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High School Students Punished for Facebook Accounts

There was much commotion and confusion in the halls of Beis Rivkah High School today, as the school administration cracked down on the possession of Facebook accounts by students.

Every girl in the 11th grade who possessed a Facebook account – about half the girls in each class – was individually removed from class and given a slip of paper with an ultimatum: delete the account entirely and pay a $100 fine, or face expulsion from the school.

A number of students and parents are especially upset about the move, claiming that the students had been encouraged by the school administration to create Facebook accounts the previous year, in order to vote for Beis Rivka in the Kohl’s charity giveaway. The school administration, however, says that they only encouraged the parents of students to create accounts for the vote – a fact that is disputed by the students.

A school administrator, who spoke to CrownHeights.info on condition of anonymity, said that the purpose of the crackdown was to restore a certain level of Tznius that had been lacking among the girls, as Facebook accounts had been cited as a contributing factor to the decline of Tznius standards by many Mashpi’im and Educators.

It seems that today’s sweep was aimed only at the 11th grade; there is no word yet on whether similar action is being planned for the other grades in the high school.

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246 Comments

    • Maybe things should be taught differently

      Maybe instead of freaking out about Facebook they can encourage them to use it in a snius way. In the snius way they can use it is to post picture to advertise school events, and have achdus. The internet is only a bad for thing if used for bad things. In an orthodox Jewish school I was taught this. There are ways to make Facebook positive and connecting and growing closer with your fellow classmates is the Most positive way you can use it. If they want it to monitored maybe they should have the girls make accounts registered with the school and have an administrator moniter them. This will provide trust and encourage unity among all girls

  • whoaaa

    first of all i don’t know why this was put online its just a HUGE embarrassment for Beis Rivka altogether. second, how did the administration find out? we’re missing details. third it may be wrong but they have a point: they did have to make an account and although i dont have one i know it can be addicting and something to always check.

  • me

    the girls also post incredibly untsniusdig photos and interact with their male counterparts.

  • 11th grader in Bais Rivkah High School

    it was not about tznius it was about the fact that we sighed a contract stating that we would not have a Facebook account, and by having a Facebook account we were in violation of the contract in result having to pay a fine of $100, its like a ticket you do something that’s against the rules you get fined.

  • ...

    I understand that a school would do something like this, but I DO NOT understand why ANY website would post something like this!! To make it known does not make it right!

  • mn

    to have a facebook account you need internet access.

    is that OK?

    I guess that doesn’t matter?

  • to# 3 and all

    1st’ly i say “its about time” administration got off their tucheses and finally did something.

    to #3
    1- oy vay if you consider THIS an embarrassment to BRHS.
    2- its totally irrelevant how the admin found out.
    and to your 3rd point – you may have a point there but still irrelevant – and i highly doubt that there were actually 11th graders that made an account just to vote for brhs.

    the next issue here is how many will pay the fine, delete this account, and then create another with some othere type of alias?

  • Power or Influence

    Gone are the times where you can impact with power. Yes, with power you can make an impact for a day, a month, a year, but it will ultimately backfire when the individual escapes the clutches of that power.
    The only sure-fire way, “the longer-shorter way”, is through having a positive influence. In this case, did the school perhaps think of conducting a series of workshops about the potentially destructive power of Facebook? Or, perhaps give them the tools to channel their use in a constructive way? Educating the parents?
    By suspending the kids because of Facebook, the school is sending a message: :“There is no room in Yiddishkeit and Chassidishkeit for Facebook.” That is nice and ideological, but the flip side is that for the kid who wants to be on Facebook regardless, s/he will come to regard Yiddishkeit and Chassidishkeit as not for them.
    You can ban Internet use, Facebook, Twitter, cellphones, and in ten years the kids will be gone.
    Or, you can educate kids about proper and improper Internet use, Facebook, Twitter, cellphones, and you will come out ahead in the long run.

  • Hocheach Tochiach

    funny when it comes to money, the kids are encouraged to sign up.. what HYPOCRISY!!!!

    Talk about the real Egel HaZohov.

  • MS

    Don’t educate someone through threats and punishments, educate them by showing them how what they have is so much BETTER.

  • Nobody

    Sorry, Beis Rivkah explicitly asked the high school girls to sign up for facebook to vote in that context.

    I thank Hashem today that my girls are not in that school.

  • stupidest post ever

    stupid for posting this online and yes they have also talked to other grades

  • girl

    they arent just targeting 11th grade they are doing grade by grade and they started with 11th grade bec i think the most girls in that grade have facebook they are also doing 1th 10th and 12th grade and i think that the 100$ they gave will be returned if they dont reactivate it until after graduation but if they do reactivate or dont deactivate then they wont get their 100$ back and they get suspended for a period of time

  • A non religious CH boy

    Haha these people really think that taking down these girls FB account will shield them from the outside world and keep them following the path you set out for them. Its like blinders on racehorses. Sorry but your daughters are going to see the world for what it is and blocking them from it will only make it worse and more appealing to them. Educate and inform. dont shield and block. The idea should be to teach them to make the right choice not no choice.
    and you wonder why the younger generation is fry…

  • please consider...

    1. this article does not belong here. if we mock school policy (which is bound to happen as a result of this article), it will only lead to trouble. girls need to respect administration and their decision and we as adults need to encourage that.
    2. the girls are to bring in a check for 100 which may be postdated for next year and returned at the end of 12th grade.

  • Mother of 11th grade student

    Punishing the parent with a $100 fine Erev Pesaech is a bigger chutzpah than the whole facebook account itself. If the school wants proof that the facebook account is closed, I’m sure the girl can bring proof of it to the administration of the school. How are girls, especially from out-of-town supposed to pay this fine by tomorrow?
    I am aware that teachers have facebook accounts, what punishment are they being given???

  • LAWYER

    NO INSTITUTION LEGALLY TELL SOMEONE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN COT DO IN THERE OWN HOME THIS IS 100 PERCENT ILLEGAL

  • lol at chinuch

    what? muttar for parents and assur for kids? What a hypocrisy. We teach by example don’t we?

    • Sarah

      Can you not see where adults might be able to handle a Facebook account & children not be able to?

  • chaim

    sorry the crackdown is uncalled for .. if it is wrong to have a facebook account then i strongly feel the school is totaly wrong for asking students and parents to sign up for money .. if it is kosher for money it is kosher to have for other things .. sorry facebook is not the only thing causing tzinus problems .. either you crackdown on all or nothing … i do NOT expect a crackdown overnight and all will be rectified though i do expect consistency and fairness

  • bais rivkah is in a messy situatuion! :/

    unfortunately Bais Rivkah Hight school has the money to pay for a facebook hacker BUT NOT ENOUGHT TO PAY TECHERS. teachers are eaving in bais rivkah bc they arent gettiing paid.they care more about getting girls in touble then the actual education! maybe this is a way to pay for teachers! oh absurb!according to the law hackers are not legal and can be reported. any student in bais rivkah can report and it will be messy. bais rivkah wasnt smart in this area.THSI IS NO WAY TO DEAL WITH ANY TZNUISDIK PROBLEMS. GIRLS WILL STILL FIND A WAY TO DO WHAT THEY DO NO MATTER WITH FACEBOOK OR NOT. NOW THEY WILL EVEN BE WORST AND HANG OUT INSTEAD OF CHATTING ON FACEBOOK. before u do something think out of the box girls are complicated and coonfuused this days more then ever! and u need to learn how to deal with it1

  • college graduate

    This is a messed up system we live in.. I wanted to get a degree I i went to school & was looked down on.. I got my degree but many friends never went to college.. were disencouraged to go to college but bais rifka only wants to hire teachers with a decree… Go figure..

  • priorities

    BAIS RIVKAH HAS NO FOCUS! There are much larger problems to be addressed like DRUG, BOYS, …. This is not the correct way to approach this problem, what BR should have done is mail parents and ask them to sign a slip saying that they are aware of their daughters facebook and they allow it.Lets get priorities straight

  • $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

    WHOS IS PAYING $100, NOT THE KIDS! WHY R U PUNISHING THE PARENTS!!

  • sad chinuch here

    to #30.. Ur soo right!! I’m soo upset not going to college.. you’re soo right.. i wish I did.. I now have financial issues & feel like I’m paying the minkowitz family to enjoy their summers at cozy acres

  • ANNOYED PARENTS

    Wake up and smell the coffee BR, YOU ARE THE MOST HATED MOSTOD IN THIS COMMUNITY!

  • THINK

    BAIS RIVKAH WE ARE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, WAKE UP! USE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! USE YOUR BRAINS, THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES YOU CAN MAKE! YOU TURNING EVERYONE OFF!

  • Live with it curiosity is human.

    Maybe we should send all the girls to live in a monastery in Tibet for the four years or make a deal with the Satmar and send them to Kiryas Joel.

