Afternoon Hebrew schools, despite competition from day schools and private tutors, continue to be the venues where the majority of American Jewish kids get their religious education.

from The Jewish Week:

Full-Time Teachers: Can The Model Catch On?

In a Midtown room, several 20-somethings are gathered around a scuffed-up table. With papers, cell phones and various caffeinated beverages before them, they enthusiastically brainstorm together and critique each other’s work.

A workshop for young writers or artists? No, this is the weekly meeting of Central Synagogue’s 10 full-time Hebrew school teachers.

… Central’s move to full-time faculty (supplemented by part-timers) comes as congregational schools around the country have been experimenting with an array of strategies and approaches to improve the much-maligned institution.

Whether they call themselves “congregational,” “religious,” “supplemental” or “complementary,” these outposts of part-time Jewish education – which struggle with competition from other after-school activities and limited classroom hours – have been the subjects of a fair amount of scrutiny in recent years.