The Sunday School Debate

Just last week I posted a portion of an article that suggested it was high time to have institute a regular Sunday schedule for girls, just as it has already been instituted for boys under the title "Underscheduled."

I find the first response from a 1st grade Rabbi very interesting, although his approach and mine are miles apart. He is a supporter of a Sunday schedule for both boys and girls, yet points out some very serious issues regarding the Sunday schedule. A major issue is that the kids are simply tired, having gone to bed too late motzei Shabbat. His method to combat this issue is a raffle to incentivize early bedtime. I personally believe that the raffle method is far too overused in Yeshiva schools and I also believe too many rewards ultimately punish students. Academic studies bear out this same conclusions, as well as particular schools of educational thought. Ultimately, if parents are not "on board" with the Sunday schedule, the problems will persist.

The issues presented will probably ring a bell with those who attended "Sunday School". Just as attendees of Sunday Hebrew School know that most students (but not all) don't treat the day particularly seriously, this Yeshiva Rebbi notes that the half day isn't treated as "a real day". Worse yet, that day can set the tone for the rest of the week. I imagine that the experience of teachers throughout the nations bears out the same conclusions that truncated schedules create a relaxed environment which is difficult to recover from. It doesn't seem particularly wise to turn the first day of the week into a camp day. I think it is also interesting to note how the Torah subjects are enhanced by the derech eretz. If school policy would follow from such a philosophy, great progress could be made on many fronts.


SHABBOS SHEINI
Dear Editor,
Thank you for producing an excellent newspaper each week. In response to Avrohom Birnbaum’s article about Sunday being the “Shabbos sheini shel goluyos,” it is truly commendable how we have made Sunday into a more productive day in recent years. However, as a third grade rebbi in a yeshiva, I find Sunday to be a great challenge and unquestionably the hardest day of the week. The next frontier is to encourage parents to make the proper hachanos on Motzoei Shabbos to prepare their sons for a meaningful day of learning. Boys need to go to bed on time so as not to be tired the next day. If the night before is treated as a vacation night rather than a school night, the results will be inevitable. I offer my boys a special raffle on Sunday for those who bring in a note stating that they went to sleep less than 60 minutes after the zeman. Each week, it is the same few boys who take advantage of this incentive.


In addition, since there are no secular studies in the afternoon, the boys arrive with a feeling that Sunday is “not a real day.” I am not suggesting to have a full day of yeshiva, but this issue does present an obstacle. Some boys arrive at yeshiva without a backpack and only their baseball glove in their hands.

Parenthetically, the mesivta that I attended, Yeshiva Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, did have secular studies on Sunday, and it made a difference in our attitude for that day.

This less-than-positive beginning to the week sets a bad tone for the whole week. The issue of what to do is a shailah for a gadol, but I suggest that we do something in order not to turn the s’char of Sunday limudim into a hefsed.

Name withheld as some of my talmidim’s parents may be reading this letter


This next letter is from a family that would like their 4 oldest girls out of the house on Sunday. The school sends the girls home at noon on Friday. If the Rebbi's observations hold true and a Sunday schedule is instituted for girls, while a half day Friday schedule is maintained, I imagine readers will be treated to moaning about girls having two less than productive school days. But, I don't have a crystal ball or anything.



SCHOOL ON SUNDAY
Dear Editor,
Even though we always enjoy Rabbi Avrohom Birnbaum’s article every week, last week’s really hit home. With our four oldest being girls, we cannot agree more with what he wrote about school being off on Sundays. Although there are many people who might respond that parents nowadays should spend time with their children, if we look at our girls’ schedule, there is so much time - too much time - off from school.

They get out of school at 12 p.m. on Friday, so between these long Fridays and all of Shabbos, there is plenty of time to bond. And that is besides for the long summers and plenty of breaks and vacations during the year. I have been asking for years for the schools to institute a
short Sunday schedule. Maybe this will finally create a change.

Thanks again to the Yated for bringing up timely issues.


Sincerely,

A Yated Family