Attleboro
altogether, opting for pod education. As Jewish day
schools announced their intention to use the hybrid
model, or go fully in-person, enrollment actually
went up in some cases.

At public schools, the debate over the return to
in-person classes has pitted teacher safety against
student mental health and development. Jewish
parents were part of an organized opposition to
Montgomery County school closures last fall.

“They always say, ‘Follow the science,’” one
parent said of the closure. “The school is following
the science. So I’ve kind of lost faith in people that
want to make those types of decisions.”
On the other side, some teachers have expressed
skepticism over the safety precautions taken by
their superiors. Thousands of educators, includ-
ing Jewish teachers, taught outside in freezing
weather on Feb. 8 to protest the Philadelphia school
district’s reopening plan.

Mental Health
The last year has been a challenge in terms of
mental health. According to The Atlantic, “the
share of Americans reporting symptoms of anxi-
ety disorder, depressive disorder, or both roughly
quadrupled from June 2019 to December 2020.”
Isolation remains an issue, especially among the
immunocompromised and the elderly.

Last spring, we spoke to mental health profes-
sionals who were transitioning their clients to
telehealth. Men & Boys
Sun: By Appointment
Fran Orkin meets her great-grandson, Bradley
Keiser, for the first time after weeks of strict
quarantine. 
PHOTO BY RACHEL KEISER
42 THE GUIDE 2021/2022