Family tradition vs. the youth movements

This is the fifth article in a series about dormitory education. The previous article introduced the issue of a premature removal from the home.

Children gain many positive attributes and skills as a result of their affiliation with youth movements. They learn how to lead groups of younger children, how to speak in public, how to use survival skills, and much more. The youth movements are to be commended for these positive aspects.

However, these youth movements sometimes step in to and remove family traditions. Very often the youth movements decide on a form of prayer that will be used by everybody.

There are certain basic lines of prayer for Jews from different areas - for Sephardim, for Ashkenazim, for Yeminites, and others. Each one is equally acceptable. There are reasons for maintaining the separate and distinct traditions preserved by families for many years. They should be continued by the children.

Yet, the youth movements have people from different cultural backgrounds who want to pray together. Each one should be allowed to pray according to his own tradition. However, such is not the case.

The youth movement creates a standardized form of prayer, as does the Israeli Army, and some schools, and everybody recites the prayers according to that form, and melody.

The next article in the series questions those who make fundamental and far-reaching decisions about family health that goes beyond the benefits of the melting pot.