The JEC is renowned for its progressive and effective approach and its Rav Teitz Mesivta Academy continued that tradition by hosting Fight the New Drug this week, an organization that travels the country discussing the dangerous effects of accessing inappropriate materials on the internet and on cell phones. Fight the New Drug’s presentation had previously been made to students at Yeshiva University and was endorsed by community rabbonim. The presentation was made last week to students in the RTMA division during the day and to parents that same evening.
“The digital age is one that everyone is grappling with,” said Dr. Akiva Perlman, the Jewish Educational Center’s director of guidance. “While it may be easier to understand the frustrations of parents and educators who are trying to contain the widespread use of it, it may be more challenging to understand how it’s affecting the lives of students who are being raised not only by their parents but also by their devices.”
One student even remarked during an interactive Q&A session that followed that he sometimes feels as if he has two sets of parents—one, his real biological set, and the second, those who he consults via the internet, or even the internet itself.
Dr. Perlman is well aware of this and remarked, “We felt an urgent need to address this and spent several months seeking out the most appropriate program to address the digital lives of our kids and its often overlooked effect in their personal and relational development. Fight the New Drug was presented to the students, guidance personnel and parents, as we saw a critical need to address this issue in its totality and not treat it as a tangential issue in our students’ lives. We see the struggle and felt the need to enhance our partnership with the parents in tackling this together as a unified system.”
“This is engagement and reflection at their cores, “ said RTMA Principal Rabbi Ami Neuman. “The boys were shocked at some of the statistics they saw, and were committed to renewing the ‘fight’ for real love and commitment.”
One student shared that he valued the manner in which the RTMA administration viewed the boys — with maturity, respect and trust. “It’s not every day that a school can have such an open and sensitive discussion with students,” he said. “It means a lot. And it just shows you how and why RTMA is known for its incredible communication and relationships.”
“Teenagers today are facing challenges like never before,” explained Rabbi Neuman, “And at RTMA we don’t shy away from these, but we partner with our students and their parents to engage in real conversations towards growth.
Thursday’s program addressed three fundamental issues — how technology and specifically pornography affect the brain, the heart and the world at large. These are issues, as was presented to parents, “that cross all borders of religious beliefs, political agendas and social backgrounds and may be considered a public health issue, rather than a moral, political or religious argument.”
Parents as well were stunned by some of the information they gleaned from the evening presentation and, as one father said, left “with a new sense of understanding of what these kids are dealing with. It is not easy growing up these days.”
The parent session included topics such as: Understanding the Effects, How to Prevent, Starting the Conversation and How to Respond if Your Child has a Problem.
Dr. Perlman was gratified with the reactions of both students and parents during their respective sessions and said that this is all about communication, which is paramount. “The message (we presented today) was sensitive, appropriate and, I believe, effective,” he concluded.
