Our religious schools are where it begins

The Page One stories this week show that congregational religious schools don't have to be boring. They can be both fun and educational, enticing our children into learning Jewish history and the Hebrew language.

But to succeed, the congregational schools need two important ingredients -- money and teachers.

In the Bay Area, our federations raise money for the Bureau of Jewish Education in San Francisco and the Center for Jewish Living and Learning in the East Bay. Both agencies work closely with congregational schools to help them find and train teachers and to develop curricula.

Undoubtedly the congregational schools will say that they need more support than they receive. And they are right. Who would disagree?

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.

It's not too late. Parent education and involvement need to become a vital component of Jewish learning. And we need to support those programs.

If we expect our religion to thrive, we all must take responsibility to ensure that the next generation of Jews is better educated than the current one. It all starts at the congregational school. And that school needs your full support.