Report: More Students Switching to Jewish Day Schools

A new report released by Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, representing 110 schools across North America, shows increased inquiries from public and private school students interested in mid-year transfers into Jewish day schools and yeshivas.

The primary reasons are wanting their children to be in a Jewish environment, fear of antisemitism, and disappointment with how their current schools are handling the Israel-Hamas war.

“In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, the landscape of Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America has experienced significant shifts,” according to the report.

Additionally, the data shows how Jewish day schools welcomed more than 1,000 temporary Israeli students fleeing from war, attending to their academic and mental health and wellness needs. It also suggests potential for enrollment increases in the next school year starting summer of 2024.

“The war in Israel is impacting enrollment in Jewish day schools and families,” said Paul Bernstein, CEO of Prizmah. “Parents of public and private school students are turning towards Jewish day schools out of a desire for their children to benefit from all that makes Jewish day schools great — an excellent education, a warm, nurturing Jewish environment, and protection from antisemitism they might experience elsewhere. The best defense against antisemitism and hostility to Israel is to nurture strong, confident, knowledgeable Jewish youth, and Jewish day schools answer that need.”

“In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, the landscape of Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America has experienced significant shifts,” according to the report.

Covering the period from the start of the war in October 2023 to Dec. 8, 2023, the report presents a snapshot of the responses from 110 schools in the United States and Canada. Three important trends are apparent in the study:

Thirty-nine percent of schools reported inquiries and or enrollment from public school students interested in transferring mid-year. Top reasons schools reported that public school transfer families provided for transferring are:
* Wanting their child(ren) to be in a Jewish environment (73%)
* Fear of antisemitism in school or community (68%)
* Response from their current school around the war in Israel (32%)

Twenty percent of schools reported receiving inquiries and or enrollment from independent school students interested in transferring midyear. Top reasons schools reported that independent school transfer families provided for transferring are:
* Wanting their child(ren) to be in a Jewish environment (80%)
* Response from their current school around the war in Israel (50%)
* Fear of antisemitism in school or community (40%)

Ninety-five percent of schools reported receiving inquiries and/or enrollment from temporary Israeli students interested in attending a Jewish day school on a short-term basis, and more than 1,000 temporary Israeli students were hosted in the schools that responded to the survey. Most schools reported that their temporary Israeli students needed English Language Learning (ELL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) support, as well mental health support as is often needed for students fleeing their country due to war.

As the report highlights, “These schools, with a strong emphasis on fostering a connection to Israel, play a pivotal role in the development of the culture and identity of the broader Jewish community. The findings in this report reveal that in times of crisis, schools consistently maintained their commitment to cultivating positive connections with Israel, underscoring the Jewish day school community’s unwavering support for and dedication to Israelis, which has lasting generational and communal impacts.”