    Suppressing the curiosity and natural desire for individual identity of a teenage girl or boy is like crushing a flower before it blooms.

    Banning facebook will make children or even adults more curious and drive them to get there one way or another.

  • really sick

    i think people are forgetting on how scary and sick it is how they found out when girls put up very different names
    i think its extremely creep and sick

  • Following The Leader

    Wait and see, within the next few days ALL the Chabad schools will follow Bais Rivkah’s lead and make the same ultimatum.
    What Bais Rivkah says, goes.

  • open minded girl from CrownHieghts

    to number 21 youve said every thing i think i could write. but who tells us u have a computer use type your esays and please tell me 5 teachers that dont wear jean short skirts , slits and faceboook.

  • 10th grader from beis rivkah

    ATT 21: THANK YOU!! i feel the exact same way!
    my school thinks their hiding us from the outside world by making us take down FB accounts…even going to shul is a way boys and girls meet up….beis rivkah isnt changing anything .this is the new generation DEAL WITH IT!!!

  • Fb

    No offense to the administration but with or without fb the girls will still do what they want. Fb has absolutely nothing to do with how a person will act. The girls who do what they want will do what they want even without fb

  • duhh

    Attention beis rivkah

    If you all refuse to pay the fine they cannot kick you all out! they need you for tuition and government funding, they will not expel half the school.

  • beis rivkas girl

    beis rivka high school?? annnd….whaaat abouuut the bochrimm???????

  • Punishing parents

    Chutzpah to be punishing the parents. They should have given a 24 hour period, where if you dont delete the account in 24 hours THEN pay the fine. But must be able to have the oppurtunity to delete it. I guess bais rivka needed quick cash to pay the teachers.

  • no one special

    It would seem that all “educational” innovations, by Chabad, are reserved for those who we want to mkarev; certainly not being used for their own.

  • SHAME!!!!

    I would first off like to state that The girls comeing out of bais rivkah today are extremly not snius.
    what happened to the good old days.
    I mean every i go to kol tuv I almost faint from the things i see.I recently decided to move out of crown hieghts to newsquare becouse of whats bin going on in crwon hieghts yes newsquare is not the best place to raise a lubovitch family.But at least my children will grow up in a chasish community were the laws of snius are not streched , to say the least.

  • big sis

    don’t agree with what brhs did
    1) because it will cause more girl to get fake account were they would be way less careful what they post on wall and what page they like any who they friend (I knew this because a see teenager a lot of time with fake name don’t care at all what they post of time trash because they say know one will know it me) great way to make a lot more sneaky student
    2)a lot of time a saw lot of good come out off face book like voting for school (like brhs:})
    I have no problem if brhs Punish girl if they do some thing bad on facebook like unTznius picture or write a bad word think that are not good weather one in the real world or on face book(but they should go haunt it down see who is doing this)

    p.s.
    I was a good behave student in brhs all way dress Tznius and still do. all way fellow rule

  • moshelozenik (shaulson)

    facebook can be very good in many ways the amount of people that can be encouraged to do another mitsva put on tefilin or light shabbos candles is no small number and the shiduch possibilities are high also this is just going to create hate in these girls hearts for Judaism they are going to thinks this is all its about its a terrible decision and on top of this all when there is a competition to win money for the schools they encourage it i do not think this is the smart choice and it wont send a good message

  • BH, they did the right thing.

    Beis Rivkah did the right thing. Unfortunatley the decision to vote on Facebook was promoted by the administration whose main focus is money. This move is black and white – if only there wasn’t this hypocrosy.
    I hope that BR,Lubavitcher yeshiva and the other chabad mosdos learnt a lesson and will always consider the effect their fundraising events have on our children.

  • BH, they did the right thing.

    Beis Rivkah did the right thing. Unfortunatley the decision to vote on Facebook was promoted by the administration whose main focus is money. This move is black and white – if only there wasn’t this hypocrosy.
    I hope that BR,Lubavitcher yeshiva and the other chabad mosdos learnt a lesson and will always consider the effect their fundraising events have on our children.

  • Bais Rivka has failed lubavitch

    This is a perfect example of why i left luvavitch!! My experience in BRHS was one giant humiliation! Everyday we would have to go past the tznius lady and lift our skirts, sign contracts that we would always be dressde modestly or be expelled…we were not people we were prisoners…look in the mirror Bais Rivka and see who is responsible for all the girls going off the derech.

  • CRAZY

    crazzy school!! how can they do this??
    punish the hole family for something they said to do!
    the teachers have facebook?!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!
    CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • why

    this should be taken off. bais rivkah is a great school and does not desserve this

  • FLORIDA MOM

    just want to tell you all the LEC OF FLORIDA THAT THE CHABAD SCHOOL IN NORTH MIAMI FLORIDA. THEY DID NOT LET THE GIRLS HAVE FACE BOOK. MY DAUGHTER HAD ONE AND I KNEW ABOUT . THEY FOUND OUT AND SHE CLOSED IT. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT HALF HER CLASS HAD IT AND THE SCHOOL DID NOT KNOW SINICE THEY POSTES UNDER HALF THEIR NAMES ECT… AND NO MY DAUGHTER DID NOT HAVE A PICTURE UP.BUT SOME HOW THEY FOUND OUT

  • Parent

    Lol I think the parents should take their cases to the People’s Court and air it on Judge Judy!

  • Lol

    Ahhh this reminds me of when a couple years ago 12th grade made a mock end-of-year book. Administration gave out a letter saying that whoever didn’t turn in the yearbook would not receive their diploma.

  • not justified

    Some 11th graders were excluded from deactivating their facebook accounts!!!!
    This was not for all the 11th graders, some girls still were given the “right” to keep their facebook accounts!!!

    Either this rule is for all the girls or none of them.

  • Ha.Ha.Ha.

    LMAO!
    This is too funny!! I love how BR thinks this will stop girls from having facebook. Change your name, adjust your privacy settings, and vioula! Facebook reactivated and no school can find out.

  • hava naggila

    this is a booshah to klal yisroel and we must ajoin in an efort to make the rebbe proud. We must learn from our mistakes and change our bad ways> amen

  • an angry parent

    what about chinuch for our children! facebook is an appropriate tool to encourage chinuch for our children. i do not think facebook is of any concern to the school! there are much WORSE problems than facebook to be dealt with.

  • guadalupe hidalgo

    its a self esteam issue and people resort to facebook its not good

  • A BR student

    Girls that want to do stupid things will do it regardless of whether or not the school allows facebook. BR should try to concentrate on positive reinforcement. No more calling out girls names in front of the whole shul, screaming at girls in the hall (in front of many people), charging girls for breaking any rules etc. Mrs. T is an amazing person — don’t get me wrong! The students love her. The faculty of BR need to change their attitude.

    Ps. P

  • facebook is worse than most ppl realize.

    ..and causes horrible consequences…BR should have never had them sign up to begin with- they are known to do anything for $ though, which is very sad, and makes it not an option for my girls…

  • SHOCKED RUDE BR PUNISHING THE PARENTS!

    HAHAHA GUYS ALL OF U SHOULDNT GIVE IN THE MONEY THEY CANT EXPELL U ALL!!!
    JUST WAIT TILL ALL OF U MAKE A NEW FCBK NAME BR WILL GET 2 FUSTRATED!

  • chochom einov birosho

    Beis Rivka will have to swallow the criticism on this since they promoted it when they thought they can make a buck. Other frum mosdos in NY didn’t even have a hava amina to go for the Kohls competition – how did we fall for it?
    In general our mosdos are matir things that without a doubt will have a negative impact on our children and the community. How can OT HONOR alumni who lead lives that are a far cry from how we are supposed to be? What priorities do our children learn from that?

    I realize how difficult it is to raise funds but somehow the other frum mosdos don’t stoop to the level that our mosdos do (i heard that a mosed in lakewood removed a “dream home” prize from their auction because it went against the VALUES they teach).

    It is time to put our priorities in order. It is also time we realize that our fund raising events will come back to bite us

  • A furious brhs student

    #9 how did u post this yourself if u think Internet is bad and these girls shouldn’t be on it ??.??? #33 completely couldn’t agree more. This is a pure chutzpah of the school causing agmas nefesh for the parent for no necessary reason! Making them caugh up
    $100 Erev pesach mind u !! Money doesn’t grow on trees anymore!

  • Montrealer

    Hahaha much better than what beis rivka Montreal did! Anyways, my friends in 11th grade still have!!!! :P

  • Unbelievable shmutzik behavior

    Really BRHS girls really?
    you guys are causing such agmas nefesh to Lubavitch! I cried my eyes out when I read this. I’m seriously having bad thoughts of joining the satmer group!!!!! WELL DONE BRHS!!!!!!!!

