Is there a halacha problem to teach in a catholic academy?

amother

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 9:50 am

I see jobs posted about teaching or tutoring in Catholic academies. Before I potentially apply, please tell me: Is there any halacha issue with teaching in a Catholic academy? I know we're not supposed to enter a church but I don't know if a Catholic academy is considered like a church, and if there are any halacha issues with teaching or tutoring there? I don't know much about catholic academies, so I don't know if there are issues with teaching there as a Jewish woman? Normally that would not be my preference but I need a job, and want to know what issues there might be.

amother

Gold

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 10:11 am

Like the previous poster said, you need to ask someone who can posken in your specific case.

For your interest, though...When my husband had a similar question about a catholic university, he was told by our rov that (if questions of avodah zora are resolved) it is preferable to be teaching in a religious place vs purely secular one. The people around you are more likely to have an appreciation for your own religious practices and, more generally, a value for spirituality. That is definitely what he has found over the course of his work in that institution. There is much more tolerance for taking time off for Yom Tov, for not shaking hands, for oddities of dress, etc than he would encounter in a secular environment.

amother

Turquoise

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 10:52 am

I asked about working as a school based therapist in a Catholic School. I was told that it's fine as long as I don't enter the sanctuary. I will admit that it weirded me out somewhat to be surrounded by people all day long who held strong religious convictions that were so opposed to mine.

amother

Olive

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 12:00 pm

lech lecha08 wrote:

There would likely be a cross in every room. You need to think if you would be comfortable with that

OP could ask for that to be removed if it were there. That’s part of the school respecting her religion. FWIW, I sent to a catholic school for two years. It was a great experience and mamish better than my yeshiva experience.

miami85

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 1:42 pm

I did P3 in a catholic school, I got the job through another frum person who also did P3 there. The staff there was very nice. I had a good year. I just taught/reviewed spelling and math.

Last edited by miami85 on Wed, Dec 25 2019, 2:22 pm; edited 1 time in total

Ruchel

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 1:44 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

lol no you can't really ask that without being chutzpaniak

groisamomma

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 1:57 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

OP, please don't make a fool of yourself! It is a private institution and you have no legal right to do so. If you're going to stir the pot then don't teach there.

Be prepared that not only will there be crosses and statues but they also refer to each other as Sister this and Sister that. You will need a rav for the shailos that will undoubtedly crop up but if you need a job I'd say go for it.

seeker

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 4:21 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

Sounds like a great way to destroy any potential working relationship with the place.
If you would be providing individual therapy or the like, you could perhaps ask to work in a room without a large hanging cross. I didn't have to personally ask but when I took an intervention job in a Catholic school they didn't have religious symbols all over the therapy offices the way they did in the main parts of the school.

Re OP question, AYLOR but I know many frum educators who have worked in Catholic schools. They tend to be pretty nice places to work, though of course with individual variations.

Aylat

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 4:44 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Is it halachically permissible to teach in a room with a cross?

I substituted a few times in a Catholic school and asked a shaila and was told not to make brachot in front of a cross. There was a big cross on the wall in every room, so it was hard to find somewhere to eat lunch. I was also told it was preferable not to work there, which was a shame because it was a pleasant work environment, and supply teaching often isn't. But it seems like the kind of thing there may be different opinions on, and be highly dependent on the details of the situation, so I strongly recommend you ask your own shaila.

A postscript that is a tangent to OP's question:
The way it works as a per diem substitute teacher: I get a timetable and varying quality of lesson plans and materials to teach. Once in this Catholic school the timetable included a religious studies lesson. I glanced over the lesson plan, thinking it might have been about general values or something, but it was heavily New Testament and Yoshke oriented. I switched the order of the lessons (a young primary school class) and meanwhile sent a pupil to the office with a message saying I had a question about the lesson and requesting someone come. When the secretary came I politely explained that I would be unable to teach this lesson and asked whether another teacher would come to do it or what they would like me to do instead. She understood immediately and was EXTREMELY apologetic that that lesson plan had even been given to me.

amother

Olive

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 7:36 pm

I’m curious as to the posters who didn’t like the suggestion have ever had any experience or if this was a hypothetical knee-jerk. My suggestion was based on actual experience of having a child in such a classroom. The school very happily had my child and were highly accommodating.

amother

Jade

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 10:31 pm

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

That seems a little hypocritical. She would be in their school, which is based on their beliefs. It would be disrespectful to ask them to remove it, especially to say that it’s to respect her religion when she clearly isn’t doing that for them 😂

DrMom

Thu, Dec 26 2019, 1:45 am

amother [ Olive ] wrote:

You put your child in a Catholic school?

amother

Jetblack

Thu, Dec 26 2019, 1:48 am

amother [ Jade ] wrote:

Exactly.
It would be extremely rude and offensive to ask them to remove the cross in THEIR private institution.

Lehavdil, imagine a Catholic worker came to a yeshiva and insisted they remove the mezuzah before she was willing to enter the room.

chipmunks

Thu, Dec 26 2019, 6:38 am

amother [ Jetblack ] wrote:

Sorry, not the same thing at all. For one thing, a mezuzah is not offensive to them. The contents are also included in their religious texts and they don't see a contradiction between believing in Hashem and their dogma.

Also, she wouldn't be asking them to take down, for example, the one in the lobby or cafeteria. A therapy room is a very private place and if it would be like her office, why shouldn't she be allowed to have a say in what is(n't) on the walls for a good reason? She wouldn't be refusing to go in the principal's office because they have a cross, right? Plus if they're Catholic it would probably actually include the figure on it, right? If I'm not mistaken, even other Christians have a problem with that and might not want it in their own personal workspace.

You'd have to be careful to make it a quiet, respectful request directly to someone who could do something about it, but yes, that is reasonable.