Presence

More big changes in the Baltimore Jewish education arena. I've just got word that R. Teichman, head of the high school at Talmudical Academy, will not be returning next year. I'm not 100% clear on R. Teichman's motivations for leaving, but it is clear it has something to do with TA high school's rapid shift to the right. Word is that the high school will be patterning itself more like R. Schlanger's, with entrance exams (the traditional yeshiva faher), Shabbosim in the school, and possibly (probably) more. I've heard that R. Teichman was uncomfortable with the school changing so quickly and so drastically, but I haven't confirmed it yet (if anyone has any info, please let me know).

I think it's time we raised this as a serious issue within the community. I understand TA's need to move (pander?) to the right; when you look at the demographics of the families in the community, there is no question that TA as it is today does not appeal to the largest segment. Many boys leave for Ner or out of town, TA is then forced to accept washouts from New York to fill up classes, degrading the high school atmosphere. Although I doubt that there isn't some religious motivation behind their moving to the right, I understand from a business perspective why an institution would do this from a business perspective.

But the real question is: Where do middle-of-the-road families send their children to high school in Baltimore? While I empathize with TA's dilema, in some ways I view this as a betrayal of the community. We have a yeshiva (Ner), we have a mesivta (R. Schlanger's). We don't need another one. What we do need is a yeshiva day school for boys that takes both Jewish and secular education seriously. More than anything, I see this as an opportunity for Rambam to step up and play a larger, more prominent role in Baltimore's Jewish educational landscape. I would hope that the schools are engaged in some sort of dialogue with each other to discuss how to collectively address the educational needs of the community in the best fashion; I doubt that they actually are, and that's a shame.

More news as it develops, if you have information, please send it my way.