  • !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    By posting this on crownheights.info, you are shaming the name of bais rivkah. how could you publicize something like this?
    do you want the whole world to speak badly about the Rebbe’s school?!!!!!!!!

  • to #15

    excuse you!
    this happens in mostly all girls lubavitch schools so dont say you thank g-d that they are not in bais rivkah, which is the rebbe’s school

  • wrong

    The system keeps doing the same mistakes over and over again. No advancement at all. You have to pick you fights always. The stupidest thing is a knas (ticket). Doesnt come from the students pocket thats forsure. My father never gave me money for a knas and i got a bunch of them in yeshiva. They never worked with me rather try to kill my capacity my creativity and the human being i was. The system can fool its sefl but your runing out of time. The new generation will not play your game. I am barely interested in religion anymore. They killedmy desire to love idishkait.

  • Bais Rivkah hghschool needs a makeover!!

    Its about time Bais Rivkah Highschool came into the limelight!! Its time to bring out the positive in the girls instead of only the negative!!! The highschool needs a complete revamp!! They are pushing away all the girls by continuing to focus on the negativity!! Enough!!

  • Mother

    This is crazy. Way to go on “positive” reinforcement. I am a mother of 5 kids and personally this will not help anyone not the parents not the administration or the girls. Fine don’t have facebook but not through punishment. It’s like “who ever has g-mail is getting kicked out.”

  • concerned chtzer

    I think this whole artical is a DISCRACE schools should be respected with their policy’s if all of us parents would stick up for our schools we would live alot better not just brs but bnos menachum and all our community schools if we don’t have respect for our schools how do we expect our kids to have respect for us as a rule never do you dirty laundry in public

  • bais rivkah high school student

    A RULE IS A RULE NO MATTER IF ITS RIGHT OR WRONG NONE OF YOU PARENTS SHOULD B COMPLAINING YOU SEND YOUR DOUGHTER TO THIS SCHOOL SND SIGNED THAT CONTRACT AND SO DID YAOUAR DOUGHTER

    and to those who think not having fb makes it all ebtter it doesnt theres other ways!

    and tsnius people rlly whats the connectoin gosh stop saying u wish things were like the old times. its harer now dont ecpect everything to be perfect were tryingg!!!!!

  • ATT #19

    you are so right! they dont realize that theres other ways and their not stopping anything

  • just an idea-

    For all those pple that said BRHS ruined them and it was one public humiliation – from what i understand BRHS has changed since those days.

    For all those that are saying BRHS has bigger problems why not deal with that. That is like being pulled over by a cop for speeding and telling them- there are murderers and rapists roaming the streets and you are picking on me cuz i went 10 miles above the speed limit??

    Facts:
    facebook is a great social networking tool- thereby DESENSITIZING pple from what is right and wrong. lots of things that were in the gray area before – now that we see everyone is doing it (on facebook-via access to their entire life) it became white and acceptable.

    i dont think BRHS has a right to make a rule against facebook and they also have a right to enforce any rule they set in place.

    could be the way they did it was debatable (i dont know the details of how they did it- but if they would have brought in an inspirational speaker or a professional, to inspire them to maintain the sensitivities they have already, and a few weeks later reenforce the rule- they may have been a smarter move)

  • Please delete this

    I really think this post should be taken down, it isn’t leading to anything constructive.

  • Finally!

    To # 48: New Square would never let you move there. Only people brought up there can live there, + many other takonos…

    Thank you Bais Rivka for cracking down on Facebook. I hope this is only the beginning of many other areas that need “cracking down”.

  • Not Relevant

    In response to #21. Ir is completely true what ur saying! What a chutzpah right before Pesach to do this?!?

  • 10th grader from beis rivkah

    ATT 19: THANK YOU!! i feel the exact same way!
    my school thinks their hiding us from the outside world by making us take down FB accounts…even going to shul is a way boys and girls meet up….beis rivkah isnt changing anything .this is the new generation DEAL WITH IT!!!

  • this is sick

    i am in bais rivka in 11th grade nad i do have facebook and i did get called to the office and i do have to pay $100 o and i am an out of towner so it is coming from my money.. but NONE OF YOU AND ESPECIALLY NOT CROWNHEIHGTS.INFO HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK BAD ABOUT MY SCHOOL. NOT ONLY MY SCHOOL BUT THE REBBES MOSID. WE ARE THE BEST SCHOOL IN THE UNIVERSE OKAY. SO STOP SAYING DUMB LOSHON HARA AND CH.INFO PLEASE REMOVE THIS WHOLE THING. ITS JUST JUST WRONG!!!!!!!!

  • oy oyh oyhhhh

    Im sorry, but this is utterly ridic!!
    Listen, listen, every Jew—-
    If we signed an agreement, then whether or not we agree on it-gatta still keep to it!
    In the beginning of the year when I had to sign my contract, I DID NOT SIGN THE PART THAT SAID THINGS I DIDN’T BELIEVE IN. simple as that. you went along with the gang and followed, you gatta abide by what it says.

    No, punishing the parents was the wrong course of action! and getting a speaker to try and make the girls FEEL for yiddishkeit, yes, now we’re talking business!

  • questions?

    “the purpose of the crackdown was to restore a certain level of Tznius that had been lacking among the girls, as Facebook accounts had been cited as a contributing factor to the decline of Tznius standards by many Mashpi’im and Educators”
    1. How does facebook contribute to a decline of tznius standards?
    2. How doe facebook affect tznius standards more than other things such as the internet, cell phones, eating out, hanging out, etc.?

  • What can they do?

    What will they do if the students claim that the accounts do not belong to them and they were created by somebody else?
    Anybody can create fake accounts for somebody else. So any trouble maker who wants to get back at her classmate can create a fake account and the girl in whose name it is will get the fine without being able to do anything about it.
    What would the school say?

  • br alumnus

    as usual br is off the mark, i graduated over a decade ago and yet i see the school hasnt changed much.

    getting rid of facebook does NOTHING. do you not realize that facebook is the easiest internet networking site to monitor. lots of things done on facebook are public so the school can see a lot of what students do.

    make a rule that they have to use their real names, that would be a step in the right direction. now they’ll just all go and either make false names and do what they want on facebook or go to gmail or wherever where you cant monitor anything they do.

    kol hakavod br, as usual you missed the point.

  • why punish parents???

    pesach is almost here and i dont know about other parents but 100 dollars is not something i can spare right now.

    give the girls chesed work to do instead. it will keep them busy leaving them less time to go online and might go a bit towards solving the problem.

    but 100 dollar fine? does zero, all it does is rob the parents of hard earned cash.

  • LOL

    @66, hahahh,lol ur totally right.
    @69, ur right, its very amusing.
    @73, yea, and if they do all get expelled, i bet the teachers will have a lot less kids to deal with.
    GO BRHS!!!!

  • A concerned mother

    I think it’s a great idea to take away these accounts from the girls. Facebook is a dangerous site TAKE THEM AWAY!!!

  • The faker

    To #62, even if this case were to make it to the people’s court, our family would never get to watch it, since the shtus box doesn’t exist in our home. (lol, open the secret doors to the s’forim shank). Btw who’s judge Judy anyways (lol). To #61 I think 62 is a like.

  • THANK YOU

    Thank you very much BRHS you saved me very much. I was thinking of making a Facebook account but noow i will never

  • Battering Ram

    Lets just keep shoving stuff down our kids throats…

    Cover your knees or else!

    Don’t touch your beard or else!

    Close your facebook account or else!

    Daven right now or else!

    The list goes on and on…and then we wonder why they don’t care…

    Of course the kids don’t care, everything that is “right” is presented as a rule and a threat. Who wants anything to do with that kind of negativity?

  • our kids are not stupid

    Facebook is dreadful, tznius being one of reasons.But accept that we are in the 21st century Call in the professionals to teach our girls how to use it safely. They are going to use it regardless they are smart enough to beat the system . And mostly mature enough that once explained will appreciate the dangers involved and act accordingly.
    If this was a just money spinner to afford teachers some well deserved pay before Pesach what an genius idea!!

  • gril in 11th grade

    i will still have my facebook accont and i will not pay b/c they do not know that i even have one

  • Never to old.

    I was brought up to always respect my parents and still don’t have Facebook. Thank you BRHS for how you educate our kids. Btw tomorrow is my birthday and I’ll be turning 57.

  • Wacko at Cafe

    I, for one, do NOT have a Facebook account. My mommy said that it’s not right to have a Facebook and she doesn’t let me have one. I’m a very good boy and I listen to her. By the way, I’m a zaide and my youngest ainikel just turned 23. Thank you for listening and please always listen to your mommy.

