A financial crisis is rocking the chinuch system, with boys and girls schools – including elementary schools, high schools, mesivtos, and batei medrashim – feeling a serious cash crunch.
I’m writing this response as a concerned member of the community, and this op-ed struck me for several reasons. A response to Op-Ed: I Only Earn 150k, Please Help!
The rising costs of Yeshiva tuition and summer camps have placed an unbearable strain on us. What was once a manageable expense has now become a daunting financial challenge. For my family, the dream of providing our children with a strong education and enriching summer experiences has turned into a cycle of debt and anxiety.
In the Lubavitch community, the words of the Rebbe carry a lot of weight. One thing he advised against was taking engagement pictures. The Rebbe believed it was important for couples to keep their relationship private and modest, especially before marriage.
In every Chabad school or Yeshiva, from high school age and sometimes even in younger grades, there are girls in the schools or boys in the Yeshivas who wait for an invitation from a classmate. Otherwise they may not have a place to go for Shabuos.
When I brought it up she burst into tears saying she didn’t want to continue but he was forcing her with threats to expose her to her parents.
“So Chabad must be preparing something big for next year – 25 Years, no?” he asked. Me, my friends, my Mashpia all looked at each other baffled and shocked. The thought of 25 Years not seeing the Rebbe didn’t cross anyone’s mind for a second.
I am a member of the Crown Heights Jewish community. I was also privileged to be a part of the ad hoc committee that went all out to elect Crystal Hudson back in 2021. However, having worked to elect someone does not give me the obligation to stand by quietly when they say or do something wrong.
The problem is that if there are people in need and people are fundraising, everyone should be fine. Well, the fundraisers are 9/10 fundraising for people who don’t live in Crown Heights. That’s not good.
In a recent op-ed, the proposal to amend the Vaad Hakahal bylaws and allow heads of Mosdos to run was put forth, suggesting that their experience and talent could greatly benefit the community. However, a closer examination reveals that the potential for conflicts of interest extends beyond government funding posing a significant threat to the integrity of the Vaad Hakahal.
I would like to discuss a few areas where we, and our children, digest external things into our internal conscience that we may not be aware about the importance of a proper “Kashrus system”.
It is time to reevaluate our stance on who can run for the community council. Let us not sideline the very individuals who have shown themselves to be committed architects of community improvement.
There are certain events that take place that you will always remember where you were when the event occurred. One of those events was a phone-call that I received from a dear friend on a Sunday night in 5777.
The current CHJCC, CHJCC candidates, the Jewish members of Community Board (“CB 9”) and the Jewish Political Action Committees should invite the final decision maker, Attorney General Letisha James, to hear from the public in an Emergency Town Hall Meeting to OPPOSE and MODIFY the current Vital Brooklyn Kingsboro Psych (aka 681 Clarkson Ave) proposal for new housing in the Shchuna.
When I was very young, I asked my father the obvious question: If we live right near the Rebbe’s Shul, and we are always being told how important it is to spend as much time as we could in the presence of the Rebbe, why are we davening in the Sosnowitz Shteeble and not 770?
I turned to them and asked them, as I saw how dedicated these Temimim were, and asked them if any of them were thinking of becoming Shluchim in Mosdos Chinuch and they all said absolutely not! When I asked them why not, their response was that Chinuch is “second class shlichus” and they would like to be “first class Shluchim”.
Well, well, well, folks, gather ’round for the latest episode of “As the Crown Heights Turns.” Our beloved community is currently starring in its very own sitcom, and it’s turning our home sweet home into a punchline. Let me give you the lowdown on the drama that’s been unfolding.
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