Dear Yavneh Family,

Last night, our parents had the privilege of hearing from Zack Rausch, the lead researcher for the new book The Anxious Generation.  Written by bestselling author Jonathan Haidt (Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business), the book outlines many challenges facing today’s children and suggests four strategies to help reclaim and restore healthy childhood for our children. You can see more at www.anxiousgeneration.com. One of the main takeaways of their research is that the overall challenge of today’s childhood is not an individual challenge but rather a communal challenge. As such, any solution therefore requires collective action as no one parent or family can solve this issue alone.

In the year 2000, Robert Putnam, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, published Bowling Alone, where he analyzed the decline in many social group activities (such as bowling leagues) and the ensuing decline of social capital and connection. Yet, he notes that “religions make Americans into better neighbors and better citizens” primarily because they build trust and social capital.

Haidt and Rausch, through their research, have similarly discovered that children from communities of faith seem to be faring better than their counterparts during this rewiring of childhood. They are also encouraged by the capacity of such faith based communities to come together to solve problems through collective action.

This idea of positive communal action is expressed by the Sefer HaChinuch (13th century) when describing the mitzvah of blowing the shofar during the Jubilee year which we read about this past Shabbat. In the 50th year of the agricultural cycle, there is a mitzvah for all landowners to release their workers and set them free. For many, this was an emotionally and economically charged mitzvah. They had developed relationships with their workers and it additionally would cause tremendous economic impact. Recognizing this challenge, the Torah commands us to blow the shofar on Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year as the Torah writes (Vayikra 25:9):

וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֞ שׁוֹפַ֤ר תְּרוּעָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִ֔י בֶּעָשׂ֖וֹר לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ בְּיוֹם֙ הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ שׁוֹפָ֖ר בְּכׇל־אַרְצְכֶֽם׃

“Then shalt thou cause the shofar to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the day of atonement shall you sound the shofar throughout all your land.”

The Chinuch writes (mitzvah 331):

 וְעִנְיַן שִׁלּוּחַ הָעֶבֶד שֶׁעָבַד אֶת אֲדוֹנָיו זְמַן רַב הוּא קָשֶׁה מְאֹד בְּעֵינֵי אֲדוֹנָיו, עַל כֵּן לְעוֹרֵר לֵב הַבְּרִיּוֹת עַל הָעִנְיָן וּלְחַזֵּק נַפְשָׁם וּלְהַזְהִירָם עַל הַמִּצְוָה בְּשָׁמְעָם אֶת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר, בִּרְאוֹתָם כִּי הַדָּבָר הַשָּׁוֶה הוּא בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ וְשֶׁהַכֹּל עוֹשִׂים כֵּן נִצְטַוִּינוּ עַל זֶה, שֶׁאֵין דָּבָר שֶׁיְּחַזֵּק לִבּוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם כְּמוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה הָרַבִּים,

And the sending of the slave who has served his master for a long time is very difficult in the eyes of his master; therefore to stir up the hearts of the people over this topic and to strengthen their souls, Hashem cautioned about this mitzvah through the sound of the shofar; when people see that the same thing is happening in the whole country and that everyone is doing similarly, so too we are commanded in this, as there is nothing that will strengthen the hearts of man like the actions of the many.

The Torah recognizes and is speaking to the very essence of human nature. When something is worthwhile yet difficult for us to do, the power of positive peer pressure can be very liberating. The challenges facing today's youth are multidimensional and nuanced. However, the evidence and data about the negative impact of smartphones and social media on our youth is overwhelming and compelling. Let us channel the advice of the Sefer HaChinuch (literally the Book of Education - written from a father to his son) that when people see that everyone is engaging in a positive action, it will encourage and motivate others. There is strength in the power of community - of our community! The time for collective action regarding smartphones and social media is now. Our children are counting on us. 

Rabbi Jonathan Knapp

Head of School