Shtetl vs Open Community

Having read a few articles recently about New Square and Williamsburg, and thinking about the recent elections in Betar that caused a landmark victory for a group that canvassed on a platform of stopping the 'committee' that approves all tenants and buyers in the area, I began to think about closed vs open communities.

We have had shtetls for hundreds of years and many, many were totally obliterated in the Shoah. This does beg the question as to whether Hashem was trying to tell us something. The age-old conundrum of 'being a light unto the nations' whilst being enclosed was always answered to me, from my kiruv professionals, that we have always been enclosed and separate and have had a huge affect on the nations. However, with my background in Jewish History significantly advanced now, I know this isn't true. The Rambam was the Sultan of Cairo's official physician. The Abarbanel was very influencial in the courts of King Frederick and Isabella. The Ramban had a high profile Disputation against the early Inquisition. This isn't being enclosed, this is being out there, in your face.

Statistics (don't ask me what they are or where they are from, I don't know), say that the drop-out rate is far higher from closed communities such as Bnei Brak, Beitar, RBS Bet etc than open ones such as in Tel Aviv and Haifa. However New Square in upstate New York is entirely enclosed and has a virtually non-existant drop out rate. I think New Square is an exception as they also have a tolerant and caring atmosphere, a strong sense of Ahavas Yisroel and a reputation of no machloket that all children are infused with.

So on the whole, more closed communities lead to higher number of kids dropping out. Why? One answer is that kids in 'open' communities have to confront their identity early on, are dealing with questions in faith and ask their parents those questions, and their parents, in turn, have to be prepared with answers. Parents (and teachers for that matter) in closed communities don't expect the questions, probably never asked them themselves growing up and don't know how to deal with them, preferring to yell at their kids for having chutzpah than seriously search for answers.

Questions such as "How do we know Hashem gave us the Torah?""How do we know Hashem exists?""How do we deal with issues such as Evolution and the Big Bang?" need to be answered in every teenagers' mind. Open communities foster healthy questioning and self-search that can only lead to stronger Jews.