Why A Jewish Day School?
by Rafi Josselson
I keep coming back to a simple question vis a vis my education. Why have I remained at, thrived at, and been successfully included at, Jewish Day Schools since 1st grade?
It seems improbable on paper. Jewish Day Schools are small private institutions. Even with tuition, they rely on generous donors to stay afloat. Often, they struggle to attract students. So it would seem that disability/neurodiversity services would be at the bottom of their priorities. And yet, the unique environment of Jewish Day School has become a refuge for some Jewish disabled students seeking an inclusive environment. Today, Jewish Day Schools can boast about their disability services as one of their proudest selling points. But why? Using my own story, and some anecdotes from some friends, I am going to share some reasons why and the challenges ahead.
Let’s start with what I think is the bedrock behind this special phenomenon: the small size of Jewish Day Schools. At my current school, there are about 300 high school students with about 80 students in each grade. This is helpful in so many visible and invisible ways for Autistic people.
Let’s start with the simple act of going down a hallway. It can be a sensory nightmare, even at a small high school like Leffell. We have our rowdy boys, loud kids, squeaky announcements, and banging locker doors. But what is so helpful is that not only is there less of it to begin with, but since it is a smaller high school, you won’t need to endure it for very long. This means that the sensory strain of a hallway can be minuscule compared to a public school hallway.
Socially, fewer kids means less stress and an easier time to find friends. Within months of beginning 9th grade, I knew the name of every kid within the grade. I knew what their interests were and what their personality was like. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought to discover who I wanted to pursue a friendship with. And with the grade so small, a structured environment like a Shabbaton or class afforded me a great opportunity to meet others. Take for example one of my closest friends at Leffell, Daniel. We kicked it off Freshman year on the Shabbaton and in our English and Science classes. Would this have been possible without the small size of the school? Certainly not as easily.
And then there is the incredible access to teachers and administration. Their offices are far closer to where I will be. Even as I write this, in our study space, the reading room, I am only four seconds away from my dean. They also have more manageable ratios with students. My brother’s guidance counselor has to manage about 300 students, while my dean handles about 80. That makes a huge difference. Not only are they more available, but we have formed a close connection and my dean and other administration members understand me and my needs.
I am not only Autistic but also someone invested in learning and academics. For me, that does not only apply to my general studies, but to my Judaics as well. That makes Jewish Day School an appealing option to many Autistics since it can help cater to their interests (which many Autistics are especially passionate about). Take, for example, engineering. Through the work of organizations like the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE) and others, the engineering programs at Jewish Day Schools have become a big success. At SSDS Bergen, the design program has been a hit and I remember it being a class where I could step back and enjoy the intellectual adventure (the same spirit I try to take when encountering my Judaics). Over time, due to the mathematical complexity of engineering and my growing disinterest in coding/technology, I drifted away from this type of experience. Yet, I recognize the great benefit that the design program (and others like E2 at Leffell) has had on other students.
I also want to return to the relationships with teachers again. This relationship is not only going to help with support but will also assist with feeling more comfortable in the classroom. Simply put: the better I know my teacher, the better I do in their class. At a Jewish Day School where you are likely to get repeat teachers or get teachers you may have met before, this becomes even easier. Even better, at Jewish Day Schools you have a better chance of being taught by a department chair or similarly well-experienced teacher. I am currently taught by three department chairs and two rabbis (and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the extensive credentials these teachers have). I can go to bed easily knowing that not only is my education in safe hands, but that my teachers are willing and prepared to help me if I need it.
And this great phenomenon also comes down to philosophy. Unlike Public Schools, private schools (including Jewish Day Schools) are not legally required to provide accommodations or support to neurodiverse students. And yet, I have to hear of a Jewish Day School that doesn’t try to be accommodating to students from neurodiverse backgrounds. I think it’s also important to note then that schools don’t accommodate everyone but we have seen and we hope to continue seeing schools trying to be able to admit more and more neurodiverse students. So why? It’s because of Jewish values which state that we are all betzelem elochim, made in the image of G-D. Therefore, we must as Jews treat each other with dignity and respect regardless of ability. And then there are the numerous references to disability within our Torah. Some of the patriarchs were blind or had poor vision. When Amalek attacks Bnai Yisrael they are specifically called out for attacking the feeble (Deuteronomy 25:18). And then, there is my calling, the parallels between Joseph and the Autistic experience (read more in the Yosef Project, on my website). Simply put, Jewish Day Schools have a lot to base their decision to include neurodiverse students on – and they do.
I’d be remiss if I were not to include how ritual and routine greatly assist the Autistic experience and how Jewish schools are plentiful with them. I’m not getting too much into it because it deserves its article (which is why I highly recommend reading my blog Tefillah: An Autistic Experience).
And then there is the fantastic work of organizations like MATAN which has helped Jewish Day Schools achieve inclusion. These organizations train teachers and administrators on how to solve potential issues and how to maximize success. MATAN and other organizations have also helped to form JDAIM (an opportunity for Jewish institutions to focus on their inclusion efforts) and JDIN (a way for Jewish inclusion experts to network and share their experiences).
But there is much more ahead and this is a blog, not an essay, so stay tuned for next time when I discuss the challenges that lay ahead for Jewish Day Schools and Inclusion efforts.
Rafi Josselson is an autistic junior at the Leffell School in Westchester County. Rafi has spoken at multiple places across the Northeast including; Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, Temple Israel Center, and, the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. He also has written blogs for MATAN, for his own website and now for Jewish Disability Inclusion News. Rafi hopes to spread a message of Empathy, Inclusion, Awareness, and, Acceptance through his work. Outside of Autism Advocacy; Rafi is the co-president of his shul’s USY Chapter, a Hartman Teen Fellow, a counselor at Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, a section editor for his school’s newspaper, and, an avid reader of both books and the news.