Reader Responds to Seminary Woes

The following letter was submitted to YWN via email:

Dear Editor,

I write in response to the letter you received from a desperate parent in regard to the seminary experience in Israel which she feels her daughter MUST have, although she does not have the means for it.

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news_cat.php?cat=11

I admit, I found myself in the same predicament. I decided to do some research and discovered a wonderful local seminary which offers a half day learning program, crammed in with top-notch role-model teachers, tens of series during the year given by experts in different fields, and much more. However, my daughter wasn’t too excited at first since it was not the “in” thing to do. To make a long story short, she recruited some friends, and together they will be doing this seminary in the mornings, teaching in the afternoon, and going to Sara Schenirer’s special ed program in the evenings.

By the time her friends return home from EY” with their parents $25,000 in debt, they will have had a year of seminary, a year of teaching or office experience, a degree, started shidduchim, spent a quality year with their families (this is the nicest year at home, pre shidduchim desperation pressure, post high school immaturity) and mostly, not having put a financial strain on anyone.

Additionally, they are settled, out in the world, but armed with the remarkable hashkafos and knowledge that they will receive from seminary and the amazing teachers.

I discovered that in almost every community there exists such an option, but most girls close their eyes to it, trying to ignore the existence of this option.

Why do parents have to succumb to such enormous pressure? Staying home should be the FIRST option, while going away should be the second option, made primarily for girls who NEED to be away from their homes for various reasons.

May we zoche to the time when normality will once again reign, when people will be able to make sensible decisions, without the fear of “what will my friends say”….

(Name removed)