The Orthodox Jewish communities that maintain hasidic traditions from pre-World War Two Europe have thrived in New York City, growing exponentially over the decades. But as they've grown, their isolation has increased in many ways, including what they teach their children in school. 

“You don’t have to go to the outside world,” said a great-grandmother in Borough Park. “We’re so thankful for our insular world here because there is everything that we need here, it offers everything for the person.”

One thing it no longer offers, with a few exceptions, is a good secular education for the boys.  Most get only basic English and math — and nothing else: no history, no science, no art. After eighth grade, the boys' curriculum consists entirely of Jewish studies. (Because girls are not allowed to study as many religious texts as the boys, they get a slightly better secular education.)

To some, this is a mark of the community's success, evidence that English is no longer necessary for it to flourish. To others, it's a way for the religious leaders to hold sway over their followers.

Moshe Krakowski, a professor of Jewish education at Yeshiva University, said the lack of secular education in hasidic yeshivas was not about control but about maintaining a traditional way of life.

Whatever the reason, there are those in the community who concede that the lack of secular education for boys is a problem that needs to be addressed. But that, they say, should not involve the government — except in the form of more public funds.

This story is the second in a four-part series produced in partnership with The Jewish Week which has its coverage here.