Is WYHS Too Religious

Or Not Religious Enough?

Dress code, separation between boys and girls, girls Judaic curriculum and which Israel schools are popular. These are the bell weather issues by which people judge where a yeshiva high school fits on the spectrum.

Why isn't WYHS just like Frisch or Kushner, Bruriah or MTA, Ma'ayanot or TABC on each of these issues? Why can't WYHS just be the like the school up north that you like?

There are three answers to this question;

We service a broader population- with significantly fewer options in our region, we service the entire range of families seeking a college preparatory, religious Zionist education. We want all these students to feel at home. We don't have the luxury of defining ourselves narrowly.

Our focus on religious inspiration- We are not just running a high school for teenagers whose parents want a traditional Jewish education. Our mission is to Challenge and Inspire our students. We have come up with a successful formula to inspire teenagers to choose an observant path. Our particular formula is not a carbon copy of any school.

Our society has become more debase- Try to find a half hour of a sitcom without any sexual innuendo, references to alternative lifestyles, or justification of unethical behavior. Paradoxically, as women have become the majority at colleges and medical schools, they are objectified more in advertising and media. We try to create a safe space for our girls, and an opportunity for boys to learn respect for them.

The proof is in the pudding. Over 90% of our graduates dedicate a year to increasing their love of Torah and Israel at yeshiva or seminary in Israel before beginning university. Our 42 married alumni have chosen spouses who share their religious values and convictions. May G-d continue to empower us to inspire our present and future students in the same fashion.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Perry Tirschwell