[Avodah] Coeducational

[Prof. Levine]

At 05:07 PM 7/19/2021, Joseph Kaplan wrote:
>In the ongoing discussion about teaching secular education, RZS 
>wrote to prove a point: ?But everyone will agree that that 
>[coeducation] is bediavad; surely nobody will argue that it's 
>lechatchila, let alone that it's actually desirable and should be 
>done even when there's no pressure to have it!?

>Many say that RYBS, in starting Maimonides, did not agree, and, in 
>fact, did argue it was a lechatchila and desirable in elementary and 
>high school. I understand that some say he too believed it was a 
>bedieved, but there?s lots of scholarship for the lechatchila side. 
>My purpose is not to convince anyone what the Rav believed and, 
>quite frankly, we?ll never know for sure. My only purpose is to note 
>that according to many serious people, Zev?s statements that 
>?everyone will agree? and ?no one will argue? might be a bit too broad.

Historically some day schools were coed, because it was the only way
for them to remain viable. R. Avigdor Miller was most certainly not
a proponent of coed classes, yet the Chelsea Hebrew Day School which
he started was indeed coed. If not, he could never have gotten this
day school started. There simply were not enough boys and girls
enrolled to make separate boys and girls classes possible. This
school folded in the 1960's.

IIRC the first few elementary school grades in Rabbi P. M. Teitz's
JEC were also coed. I do not know if they still are.

YL