  • SOME BOCHUR

    O WOW!!! LOL… U PEOPLE ARE SO FUNNY …NOTHING WRONG WITH FACEBOOK IF A GIRL WILL WANT TO MEET A BOY THERE ARE MANY MANY OTHER WAYS … FACEBOOK IS A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY NOT A DATE SITE…

  • BRHS STUDENTS

    Dear people reading this,
    We all go to BRHS and we have to deal with them 24/7 365. For them to turn around to us last year and tell us to get facebook if we didnt have and if we did have to vote for them so they can get the big $$$$ is just terrible. Its completely twisted and upside down. No matter what anyone says about the ‘fried’ girls thats a lost cause. they are way to far off that path for anyone to teach them anything. Its sad but they are gonna have to find their way again the hard way, so just build yourselves a little bridge and get over yourselves.Instead of focusing all your energy on the girls that you cannot save why dont you save the lectures for your kids. Sometimes you gotta leave the parenting to the the parent. You should have not called out the students, it was completely wrong and inopropriate. Enough said, we will just have to wait to see what happens….

  • Extremely shocked&disappointd brhs stdnt

    I can’t believe all you women call yourselves parents!!!!!
    If u knew that ur daughter had fb and I’m pretty sure that brhs sent u letters on ther rules against fb (i know I got one) then y didn’t you actually make your daughter deactivate it in the first place???? It was a scool rule and you signed the contract in the beginning of the year, so y are u all so shocked???? Brhs is just finally taking the stand and laying down the law. I personally dbt see wats not tznius bat it but to #68 I do not think fb is anywhere near appropriate for a chassidishe girls chinuch especially if it’s reprimanded by you daughters scool.
    To the not very reliable person hu had the nerve to post this up I think it’s the worst form of embarrassing someone. Not only are you embarrassing the name the Frierdiker Rebbes scool u are embarrassing all of the teachers and the entire student body. You shu be very ashamed! Not only that, you gave the wrong info. The money will be put in a speacial safe ( just for the fb checks) and will be returned to the girls before grad if they adhere to the rules. I can’t be sure and dont want to give the wrong info but I really don’t think there is going to be any expulsion…just suspension.

  • commitment

    The main point is not whether facebook is good or bad, personally it’s like driving a car. When you’re the right age, it’s the right thing to do. You don’t get a license until you have the maturity to deal with driving. If an adult using facebook responsibly, then it is an acceptable social tool. I am a highschool girl in BRHS and I agree 100% that a highschool student should not have facebook. However that’s not the point. Every student and most parents signed an agreement prior to the school year that they will not be on facebook, an agreement is a commitment! That is what was explained to us during school. The money will be returned to any girl who keeps her commitment and does not go on facebook. therefore, I think it was wrong to discuss an internal school matter in a public way.

  • FACTS!

    let’s get the facts straight!

    1. Only parents were asked to create a Facebook account when the Kohl contest was going on.
    2. There is no fine. The money is being returned if the student keeps her commitment.
    3. The students were not spoken to in public, but privately so they would not be embarrassed.

    Everyone can have their own opinion, but facts are facts.

  • a BR girl

    Bais Rivkah is an AMAZING school!
    and like any school it isn’t perfect. if you have SPECIFIC complaint go directly to the administaration badmouthing my school here doesn’t help anyone, it only makes things WORSE.

  • I thot ch loves brhs....

    Gee thanks now how am I suppose to wear my uniform proudly? Whoever posted this publicly humiliated brhs via web and now the entire ch hates us :(

  • br kid

    with all this negativity going on here all the good that br has and is, is being shoved under the carpet. As a student in br i have got to say that it is also one of the best examples of people taking chassidus and the ways of the Rebbe to heart, and making it practical for this generation,and most of us agree. The energy that we have a s whole is unbeatable, adn when channeled for the good is very powerful.Thank you!

  • girl

    i know personally which teacher have facebook ok? so br admin first make sure the teacher dont have facebook bec they are supposed to be our “role models” and i find this very hypocritical by saying now that br girls cant have facebook bec last year if i remember correctly to win the $500,000 you told EVERYONE to vote so you cud win the money funny how things work

  • BRHS STUDENT

    THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! instead of focusing all their energy on punnishing us they should use it to inform us on how to use facebook in the RIGHT way- DO NOT USE US TO HELP YOU PAY YOUR TEACHERS! brhs , im sorry to say, is in a definite need of a NEW, YOUNGER, more open minded faculty. mrs teichtel is a wonderful lady but she needs to retire like .. now.

  • 11th grade student

    Whether Beis Rivkah is right or wrong who gives crownheights.info permission to post this? It’s rude and not something that should be all over the news. There is no reason why what happeneds n a high school should be posted.

  • Load of...

    I get the ultimatum of delete the account or leave, but the 100 dollar fine is just extortion. Further suck the life blood of the parents so your schools administrators can keep on taking huge salaries and employing their family members… This is so wrong. What does money have to do with it?!?!?! Make them learn some Tanya or something. Why does everything have to come down to money? Unbelievable!

  • stop the machlokes!!!!!

    WEE JUST LERNT ABOUT WAT HAPPENED TO KORACH! WE HAVE TO MAKE WAT WE LEARN REAL! !!! I WANT TO COME AWAY FROM THAT GEMER TOMORROW KNOWING THAT I AM A LIVING EXAMPLE OF WAT I LEARN AND PREACH TO OTHERS. SO PLZ…….STOP THE MACHLOKES!!!

  • Once an 11th Grader

    Beis Rivkah hanhala is out of control. Someone needs to file a class-action. This is hypocrisy AND extortion.

  • hypocritical

    now parents who complained about the babysittin problem with babysitter charging to much now you have something new to add to your list
    ATT BRHS we are no the richest ppl on earth all these costs you charge is outrageous here are somethings we pay a fortune for
    g.o money=$150
    shabbaton=175 i know fair price for shabbaton but what about teachers that bring their whole family
    each time you absent or you failed a test= $5 each time
    infractions= ranging btwn $4-$10
    any extra curricular actives (there isnt many)= ranging btwn $4-$10
    book money= $35-$50
    losing a book (many of my fellow grade mate lost their books)= $35-$50
    and especially b4 pesach when parents are paying for camps now and tuition and stuff $100 isnt on the budget
    THANK GOD I DONT HAVE FACEBOOK AND THANK YOU TO MY MOTHER AND FATHER WHO DIDNT LET ME HAVE WHEN ALL MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING

  • To #19

    You are right on track! It is EXTREMELY unfortunate that “the system” tries so hard to hide the real world. They have to look at the bigger picture and teach their students between right and wrong and give them CHINUCH and not constant negativity, which would only harm them rather to help the situation. Today, the real problems that are dealt within society are covered up and not spoken about to the mere point that they don’t exist.Forcing students to delete facebook will NOT help anyone, it will only cause harm. “The system” needs to learn how to merge the two worlds that the young generation is living in rather to hide one over the other!!!!! There needs to be a balance where one can find his/her way to the middle path (shvil hazhav).
    Let’s not forget that the most important message is that all mentors, teachers, and administrators need to practice what they preach!!!

  • to mach !!!

    if facebook is bad for tznius ,
    jast say“close the acount or get out“ .

    why take the $100 ???
    i am 100% sure ,the BR will find a teretz and not return the money in the end .

    this is only a rip off by BR.
    it is osur- gzeyle is not diferent from tznius !!!!

  • Please vote for BRHS

    Wait a second. CHASE is giving away $500,000 per not-for-profit school. We need all the students voting for BRHS every day. We need parents volunteering to call everyone with accounts to vote. And if they don’t open accounts, BRHS can walk you through the process of opening up one.

  • ghetto

    As long as every member of the BR administration deletes theri account it’s fine.

    THey should also sweep the houses for cable TV, internet access in general..

    Fools.

    A school’s job is to teach not run the house.

  • to # 33

    dont say that about my school! wether they did this or not and wether its right or not beis rivka is still the best school ever!

  • DaasTorah

    I guess we should just go back to the shtetyl. That’s what the Beis Rivka admin seems to be desiring.

  • Half the class??

    It’s not half of each class that has facebook, it’s 99.9 percent of the school and it’s ridiculous that they think they’re gonna get everyone off like that

  • not a beis rivkah student...

    ARE WE SERIOUS?!?!??!? i live out of town and im friends with many of the beis riivkah girls its my way of communicating with them and catching up its my way to keep in touch!!! i dont think its an issue if girls have facebook seriously its their private life… NOT A GOOD RULE at all!!!!!!!

  • Yossi

    So…. As an outsider, I don’t really understand. The good girls stay good, the bad girls stay bad, and the the gray girls get a shade darker. It’s like the yeahivos that cut the bottom 25% every year. I mean girls/guys won’t lose theire yh just because it’s a little harder now to hookup. Can we not instead focus on really educating the girls on what the consequences of theyre actions?

