Reply To: Post Corona: The New Frum Community

I truly appreciate all your feedback, thank you!

It seems the most common response is the fact that remote education cannot truly replicate an in person learning experience, and I of course agree with that.

HOWEVER-
1) In person learning has its own pitfalls, with quieter kids and non traditional learning style kids taking the brunt of what is considered “the norm”. Online education can resolve that.
2) I honestly feel the main problems with these zoom/online “classes” that have sprung up in the past couple months aren’t due to the nature of online learning itself. Rather, they’re due to the fact that we’re unprepared and unfamiliar with how to best utilize them. I completely my degree online, and was extremely satisfied with my learning experience. We just need to construct a real plan with how to do it properly.
3) The whole “lack of social interaction” thing wouldn’t be an issue at all, so long as the kids in the community are regularly getting together for activities, etc. The idea that only in a school environment can kids really have social interaction that can benefit them for life is erroneous and antiquated, and quite frankly, dangerous. There are SO many social pressures and anxieties that are caused by the mainstream school system, and in large communities with large schools, these issues aren’t noticed as much.

Another theme that sprang up – There’s already out of town communities. That is true, but not in the way I’m envisioning it to be. All of these communities (Atlanta, South Bend, Phoenix, Vegas, Portland, Dallas, etc.) have the same model as the in-town communities: They have yeshivas and day schools, many of them with high tuition costs, and many of them actually don’t have such cheap housing (I know South Bend does). The problem is many of these places are large cities, and the Jewish communities are in expensive areas. Many of these communities are STRUGGLING to stay afloat. I know, because I’ve lived in several of them. My idea would be to find a small city with very, very cheap housing.

Everything else – like the ease of having numerous minyamin, tons of kosher food options – I’d actually consider flaws. I don’t think we truly appreciate these things when they’re in such abundance. I know this as well, because I’ve lived in both large communities and tiny communities. And I’ll tell you right now, the people in the tiny communities appreciate their shul and what kosher amenities they have a lot more.