A decision was recently made to close the Dr. Abraham Shore She’arim Hebrew Day School (“She’arim to close its doors in June,” CJN, March 20). We are witnesses to the  amazing success of She’arim students. Once failing students, they have gone on to high school and to post-secondary studies.
The Mercaz (formerly the Board of Jewish Education) and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto put pressure on She’arim to close for financial reasons. It is their decision to transfer students to a day school. How can we expect remedial staff at mainstream schools, who have already failed to teach these students, to succeed in this endeavour? Money that federation will have to invest in other day schools would be better spent in helping She’arim.
There is also a danger that the day schools may not want to take some of these students back. The children would then have to go to public school, giving up their Jewish education.
There is still time to redress this less-than-wise decision. We believe our board can raise funds and that the community will help us raise them.
Rabbi Joseph Kelman
Co-founder of She’arim, with the late Rabbi Yitchak Witty
David Diamond, Past President, She’arim
Murray Shore, Past President, She’arim

Every Jewish child deserves a Jewish education, regardless of his or her learning abilities; I always believed that to be the premise. When I heard the news that She’arim was closing its doors, I was angry and disappointed (“She’arim to close its doors in June,” CJN, March 20). As a graduate of She’arim (class of 1989), I feel very strongly that the doors should stay open.
She’arim gave me two solid years of intense, one-on-one attention using unique teaching techniques. When I moved into the mainstream system, I felt scared, intimidated and insecure, but I quickly realized my potential to learn and succeed was achievable because of what She’arim had taught me. What makes She’arim unique is that it provides the tools required for each and every student’s learning styles.
My biggest concern now that She’arim is closing its doors is how the mainstream school system will guarantee that the style and format of She’arim is maintained.
Michael Weintraub
Toronto

I am a parent of a She’arim graduate (“She’arim to close its doors in June,” CJN, March 20).
My son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder while he was in Grade 2 at a day school. His teachers did nothing to help him. In fact, in many ways, they served to make the situation worse. Their attitudes gave his classmates license to taunt, harass and bully my son, and it took years for the wounds to heal.
She’arim’s gifted and dedicated teachers worked with my son. The wounds healed and his confidence grew. He graduated from She’arim nearly four years ago and entered high school (not in the Jewish school system), where he excelled academically. His teachers could not believe he had been labelled “learning disabled.”
Recently, my son was offered early acceptance to Ryerson University’s radio and television arts program and a $1,000 scholarship. This achievement would not have been possible without She’arim.
Closing She’arim is only a financial bandage. We are mortgaging our future by not equipping those that need it with the tools to succeed. Better to build good students than new community centres. They are our future.
Stephen Tepperman
Thornhill, Ont.