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June 10, 2022 (11 Sivan 5782) To Test or Not to Test Dear Holy Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you well, in good health and good cheer. Having enjoyed a successful Shavuoth last weekend, we look forward to welcoming you yet again this Shabbat for our hybrid services, which will take place both in our beautiful sanctuary as well as over our regular Zoom prayer link. We also thank Myra Brodsky, who is sponsoring this week's Kiddush in memory of her late husband, Leonard. This week has been intense at the Leffell High School, where I teach, as the students have been diligently preparing for final exams. The anxiety, nervousness and angst have been palpable as our teens are reviewing, writing, and reading, all the while greatly concerned about their grades and GPA. Certainly, there are educators who are proponents of final exams, as well as those who stand firmly, rejecting the idea of making kids review an entire year of work for the sake of one singular summative assessment. Studies show that students feel the need to stay up to the late hours of the night trying to cram all that information into their heads even if they know it because they don’t want to risk a bad finals score. A recent study done by Stanford University reveals that students that cram for tests and exams typically only pass their examinations with an average score and if you’re at an F, that really isn’t going to help you. The study also showed that most of the information gained through cramming sessions ends up being forgotten not just over a period of time but even during the actual test itself. So, in the end, finals are just creating unhealthy habits for a student, not actually helping them learn, and will not make a big impact in their grade when they require it. On the other hand, an unsung benefit of final exams is that when studying for them, students are forced to look at all the learning material they studied that semester together. This is especially important in subjects that build on previous material. For instance, somebody trying to understand basic right triangle trigonometry might struggle if they do not remember how the hypotenuse works, but if they had to review the hypotenuse for a cumulative final exam, their understanding of the newer concept would be improved in a way it would not if they just had studied the newer concepts like most students do on a normal test. With opinions advocating for the elimination of final exams, as well as the necessity of recommitting to final exams, as a teacher of Limudei Kodesh (holy studies) I find myself asking how does this apply to the study of Torah in a Jewish high school? I am of the belief that any student who comes with a full heart, focus and energy to a Torah study class, already deserves a solid grade in any Tanach or Talmud class. I do not recall Moshe Rabeinu ever giving the people of Israel a final exam during the forty years of wandering in the desert before entering the Promised Land, so why should I? Rather, I reflect on the goals of our educational institution which prioritizes community, action, academics, and social action. In a frequently cited passage from the Babylonian Talmud (Kiddushin 40b), Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon debate this very question: “Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper story of Nithza’s house, in Lod, when this question was posed to them: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon answered, saying: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered, saying: Study is greater. All the rest agreed with Akiva that study is greater than action because it leads to action.” As we enter Shabbat, I am uplifted by our students’ commitment to daily study, which leads them to acts of kindness in the world and helping out their neighbors, friends and strangers. They are steadfast in their Jewish identity and passionate supporters of Israel. As they have accomplished that, they have already passed their final exam in the eyes of the heavens and HaShem. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric Wasser, EdD, Hon.DM
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