Vanity: Should I Send My Jewish Child to a Catholic School?

self

[Yaelle]

My 6th grade homeschooled son wants to go to school. At first, I was a little hurt by it, but upon serious thought, I realized it would be good for us both. I am so busy with the new baby that it makes homeschooling difficult. And he is of the age when he wishes to contradict everything I say! But we need a safe, conservative place for him.

The local middle school appears horrible. There are hundreds of kids in each grade, and there is the gang element, and I am sure drugs as well. I just cannot throw my child to the wolves.

We are a financially struggling family, trying to make it on one salary, with three kids. We cannot afford the one local nonreligious private school: only the children of the wealthy go there. There is no Jewish school near us, and even the one far away wouldn't work (Chabad, and they don't accept my Conservative conversion), if we could afford it, but we can't. The only school we could afford (barely) is the Catholic school.

They teach Catholicism and all the kids go to Mass. As well they should! They have a good academic curriculum, and the school encourages good values. A lot of the parents are conservative. My son is secure in his Judaism and will become bar Mitzvah next year.

I have visited the school and spoken with the principal. Everyone is very nice there. My son would obviously be expected to do all the curriculum like everyone else, religion included. I simply cannot make up my mind. It doesn't seem right to send a Jewish boy to Catholic school. I wish we Jews had a good educational system like the Catholics do, but we do not. I would like my child to attend a religious-based school, at a reasonable cost.

If I were to decide to send my son to Catholic school, what about his little brothers? One will need a school next year and if I sent him at his young age, wouldn't he be Catholic within a month, just to be like his teacher and friends?

I am going in circles here trying to decide. I don't want to set my son up for failure in a school where I should have known from the outset that he might not fit in. Neither do I want to deny him a good experience in a small religious school if that would be what happens.

I am grateful for all thoughts. Go ahead and be blunt. Thanks.

[Yaelle]

Yes, it does seem that discipline is strong yet loving over there. The principal himself does playground duty. They will not accept any shenanigans. I like that.

My son has no idea what a saint is. If I send him, he will know far more than I do about the subject in a few months' time. I did not know what a Pope was until I was in my teens.

[Paved Paradise]

After reading so many of these replies, I think we are very fortunate to have so many sincere and honest people on this forum. I know where I'll go when I need input. As for your dilemma, I agree with much of what was posted about the possible chance that your son could end up believing that Jesus was the promised Messiah. However, I think the two key issues are (1) are you training up your child in the ways of your faith at home (I assume you are)? If so, then I believe that would be his strongest foundation. So many people offer no instruction at home or even set good examples of what their faith teaches/preaches and (2) the fact that a good religious school will offer morality-based education, as opposed to the public school system which says that homosexuality is okay, sex outside of marriage is okay if you use a condom, etc. etc. And the religious teachers in the public schools are practically bound and gagged as far as speaking out. God bless you in your decision. Your son is already a step ahead of the crowd to have such a loving and wise mother.

Shalom

[Yaelle]

Thanks so much for saying that. I have a friend on the other side of the city who is also considering a Catholic girls' school for her daughter, who already knows a lot of the girls from her Irish dancing. We thought we were the only Jews considering it!

[nickcarraway]

I think you should check out the school and ask a lot of questions before you decide. Not all schools are the same.

[2banana]

My son has no idea what a saint is. If I send him, he will know far more than I do about the subject in a few months' time. I did not know what a Pope was until I was in my teens.

Yep - He will learn all about that. The question for yourself is: Does learning this outweigh learning reading, writing and math in a safe and structured environment where you will not have to worry about your son's safety or PC crap being taught.

[ArrogantBustard]

One will need a school next year and if I sent him at his young age, wouldn't he be Catholic within a month, just to be like his teacher and friends?

You say that like it's a bad thing. :'}

Seriously, students in Catholic Schools are expected to learn Catholic teaching and practice, in an age-appropriate manner, as an academic discpline. They will be expected to attend Mass, and behave appropriately when doing so. If they are not, themselves, Catholic they will be neither permitted nor required to eg. receive Holy Communion, actually say the prayers of the Mass, etc. Even if the students do not become Catholic as a result of their education, they will at least know what the Church actually teaches, as opposed to what the Church's detractors claim she teaches.

They will also receive top-notch education in all the usual secular subjects. Academic excellence is rewarded, and religion is not mocked. And in High Shcool, sports do tend to get perhaps a bit more emphasis than they deserve. But that's true in the government schools too.

[ArrogantBustard]

Ignoring everything else that's wrong with your post

Catholic = Real Christian

The rest of y'all are just posers.

[John Beresford Tipton]

"Don't be such an ignoramous"

Well, we know you are not an "ignoramous",
fact is no one is.

Perhaps you can look it up and share with the class?

[John Beresford Tipton]

"They teach there Doctrines as part of there curiculim"

"HOLY" shiite!!
Better get this poster a spelling primer stat!!

[Yaelle]

Nachum, I tried that at one point but you can't if you are married to a nonJew; there is thus a commandment I could not fulfill. My husband is not a Jew but lives as one and even keeps kosher.

[Yaelle]

Lots of Jews send their kids to Catholic school.

Really? I sure would like to hear from someone who did, and how it all turned out!

[Yaelle]

Don't be such an ignoramous.

Well, I did say to be blunt. Um, thanks?

[Yaelle]

I hear you. This was my first take on the situation. Yet my husband, parents, and everyone else thought and argued that he would greatly benefit from more socialization. We cannot perticipate in any homeschooling groups, sadly, because my other son is in public 1st grade and needs to be picked up during their activities, plus the baby's nap time... We really feel (yes, me too now) that the big one NEEDS more friends. We hope and pray that the years of homeschooling have already served to make him a great kid and stand apart from the peer group, but he needs a peer group!

[Ronaldus Magnus]

I am very impressed by your reasoned approach to this decision and will pray for both you and your children. As a Catholic convert who is a product of the public school system, my only recommendations would be for you to continue with the religious part of your homeschooling curriculum regardless of what you decide, and please, no matter what, do not throw your children to the public schools!

[VaBthang4]

Really? How many Hail Marry[s] does the Bible call for in order to absolve oneself of sin?
Where does the Word call for any Man to pledge abstinence as a matter of rule in order to minister the Word or oversee a Church?
Where does the Word exclude women from the priesthood?


I could go all day with the overwhelming nonsense out of the Catholic Cult...but there is no need.

[Yaelle]

Here in New York City 23% of the catholic school kids aren't catholic - they're opted out of the religious instruction part of the curriculum.

At this school they do the religious studies too, and go to Mass as well. I did ask the principal about it, because my father, as a foster child refugee of the Holocaust, was able to attend a religious school in England, and he studied independently while the others attended the religious class.

[adam_az]

Have you asked to talk to the parents of other Jewish students, and find out how many non-Catholic students there are?

Don't fool yourself about the drugs, though.

I know lots of people who went to Catholic schools and "experimented" with all the usual chemicals, uncluding pot, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, and others. It's just as available there, and sometimes more so, because the students tend to have bigger allowances.

[Yaelle]

I felt the principal's paddle more than once (we didn't have Ritalin in those days!)

ROFL!!

Thanks for a great post.

[ArrogantBustard]

All of your 'questions' have been answered ad nauseam on the Religion forum. Do you own homework, poser.