  • Emanuel

    @ 23 23. LAWYER wrote:
    NO INSTITUTION LEGALLY TELL SOMEONE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN COT DO IN THERE OWN HOME THIS IS 100 PERCENT ILLEGAL

    First internet etiquette says when you write in all caps you are shouting. You don’t need to shout to express your ideas. Second, where you went to law school?

    If in fact you did, whcih I doubt, you should know that private schools are not required to guarantee their students freedom of speech, because the First Amendment does not apply to them. The text of the Amendment itself reads, “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.” That restricts what the federal government can do. Courts have applied the same restriction to State governments by interpreting the 14th Amendment, which says: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States.” Likewise, 42. U.S.C. 1983 (i.e., “Section 1983″), the statute Congress passed to enforce the 14th Amendment, prohibits interference with federal rights under color of state law.

    But nothing in either Amendment restricts what private individuals or companies can do. That applies to private schools, too, as the United States Supreme Court made clear in Rendell-Baker v. Kohn, a 1982 decision. There, the plaintiff was a staff member who was fired for advocating a different process for hiring faculty. She claimed that the termination violated her First Amendment freedom of speech. But the Court never reached that issue. Instead, it looked solely to whether she was terminated by the State or a private entity. ”If the action of the respondent school is not state action,” the Court said, “our inquiry ends.”

    So get your law straignht, and if this is the kind of legal advise you dispense to your clients, I hope you have a good malpractice insurance carrier to back you up.

  • not the answer

    you should be teaching them how to be tznius and proper on facebook. 90% of these girls, canceled accounts or not will have facebook once they leave the school. Many girls who go to work for businesses, both in town and out all have company facebook pages. Facebook is like a phone or a call today. You want to ban those too? I get that the school feels overwhelmed and is going for the “easy” target. But this is not a long term solution, it just gives you a temporary feeling of stisfaction that you uncovered the hidden accounts. But long term …. nebech

  • To #28

    You are a college graduate? No wonder standards are so low – you are illiterate (forget “blogspeak”!) You were probably advised not to go to college so you wouldn’t embarrass yourself with your academic inadequacies.

    As for this Facebook decree: the Hanhala just doesn’t know what to do to stem the tide of craziness pervading its students & ultimately, Crown Heights as a whole. My suggestion: clear out EVERYONE (including the Administrators) and bring in new people who are in touch with 21st century ways. While I think FB is potentially a huge problem, banning it & playing parent is ridiculous.

  • David Lerner

    I can understand having a no facebook policy, though I disagree with it, but the fine is thievery.Shame on the administration. Thank you sure posting this.

  • fines in a school?!!!!

    There’s never a reason to fine a child in school or
    yeshiva. Period.

    Students are not working (even though some have opportunities, that’s not everyone). By giving cash fines you are telling students that school work isn’t the focus.
    How can you ask a bochur to pay a knas when he either gets money from his parents so he doesn’t value is (he’ll just ask his parents for more cash) or he has to pay it himself from money that he doesn’t earn!!

    The most rediculous thing I’ve ever heard.

  • attorney

    If Bais Rivka is attempting to enforce a contract that it signed with parties who were under 18 when the contract was signed, then it’s unenforceable.

    If the individuals have turned 18 since the signing of the contract, then it’s enforceable (i.e., it has been ratified) — but, only since the time that he or she turned 18.

    So, if these girls are still under 18, then Bais Rivka has no basis from which to collect the $100.00 or to expel.

    This is one of the more basic tenets of contract law, and it has largely been upheld by the courts without deviation.

    Of course, it becomes slightly more complicated if the parents or guardians signed the contract, as well.

    It is my sincerest hope that [decent, honest] attorneys are contacted before parents cede to this ridiculous campaign.

  • mb

    why just the 11th graders – why not the entire high school and grade school –

    yee tznius should start from the top – however – it doesnt end there –

    if BR wants the students not to have a FB account the the entire school should not have FB accounts from the principles to the staff

    imho

  • raizy handler

    this is pathetic, especially if the school encouraged the girls to get accounts to vote for them in a contest. i’d take expulsion over this kind of education any day.

  • d00d

    so facebook is the reason for decline in tznius this year. what was in ten years ago?

  • parentel control

    Parents are told to sign contracts for the school but the parents only sign because they want their children to get chinuch. The parents when signing do not really agree to the rules but are signing out of coercion because they know that if they do not sign then their daughter will not be admitted into the school. Is it a form of extortion to make parents sign a contract with rules they know they do not agree with? Besides facebook, there may be other rules that parents don’t agree with such as wearing jeans, biking and rollerblading etc. Maybe the parents need to form a committee to make the rules themselves to the kind of education that they want their daughter to receive. While they are at it, they should also have a parent committee to review teachers and administration throughout the year and fire teachers who are not good role models or teachers.

  • This is what Chabad is all about!

    I think people need to read in between the lines here because this isn’t about better better Chassidim.

    Something very bad happened recently, Facebook was involved, and for one reason or other the administration of BR needs to protect itself (and possibly the students) so they don’t get sued or that it doesn’t happen again.

  • Nobody

    #127 nailed it. It is the fine that makes the whole thing disgusting.

    #153 – start such a school, I’m in!

    For those who think facebook is fine – its not. Psychologists and other experts who deal in technology addiction will tell you that a teenager has no business there. The issue is that what people do on facebook, and the way the expose themselves, and their families, is dangerous (physically – just watch facebook for who is away from their home) and brings out behavior that the people would absolutely never do dealing with real people in real life. I personally (and myself and my spouse and my kids do not have facebook) have been victimized by this, having someone publicly post our phone number, causing many phone calls including scams.

    If you want to stay in touch, use e-mail.

  • #19 has a good point!

    I agree with 19. If you take it away they will find another sight, or another way to do the same things they have been doing. They should just explain that having facebopom “friends” who are boys is the same as having friends that are boys, and if they find out that they have male fb friends they will be dealt with the same way as if they were hanging out with boys.

  • to # 51

    u must of really done well in school… but your grammar and English could use some help!

  • me

    cmon Jewish kids are supposed to be smarter than this. dont put your account in your own name…

  • Rin Adams

    If you exclude teenagers from technology on religious grounds, you will have a hard time impressing the idea of responsible use. Forbidding it tells them “you aren’t responsible enough for this, you can’t handle this, this is improper.” I suggest including PROPER use, making it clear that behavioral standards in your community apply across the board, and helping students to understand that they can demonstrate proper dress, behavior, and kind speech online as well as in person.

    Moreover, if you tell them that (this thing) is only for the godless or for those outside your specific religious group and they REALLY like that thing? They will in turn feel that perhaps they it’s not so necessary to take all of the extra steps in your aspects of worship. After all, they’re in that not good enough group, right?

  • This is wrong

    the first thing thats wrong is that such a thing is posted online. this is not for the whole ch or anywhere else for that matter to start dissecting and arguing and putting down BRHS.
    Whether they did was right or wrong IS NOT OUR BUSINESS TO DISCUSS ONLINE. if you really have a problem with it than go talk to the administration. stop badmouthing the school and making students feel bad about it.
    I think that gBRHS is an amazing school and you don’t have to agree with everything that they do but please don’t drag the Rebbe’s Mosad in the mud.
    I LOVE BRHS!!!!

  • Get your facts straight

    ITS NOT A FINE
    Their getting their money back if they don’t reactivate their Facebook.
    That’s called being effective. Making it a longterm solution.

  • shlomo as always with bad English

    chabad lite! ma leasot? in bneybrak and Jerusalem eshivos paid to special investigators and if they found, that bochur eshiva have Facebook account hi throw from eshiva immediately, not fine -trow out. but chabad after gimel tamuz always lite, and always about money.in many eshivos even mobile phone forbidden, and here almost all kvuce have last iPhone???

  • Proud BRHS student

    Bais rivkah is 100% right in cracking down on the wholefacebook thing. Chassidish lubavitch girls dont need it, especially bais rivka girls. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for talking about the Rebbes school like that! There is no other lubavitch girls school under the Rebbe, and bais rivka has to do whatever it takes to keep their school standing and be a good example of what lubavitch has to be. And for all your information. The girls dont have to pay 100$, just 11th grade does. Dont ask me why. A freilechen pesach to all of you!

  • PULL YOUR SOCKS UP!

    They are charging 100$???????? Bais Rivkah you have come to a whole new low! Stop embarressing yourself and instead of focusing on facebook accounts that are going to stay whether you like it or not why don’t you focus on education of the girls use positive reinforcment encourage the girls make them feels good about themselves – stop living in the 18th century pull your socks up and get yourselves together!

