Tuition still an obstacle
Rabbi Lee Buckman (“The value of Jewish high school,” The CJN, Dec. 5) makes a clear and cogent argument for the benefits of a Jewish day school education, in specific reference to high school. Unfortunately, he prefaced and concluded his argument by “shifting the conversation from price to value.” If only it was so easy.
The implication of this rather dated perspective is that Jewish families are able to afford a Jewish education, but are choosing not to because they do not see its value. The sad truth is that many Jewish families would cherish the opportunity to provide a day school education for their children but simply cannot afford it. What is often overlooked in this discussion is that choices are not just made by families. Many choices are made by schools and communities in determining the cost of day school education. While a quality Jewish education is important, quality does not have to mean expensive. While designing Jewish day schools as exclusive prep schools and pricing them accordingly may appeal to the affluent part of the Jewish community and its major donors, it fails to meet the needs of the community as a whole in not making Jewish education accessible to all. A more tempered approach to “value” would still provide a very solid Jewish and secular education, with the added benefits of inclusiveness, while planning for the continuity of our Jewish community.
Rafael Kleiman
Hamilton, Ont.
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It was hard to say which was more disturbing about the front-page CJN article on limiting tuition (“Plan limits day school tuition to 15% of income,” The CJN, Nov. 28): the fact that $200,000 to $300,000 is considered “middle income,” or that a family in such a situation should need to rely on community philanthropy, or that current programs “provide relief for families making under $200,000 per year.” Any normal Canadian reading this article could only think it is satire! Unfortunately it is the sad truth. It is not unusual to hear from friends with older kids that their tuition bill is $100,000 per year of after-tax income.
Philanthropy or creative accounting is not a solution to this problem – it perpetuates it and is an insult to families. The government of Ontario must pay for a significant portion of the secular curriculum, as is done in almost all other provinces, where families pay a fraction of what we pay in Toronto. The political process has failed and left the issue a hot potato. The only solution to achieve education equity and justice for non-Catholic Ontarians is to pursue the issue through the courts again and again and again, until we are successful.
Barry Pakes
Toronto
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Netanyahu embarrasses
We were informed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be attending former South African president Nelson Mandela’s memorial service (“Netanyahu to skip memorial,” The CJN, Dec. 12) because of the travelling costs. I have never been so embarrassed by the actions of the Israeli government in my life. Israel’s leaders could have come up with a less embarrassing excuse. They have given the world a legitimate reason to condemn Israel, to go along with all the illegitimate ones. For shame.
Cheryl Rosenthal
Thornhill, Ont.
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Refugee policy needed overhaul
In response to the letter,“Harper honours not deserved” (The CJN, Nov. 28), indeed, the Harper government significantly altered more than half a century of “progressive policy regarding Canada’s treatment of refugees.” Thankfully, we have a leader who has the guts to quash a policy that has fostered the parasitic abuse of Canada’s immigration system for financial gain.
Under the new act, refugee applicants (e.g. the Lev Tahor sect) would not be able to enter our country and recklessly consume our ever-dwindling financial resources. Too many of our tax dollars are spent on bogus refugee claims. In particular, refugee claimants from generally non-refugee-producing countries such as Israel, Japan or the European Union would be processed in 45 days on average, compared to the more than 1,000 days it takes under the current system. It is time to send a clear message to those who wish to abuse our generous asylum system: if you are not a true refugee, you are not welcome here.
Rachel Yane
Westmount, Que.