Readers share their personal takes and stakes on the Bais Yaakov trajectory
To get a fuller picture of the impact and legacy of Bais Yaakov, we reached out to our readers and asked them to weigh in. How did Bais Yaakov shape them? What’s still left to improve and achieve? How does the current iteration differ from their own experience? And did those years in the classroom equip them with the tools for a vibrant frum life?
At a Glance
Our oldest respondent was 87
Our youngest respondent was 17
Half the respondents were over 50
When asked which value Bais Yaakov encourages more — conformity vs. thinking for yourself
77% chose conformity
12% chose thinking for yourself
11% feel there’s a good balance between the two
Students at Bais Yaakov of Baltimore stood out as saying their school really encouraged thinking for themselves.
46% of respondents said their Bais Yaakov prioritized ikrei emunah.
The 54% of respondents who said their school didn’t focus on ikrei emunah were mostly over 50 years old.
Our responses indicate that these lessons were not considered as vital then, maybe because they were so much closer to Churban Europa when the survivors’ emunah was so evident.
