When asked about Iranian membership at a Reformed Ashkenazi shul, Rabbi Yoshi affirmed in an interview that the main attraction for Persian Jews can be attributed to the synagogue’s Day School. The Stephen S. Wise Temple has an excellent elementary and adult school, which focus on empowering students to learn more deeply about their Jewish heritage. The Day School also shares close ties with the private Jewish Milken Community Schools, and this connection also attracts diverse communities to the synagogue. Rabbi Yoshi asserted that the stronger an individual’s Jewish identity is, the more likely it is that a full-time Jewish education will be attractive to that individual.

Unsurprisingly, the Temple congregation includes many Persian Jews who are deeply committed Jewishly, and possess a strong Jewish identity. Rabbi Yoshi also found this strong correlation among immigrants, who are typically more observant. Day schools are also not available at Persian synagogues, making the Stephen S. Wise Temple all the more appealing to the religious Persian community. The Day School accommodates a combination of roughly 50% Sephardic students and 50% Ashkenazi students, according to Rabbi Yoshi. When students are enrolled in the Day School, their families also join the Stephen S. Wise Temple and become more involved in the synagogue. Therefore, the education provided at the Day School functions as a major factor increasing membership at the Stephen S. Wise Temple within the Persian Jewish community.

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