In a letter regarding the recent approval of the Hatikvah school charter, Bruce Papkin suggests the motive behind those individuals who initially proposed the school might be either greed or “because they believed that the state should pay for their children to be taught in a non-secular setting”.

Well, as an East Brunswick resident for nearly 20 years, with three children in the blue-ribbon East Brunswick school system and a fourth
currently attending Hatikvah, perhaps I can shed some light on this issue and assure Mr. Papkin that it was for none of those reasons.  First, let me clarify that we are not founding individuals of Hatikvah nor are we Jewish.  Although I agree that the charter debate raises some valid questions, our reasons for choosing Hatikvah were not because we were dissatisfied with the public system or that we were seeking a religious
education that could be provided by a private school.  In fact, one could argue that it was because of the rigor with which the district prepared our older children that when the choice arose for a school with language immersion from kindergarten, we seized the opportunity.

Now in our second year at Hatikvah, I can confidently assure Mr. Papkin and anyone else who may ask, that it was the right choice.  Hatikvah is much more than a public school; it is a learning community.  All are welcomed.   Although the Hebrew language is taught, there is certainly no religious agenda, and no religious education of any type has been taught to our son. He has, however, learned a great deal more about cultural differences and the importance of tolerance than did our other children at this point in their education, and has friends of all religious and non-religious persuasions with whom he has the freedom to discuss religious issues that may be viewed as “politically incorrect” in other classrooms (and yes, I am also an educator).  Those individuals involved with Hatikvah are certainly not in it for the money, or if they are, they clearly choose to work incredibly hard for it.  Compared with the education that our other children received through the public system, we perceive the charter focus as neither better nor worse but rather quite different.  We work more directly with everyone from classroom teachers to the principal, and they in turn are much more involved with us.  For example, our son’s assistant teacher last year is his primary teacher this year, and this continuum has enabled us both to work more closely in addressing his particular learning needs.

So no, Mr. Papkin, perhaps the answer to your questions is that the individuals who chose to found Hatikvah did so for reasons that go beyond the obvious, that is to say there is a difference in having the opportunity to choose one’s education rather than for it to be chosen.  This may or may not be the case for all charter schools, but it is the reason that we choose to support them.

Erin Christensen

East Brunswick