The Rule

Part of their ongoing 3 R's trilogy on urban Newark (after Revolution '67 [VL-5/08]),husband-and-wife filmmakers Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno here look at the success of the Benedictine Newark Abbey and its inner-city school, which is operated under a manifesto of behavior that was codified 1,500 years ago by St. Benedict. The monks' students, overwhelmingly black and Hispanic boys coming from backgrounds of dire poverty and violence, achieve far better scholastic records than their peers in nearby public schools. St. Benedict's College was chartered in 1868 with the mission to bring that era's ghetto toughs—Irish and German immigrants—together peaceably. Later changed to St. Benedict's Preparatory School, it went on to become a top Catholic prep school, but was closed in 1972 following widespread race riots and concerns from the more conservative monks, who were fearful of the changing Newark. Winning by a narrow vote, more progressive young monks were successful in re-opening the school in 1973 with an outreach mission aimed at at-risk minorities. Although Catholic dogma and religion are somewhat downplayed here, this is a solid case study of an educational model for at-risk kids that seems to be working. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)