  • Stoned Rasta Jew

    This is a shame and a disgust in my eyes!! i cant believe a school would actually fine their students 100$ for having a FB account? and what are they going to do with the 100$ fine have they at least justified what they are going to use the 100$ or is it going to go for teachers kosher lunches ???? regardless i think it is an actual disgrace, teachers should be teaching and showing these girls the right ways, instead they are just adding to the problems these poor girls go thru every single day! This school doesn’t even provide information on furthering their education once they leave this pathetic school. They should be encouraging these girls to go out into the world and become lawyers, doctors and even teachers instead they are trying to brain wash these kids to be good wives when they leave school and have 10 kids!!
    as for the person trying to be a smart ass commenting on peoples grammar, seriously grow up!! i wouldn’t be surprised if its one of the BR teachers!!

  • Long live bais rivkah? not for long

    I hear Bais Rivkah won’t give the 12th graders their diplomas unless they delete their facebook – I’m actually shocked using threats Is that even legal??
    And you think the girls won’t put their accounts back up when they leave??
    Where’s the positive reinforcment in your school – I used to go to Bais Rivkah and i left with the worst feelings i Give it 5 yrs and you guys are gonna be done

  • ATT #20

    #20 – YOU ARE PATHETIC!!!!!!!!! SHOW RESEPCT AND YOUR WILL RECEIVE RESEPCT- HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT SHAME ON YOU

  • Sad

    The saddest thing is when you read comments saying how BRHS is the best school. As a person who has gone to college and has tought at good schools, I can say that chabad does not have even one DECENT school. These children are so brainwashed into beliving that they actually go to a functoning school.

  • Montreal BR

    Montreal does the same thing. Fines for being late, marks for sbsences.
    Punitive fines to parents that only gaurentee neither they or their kids will ever support the institution when they are no longer held hostage by people who tavern via decree and nepotism.

  • CONFUSED!

    ALLL YOU PARENTS TAHT ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE MONEY WHY DONT U MAKE YOUR CHI;DREN PAY FOR GOING AGAINST SCHOOL RULES!ITS NOT LIKE U DIDNT KNOW THEY DIDNT ALLOW IT!

  • omg

    why was it posted online?!?!?!?!?! and if they were really desperate to hear peoples comments they couldve at least NOT mentioned the schools name…

  • a Californian

    number 19 you make a lot a sense thanks for sharing, but if that is your point why are you not frum, dont judge others look at yourself first, the world is a harsh place its messed up i am not from form crown heights and i think people here are insane
    dont block the outside world first fix the one around you. :)

  • WOW

    clearly, 0 thought went behind these actions. nothing will change,br just wants to scare e/o.

  • sqeptiq

    What can you expect from religious fanatics except to be religious fanatics? Life will have its revenge on these wretches as they have nothing to do but wallow in their sad little world of fundamentalist freakery.

  • chanief

    Hey, hey, hey, badmouthing Bais Rivkah is just wrong. I spent some very memorable hours sleeping through classes and getting sent to the office for the nail polish remover in that building. During my time we used to refer to such crackdowns as the hanhala’s “get rich quick” schemes. It should blow over fairly quickly if the parents refuse to pay the $100. (I would trust them to hold a $100 check until graduation like I would trust the proverbial fox to guard a chicken coop.) The teachers and staff seem to be as hypocritical as they were in the good old days and I’m glad to know they’re still employing their ineffective educational / corrective tactics – it’s nice to see that in this ever changing and evolving world some things stay the same…

  • sophie from brs

    I am a BRHS student who was found on facebook, and although i am obviously not happy about it, I understand why Beis Rivkah is doing what theyre doing. Mrs. Teichtel was very understanding and patient, and she took the time to explain to us why we have to give in money (which, by the way, is being placed in an escrow account to be returned after graduation if we keep up the contract) and sign a contract. She was respectful to us, and listened to our complaints, opinions, and constructive criticism. She rightfully pointed out that if she could easily find us on facebook, despite our supposed ‘private’ status,someone else with worse intentions can, too. She is taking the time to bring down an internet detective to educate us on the dangers of facebook. Its like getting points off your license-to get insurance, you go to a five hour class that educates you to make sure you dont make the same mistake again. Mrs teichtel doesnt want to bust girls for having facebook any more than we want to be busted- she has nothing to gain from it, only time and energy to lose.She is doing this because she cares about the girls, and wants to make sure we are not in potentially dangerous situations.

  • To #157

    QUOTE: “u must of really done well in school… but your grammar and English could use some help!”

    U must OF?????? You mean “have” which is a verb. Is this a case of the pot calling the kettle?

    Sincerely,

    Grammar Police

  • this didnt get posted

    OK WHO ELSE FINDS IT AMUSING THAT YOU CAN LINK THIS TO FACEBOOK

  • just found out what facebook is

    thanks for bringing it up it seems interesting i guees i will give it a try

  • Common Sense

    Why is Bais Rivka trying to be like a Bais Yaakov? We should take pride in having an open mind and teaching with love.

  • to 180

    shes doing this because she never had a facebook account and has 0 knowledge about facebook zeeeeeeero

  • to #178!!!

    wow!! u sound like my teecher mrs. jacobson (bubbby jacobson!) that was my teecher in 7th grade!

  • A Parent Who Cares & Paid the 100 Bucks

    The $100 Dollar Fine – Makes Perfect Sense EVEN if it is punishing the parents… they deserve to be punished for allowing their children to go against the school policy.

    If you cant enforce your children to oblige with the school code then YOU as a parent should be held liable or take child out of the school.

    So whether you agree with their rules or not the school has a right to make their own policies either live with their rules and keep your child in BRHS or take your kid out.

    Have a good Shabbas

  • shlomo as always with bad English

    “why was it posted online?” every time same question? you people think that you still in Russia? and kgb come to night? so live all pedophiles, thefts and ovdey avoda zara, but change yellow flag to red. it more appropriate to :“why was it posted online?”
    to 181. Grammar Police

    “have” which is a verb. Isis not English . it “Americanism”
    ask people that study in British school lol
    so“ must ”!!! is properly grammar

  • be fair

    180, you sound like a teacher pretending to be an understanding student. I smell a ruse.

    they need to be taught responsible behaviour online just the same as offline. You can’t “ban” them from walking down Kingston at night … or can you.

  • ATT 180

    She could easily fine girls from school because they didn’t do the easiest thing and set their page that just friends can see or at least friends of friends, then she wouldn’t be able to find any one I don’t know why no one does it.

  • seriously...

    i think this isn’t solving anything!! very foolish to threaten the girls. just tell them what is right and wrong. especially after telling them that they should make a facebook for the kohl’s money…..i’d think they wouldn’t have the audacity to tell teh girls ‘off’ like that! this was not solved in the right/mature way…. $100?!!?!! r they mad?? its outrageous and this shows no sechel at all…. its really a disrespect for the girls taht might even be trying to go in the right direction…and to post this on the internet??? what are you gaining? to teach other principals to do the same? be considerate.

  • BRHS STUDENT and to 180

    This is not right if are parents allow us to have then that should be fine and to take $100 is unfair and not normal. Yeah #180 you do sound like a teachers no joke.

  • ATT 180

    She could easily find girls from school because they didn’t do the easiest thing and set their page that just friends can see or at least friends of friends, then she wouldn’t be able to find any one I don’t know why no one does it. Like if anyone searches the girl up they can’t find her unless they have mutal friends.

  • past BRHS student

    I agree that Facebook has the potential to ruin ones future and a high school child is definitely too young but thinks they are smart enough to fully comprehend the potential damages, in facet my childrens NOT Chabad school had a mandatory parents meeting where an internet detective spoke and showed us the dangers! however I DO NOT think its a schools job to keep a child protected in this dept but rather a parents and so in my opinion BRHS should close a blind eye!

  • MOTHER WROTE

    #187 – really there are no words for you – having teachers tell YOU how to parent?? you feel you deserve the 100$ now what about those parents that can’t afford to put bread on the table how about the mother whose two boys were shot and killed in france maybe they should give her the 100$ how about all the craziness happening in this world with children getting shot – bais rivkah is a very very selfish place gaurding the children from the inevitable how about educate the girls? SHOW THEM LOVE really there are no words i feel very sorry for you and your children what they are doing is wrong bais rivkah is wrong and i love this thread finally some LIGHT on this pathetic schoolfinally people can speak their minds!!!

  • LOL LOL LOL

    AN “ESCROW” ACCOUNT HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
    WOW THIS IS GETTING COMICAL

  • BLACK HATTER

    My hat off to Crownheights.info – thank you for putting this up i think its really important to give everyone a chance to express their voice this is great honestly!!

