A spirited methodological debate between two prominent Jewish education scholars in America reveals deeper tensions between empirical and theoretical approaches to educational reform. The correspondence, sparked by Rabbi Hertzel Fishman's review of "The Education of American Jewish Teachers" (edited by Oscar I. Janowsky), centers on fundamental disagreements about how best to evaluate and improve Hebrew teachers colleges. Janowsky champions the book's comprehensive survey-based methodology, which examined curriculum, faculty, financing, and community support across eleven accredited institutions, leading to proposed reforms including doctoral programs and enhanced contemporary Jewish studies. Rabbi Fishman counters that mere surveys are insufficient, advocating instead for authoritative institutional evaluations, prestigious doctoral programs, and innovative character education approaches. Their exchange illuminates a broader conflict between descriptive research approaches and prescriptive reform agendas in addressing the acknowledged challenges facing Jewish teacher education institutions in America, highlighting the persistent tension between data-driven analysis and transformative programmatic change.