of our students.

Each perspective has an important upside, and simultaneously, potential significant shortcomings. If schools are a commodity, children’s happiness will be of great importance, and there will be a constant desire to raise the quality of the product. At the same time, if the overarching goal of the Jewish school is to please its customers, then accountability can be swayed by the popularity of a trend; short term happiness will often override long term goals, and the schools may become places of tension and instability that always try to impress the parent body.

On the other hand, when a Jewish school prioritizes being the place where we raise the next generation of committed Jews, decisions are made together with Torah and educational experts with a focus on the long view regarding effective methods that elevate Jewish living instead of impressing customers. However, when parents feel less involved, there is likely to be a lack of consistent accountability. This can create an opening for sloppiness and ennui where school leaders don’t feel the need to improve or make enhancements to the school.

How do we strike a healthy balance between these two poles? This is where electives can play a critical role.

An elective is when students (and parents) are given a choice as to which discipline they would like to study within a designated time period during the school day. Each elective ideally should have a specific plan as to how the students will develop a greater skillset which will enhance the student’s joy and connection to their learning. Ultimately, what is learned in the elective will help students cement their Jewish identity. This year, the Yeshiva of Greater Washington Boys Middle School added optional electives which were available to students twice a week. The most popular ones were art and woodworking.

Why is it important for Jewish schools to have electives? Why not just tell parents that these activities can be done outside of school time instead of adding yet another responsibility to our already overburdened schools?

Jewish schools need electives because a top priority should be to develop joy among students and deepen their connections to their learning. It is the time of the day where students are given the opportunity to explore their areas of passion and connect them to Judaism without it impacting the day-to-day curriculum of the school, without judgment, and without them feeling that there is just more learning being foisted on them.

In order to strengthen electives, they should be made mandatory during the school day, and they should consist of high-quality lessons, rich in both Jewish content and area-specific skills, whether it be art, music, coding, woodworking or any other chosen discipline. In addition, to add a real-world component to the students’ output, a yearly exhibition of their work products for the school community, including other students, teachers, and families, will provide opportunities for feedback and validation. 

Traditional Torah classes paired with electives reflect a principle we see in Jewish life. God gave the Jewish people mitzvot, commandments that we are obligated to fulfill. At the same time, we have the latitude of hiddur mitzvah, beautifying the mitzvah, so that we decorate our sukkah consistent with our taste and light a Chanukiyah to which we relate. Hiddur Mitzvah is a significant aspect of fulfilling mitzvot, as it gives us, God’s nation, the opportunity to personalize each and every mitzvah and make it beautiful in our own eyes. This kind of personalization is the primary goal of well-planned and professionally executed electives as they will have the power to make Jewish learning beautiful in the eyes of constituents without the negatives of looking at school as a place for customer service.