  • Concerned in MA

    It seems like yesterday that the school was practically begging anyone …students, parents, friends, & readers of this blog to PLEASE VOTE FOR US! Look at the $ we could win! All you have to do is create a facebook account to do so…………………How could they ever think that the bright,inquiring minds of their students & others would stop there? Was any education about the negative aspects of facebook given? Were any of the positive uses of it explained? It can be an excellent communication tool between select people if utilized thoughtfully. It can also be a terrible thing for any one of any age, frum or not, if not utilized wisely. Cell phones & other modes of communication are here to stay, like it or not. You have no control over that. What you do have control over is what you choose to use & how you choose to use it. More importantly, you have control over how you choose to educate & guide your children in this complicated electronic world.

  • Is this really surprising?

    Really? You’re going to shake down high school girls for $100 for having facebook? What…. normal fundraising methods don’t work?

  • anon

    Todays generation is a on a much lower level than 20/30 years ago kids and adults have access to everything on the internet,The way BR is acting is not the way educators are supposed to act If any one there considers themselves to be an educator They should have a look (if they havent already then to refresh their memories) at the maamer of klalei chinuch v’hadracha and will find what it really means to be an educator, shouting,punishing, all that will not work. Kids need to feel trusted and need to be positively reinforced, and that is the problem today of alot of education systems that just have lost the original idea of what it means to be an educator, that is why it is more common now for kids/teens to be dropping out left and right because the system has gotten just way to out of hand. It is up to each and every person to educate their students in the proper way. Number 11 is right each of us have the power of infulence and its up to us to use it in the right way. Lets hope that this can be resolved in the proper way (again comment number 11), as this has been going on far enough far to long and needs to be resolved now. may we only have revealed good and be dancing in the beis hamikdash hashlishi very soon with the rebbe leading us teikif fun meyad mamash amen!

  • br dad

    I slapped my kid so hard when I found out they had eenternet and facebook. Let her get the 100 dollars from her bubby.

    Plus the shame she brought to my royal family.

    Now the whole Beis Rifka administration knows the truth about what takes place in our home.

    I will cut my daughter out of my will!!

  • Someone who thinks this article should b

    Who ever wrote a bad comment saying anything bad that the school has done it does not just go to the school but to the Rebbe also. so you people should think before you write or say Anything

  • money money money money money money

    facebook deleting…that makes sense! but are you going to expel me because i dont have 100$ to pay you? sensitivity never killed anyone

  • BRHS for you...

    And mrs swordlov was upset that someone wrote typical bais rivkah as one of the comments on another article ecause she was embarrassing our school :)

  • I believe in censoring like in New Squar

    What is the mother flipping out about paying $100 before pesach? Let the kids spend their babysitting money instead of shopping at the mall. Boruch Hashem our kids don’t learn English in their schools so right now are bli ayin hora safe from this scourge.

  • what are you gaining from this?????????

    sorry but this is 100% not needed.
    all this is doing is making it worse.
    the girls that have facebook know weather what they are doing is wrong or right!
    by punishhing them this way is just making it worse…….brhs admistration/staff learn some education about this before it geta any worse.
    for your sake and theirs!

  • a bochur

    you guys are all ridiculous. the school had a rule. the kids broke it. they get punished. end of story. whats the whole fuss if fb is right or wrong?!!! u shouldve argued about it before thy signed up for the school!! like a guy complains that there shouldnt be a ticket for not stopping fully at a stop sign AFTER he was pulled over!!! doesmt makes sense..and to those who have complaints against the teachers did the teachers sign the rule book? enough said
    good like br u did the right thing

  • Girl in BRHS Haha Lmfto

    Haha I love how this is recommended by 183 on Facebook!
    Suck it BR!!

  • A boyfriend of a 11th grader

    how am i now meant to socialise over fb with my girlfriend??????? i HATE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Justin

    @Emanuel You are only right if the school does not accept public funding. If it does a substantial case could be made that first amendment rights might apply. Such a case would probably go to the supreme court though. (There have been a couple of recent papers on the issue.) I also strongly agree that the $100 fine is not the way to go and whoever thought of this should be fired as it serves absolutely no purpose. Was this $100 fine mentioned in the original letter? If it was not, then the school has no case at all to exact such punishment (not talking from a legal perspective obviously).

  • So over Bais Rivkah....

    To 180….I am having a very hard time believing you because many many years ago I was called into her office and threatened that if I didn’t bring up my hebrew grades my regents diploma was going to be denied to me….We were not spoken to nicely and never taken seriously and I am so glad that I never sent my kids there….She never spoke to us as human beings, we were never given a chance to shine…and let me tell you of our group of girls we all went on to productive lives away from chabad……

    Thank you for posting this story and please continue to expose the corrupt people in the system….Its about time the world know how they pick and choose their issues depending on who is involved…..

  • Rivka

    I am astounded that the English and spelling on here are so bad from the students. Perhaps the school should focus more on educational matters to help these kinder get a job.

  • continuation of ohyyy, oyyy, oyy! :)

    OK, SERIOUSLY, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
    yes, I am a BRHS student- and proud of it, hons! Whether or not we AGREE with how the episode was dealt with, c’mon, be a man (and again, i am a GIRL but let’s be real), get a grip-so, yes, BRHS made whoever they caught take off their facebook, which, whether or not it’ll stop the tzinus problem that we def have (no arguing there….yet! you never know when someone will post on crownheights.info how disgusting it is to even think of saying that CH has a bit of a tzinus problem.oy veyz meer!), it’s on the way and a step in stopping the tzinus issue. OF COURSE it’s not a perfect solution, but what is?
    and ok, so BRHS got us punished by having to pay a hundred bucks.Listen peeps, WE’RE GETTING IT BACK IF WE JUST DO AS OUR SCHOOL TELLS US!

    If the contract in the beginning of the year would have been to not wear pink headbands ever during the year,whether at home or at school, and we would have signed it-then, I’m sorry to us, but toughnoogies! even if I don’t see anything wrong with a pink headband, I signed that I wouldn’t wear it and now I cant! cant! cant! cant!

    so, instead of parents complaining about how facebook is OK/this is such a shlep etc, how about educate your child to 1) KEEP TO WHAT YOU PROMISED! I mean, can I tell you I’ll never go on internet when no parents are home, and then go?! “oh, but I only went on clean websites!” yay, congrats that you were able to control yourself, but, if you want peeps to respect what you say(and you do!), then how about start respecting your word? hmmmm, nice idea, no?

    2) now that the main point’s covered, lets talk about facebook and how it can destroy someone’s YS, just like cell’s, internet etc. can. but for now, we’re trying to be positive-say how much you CAN gain by doing what’s right, instead of how much you can cvs lose.

    pheww!! this was mighty long but seriously, as a BRHS student, can’t we just live up to what comes out of our mouths?!
    because when you said you didn’t have FB, was your brain on a no-talking-basis with your mouth or what?!

    and, now that all that’s outta my system, I agree that BRHS should have punished the students by making them do something Jewish, not by making the parents puke up more cash!

    sigh, sigh, sigh that we have to cause such an embarrassment to the best school that ever existed since sheishes yimai bereishis!

  • sara

    first of all the parents knew from the begining of the year that facebook wasnt alowed and even had to sign a contract that kids wouldnt have. second of all the contract never said that parents cant have so when they encouraged everyone (besides students) to make a facebook account to vote for them that was totally ok!

  • wow...

    im just finding it sad that all the people that say that they graduated from brhs spelled things wrong!

  • mother

    it should not be beis rivkah’s responsibility to make sure their students are on facebook or not. it should be the parents decision whether they allow their child to be on facebook or not, not the school’s.

  • So let me get this straight...

    The boys don’t learn english and judging by the spelling and grammer of most of these posts, neither do the girls! Is anyone getting an ‘edumacation’? Are they all throwing their father out the window a towel? Chopping their mother up a piece of cake?
    Maybe Facebook needs to create a “Learn English” app…

  • Benjamin

    Don’t delete your facebook accounts, girls. There is one thing you need to remember. They can’t expel all of you.

  • I believe in censoring like in New Squar

    What is the mother flipping out about paying $100 before pesach? Let the kids spend their babysitting money instead of shopping at the mall. Boruch Hashem our kids don’t learn English in their schools so right now are bli ayin hora safe from this scourge.

  • Alan Groenvald

    Maybe they had to cancel their accounts because it was allowing them to access truth not filtered though BR. Restraint only makes the restrained puller harder against their chains. This is what it’s come to: emulating fascists and fanatical Muslims. You want kids to go wild? You are doing the right thing. By the way, I have been a 11TH and 12TH grade teacher for 26 years.

  • 180

    At 215: I agree with you in some aspects. In general, beis Rivka does behave as you described. They don’t normally listen to students or give them the time of day, and they don’t normally show us respect or provide a listening ear. I have had more bad experiences in my two years at beis Rivka then I can count. In this particular instance, however, mrs teichtel was extremely respectful and she tried to be understanding.
    I agree that this crackdown is a waste of time- the kids who do bad things on Facebook will continue to do so, and the good kids are losing out. Additionally, we know out ways around computers- does beis Rivka rEally think that by doing this, theyre keeping us off Facebook? Please. A little more respect for our limited intelligence!
    My point is, this Facebook thing is really not because beis rivkah has anything to gain from it. They’re doing it because they believe that it’s dangerous. They aren’t getting money out I this- we all post dated our checks for the year 2014.

