Martin Polack’s warning about secular universities ought not to be glibly dismissed (“Warning for Parents Researching Colleges,” October 24, 2019). Many of our yeshiva-educated children are not prepared to deal with the pervasive non-Torah ideas and values of the secular universities. Combined with the Orthodox-Lite culture that exists, the general college ethos promoting pluralism, moral relativism, no absolute values, Bible criticism, atheism, guiltless sexual lifestyles etc. is hard to resist.

These issues exist and have existed forever. The problem is that our schools primarily teach text and hope that it will translate itself into firm commitment. We need to spend more time reinforcing Jewish values and Jewish behavior, and teaching the rationales and philosophy behind Torah and mitzvot.

As the Rambam says in Moreh Nevukhim, just as a child’s diet progresses, so too should we provide our children with a steady diet that reinforces the what with the why. Ideally our children should continue their Torah studies for as long as is feasible before they go out into the world. For many that will mean YU, Stern or Touro. If others opt for secular colleges, we have an obligation to prepare them to engage in this experience. Covering a few peraqim less, and spending that time in discussing the underpinnings of our mesorah, is an investment in our children’s future.