  • hashem..!!!??

    the rebbes website. lashon hara. what would the rebbe say if he were to browse this site. oyyyy.

  • ahg

    Wouldn’t the “No Facebook” part of the contract have become essentially void when the school expressly encouraged students to go against the contract to sign up for Facebook accounts for the Kolhl’s giveaway?

  • attttttention #217,i agree:)

    ATTENTION 217!! i completely agree with what you said. you’re right. whether we were discussing pinkheadbands or having a cell or anything at all, once we say something, should def keep to it,ehh?

  • Columbia Law School Graduate

    Some people wrote: It’s like a speeding ticket. It’s like this. It’s like that. Uh, no. The analogies are incorrect. As a matter of law, contractual penalties are void as against public policy. Don’t take my word for it. Go ahead and Google the words “penalties void public policy”.

  • Yeshiva Boy With Facebook

    I don’t understand the comments about how embarrassing it is that this leaked to the web. Why is it embarrassing? The only reason it would be embarrassing is if there was some wrongdoing involved on the part of the school. Of course, this article seems to indicate that there is some wrongdoing, but I think we lack the facts to truly condemn BRHS. One thing I can say, though, is that one cannot defend the actions of the school while condemning the reporting of the website.

  • ShakingMyHead

    What is wrong with you people?? Are these girls in school or PRISON? Guess what? It’s 2012. You should be much more concerned with EDUCATION than what your students do AT HOME. Does your school receive any government funding? You better hope not…. I’m sure the lawyers are on the way.

    It’s so disturbing that so many of you are more concerned that this story is posted for the public than you are for the outrage that is the center of the story. I think you people are nuts for the most part. Cover the girls up; keep them in prison, um, school, all day and gee, I wonder what they do off in private………….. Your school tuition costs more than a community college. If I was a parent of one of these students (thankfully I’m not), I would be thinking long and hard about this. Step back & look at the whole school and try to see what is happening here. It’s easy for the rest of us to see it…………

  • Listen to the facts

    They have to pay 100$ and they will receive it by graduation or they will be suspended not expelled. 12th grade doesnt have to pay the fine because they are leaving anyway. They just have to deactivate. They are given till after pesach vacation to deactivate. There is no money being taken away for all those poor mothers who have to make pesach. The parents and students signed that they are not allowed to have a facebook account. For the kohls thing, they called the parents and asked to make accounts JUST to vote for bais rivka. Now, stop trying to justify facebook, it is an awful thing and yes there are many untznius pictures of girls going up. Not only that, but there are pictures of girls going up on facebook who dont even have facebook, which is not right at all. If those girls knew they were on facebook they would be fuming. A freilachen pesach.

  • someone who cares abt yiddishkeit

    This is such a huge chilul Hashem
    Anyone care to the fact that these girls wrote on FB why they r deleting – with the school’s name and principal?
    I taught in Bais Rivkah and I can tel you that it’s a shandah that Jewish girls act the way the girls there do. I think it’s about time the school cracks down.
    It wouldn’t hurt if they crack down on their teachers too..

  • An outsider Quaker

    I support Beis Rivkah. Their rules are voluntary by choosing to join the school. This is not like a government mandate. If you don’t like it, don’t be a part of it. But personally, I think it is a very good idea.

  • chabad friend

    from all the chassidic communities Chabad lubavitch is incredibly wordly, fashionable, personable and technilogically savvy. what do you think??!?!?! you taught and asked your students to vote for Kohl’s charity. you ask the students to take subways into manhatten, you allow long flowing jean skirts with fusia colored clothing, shaitels that look sexy beyond real hair, red nail polish. even the very well mannered, well learned, modestly dressed girls are on the computer, emailing, texting, etc… it’s a challenge. how about just NOT allowing any devices in school period and if they are seen they are confiscated. makes sense and fair. they DO NOT belong in school at all. i can understand satmar acting outrages but not
    chabad. chabad is an example to the whole world of normalcy. this was not normal behavior but arrogance and controlling. good luck!

  • miriam

    OMG THIS IS HORRIBLE!! how can they ask parents 2 vote, and then fine/kick out the students if they dont listen!?!?! its horrible! they r just going 2 turn off the students if they kick them out. as a result, they will end up on facebook bc they r home from skool bc they were kicked out!

  • Anonymous

    I think the girls many girls made facebook accounts with the innocent itention to keep in touch with family and friends,not to do inappropriate behaviors. Shutting Bais Rivka girls out of many things in the “outside world” will only cause them to become more likely to rebel and possibly leave Judaism altogether. Rather, girls should be taught that they can engage in the oustide world, as long as the follow Jewish halacha stay loyal to Jewish principles. Being involved in such things in the outside world will enrich the girls’ Jewish identity,in that they will be involved in these secular mundane things and still they will see the light of G-d and Judaism in each of these secular things. This will show that they are truly committed to Hashem.

  • Sarah

    #3 You complain about girls interacting with their male counterparts. The word counterpart means, “ A person or thing holding a position or performing a function that corresponds to that of another person or thing in a different area,” which means girls have nothing to fear.
    #19 Bravo!
    #20 Please – have some respect for young minds.
    #23 Yes this action is illegal.
    #34 If enrollment declines next year will anybody be surprised?
    #48 So you know what? Leave Crown Heights if you can’t handle it.
    #55 One hundred dollars for every “discovered” Facebook account? What’s so correct about that?
    #72 If Facebook results in “horrible” consequences, I challenge you to provide proof.
    #76 I applaud you!
    #80 The Lubavitch movement is not above reproach.
    #89 The single most important indicator of religious piety is usually modesty. Now it seems that modesty is being replaced with financial shakedowns. Is this something you think is OK? What happened to punishing wrongdoers by making them write one hundred “I will not …” statements on the blackboard? Oh I’m sorry No. #89 – is this line of reasoning too much for you to handle?
    #91 So Facebook desensitizes the people who use it from knowing right and wrong? Please back up this statement with facts.
    #95 I admire your courage and your strong sense of personal liberty.
    #96 Anybody and everybody is free to express an opinion about BRHS.
    #108 Hooray for you. Keep your Facebook account and think for yourself.
    #115 Girls with Facebook accounts can be good Jews. Too bad you think otherwise.
    #117 Apparently some of the students were busy thinking for themselves. It’s unfortunate that you feel the need to reprimand the students, their parents and the entire community. Get a life please.
    #118 I would like to know how many parents and students REFUSED to sign the anti-Facebook contract. I’m guessing zero, because who are we kidding? Was there a choice? What would happen to a father if he refused to sign one of BRHS contracts? What if a father told the school “I will decide if my daughter can have a Facebook account. Not you.”
    #120 People are speaking freely about BRHS because they have the right to do so.
    #126 It’s called Freedom of the Press. The constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
    #143 Privately educated students can opt out of civil rights? Ha! That’s a new one. This isn’t Russia you know.
    #160 Bravo!
    #161 No you don’t own and control the rights of others to discuss this issue. You can think BRHS is amazing, but nobody else has to.
    #167 Who are you to decide what Lubavitch girls need?
    #169 Yes sadly it’s all true.Most of these students will be prisoners to their fertility in a few short years.
    #180 Wow – empathizing with the patriarchy won’t get you anywhere in life Sophie. Do you really believe your Facebook account puts you in danger, or are you writing in to defend your own oppression because that’s what you’ve been trained to do?
    #195 If Facebook is potentially ruinous, what evidence is there to make such a foolish statement? Over 800 million people use Facebook. Are you saying 800 million people are facing ruin?
    #196 I agree. A shakedown is a shakedown.
    #202 You are a father in the Crown Heights community who wrote in to say you beat your own children and you are cutting your daughter out of your will? Why would any child of yours want your inheritance anyway?
    #203 The Rebbe can be criticized.
    #213 The rights of an individual do not waver based on public vs. private money.
    #215 I applaud your courage for speaking out.
    #217 It’s always sad when young people come out in favor of censorship, ignorance and oppression.
    #221 Anybody else out there wonder if using Facebook enhances and improves English fluency? I am appalled at the low level of comprehension, spelling and general misuse of language in most of these comments.
    #234 No. You can’t tell people to stop justifying the use of Facebook. If you don’t want to open a Facebook account, fine. But that’s where your authority ends.

  • TO BR

    U THINK THIS WILL HELP? I HAVE A NEW ACOUNT ALREADY! AND I DIDN”T PAY THE FINE!