141 Comments

• Zvi Drizin

  Sh’koiach Zeidy!

• bitter

  i gave up being the akeres ha bayis, in order to send my kids to yeshivos, where they are taught that the woman IS the akeres habayis!
  there are many ramifications to this…

• DANIEL BOTNICK

  In your English text you use the expression "heart-rendering" when you must intend "heart rending" which means "heart breaking." Nevertheless, "heart-rendering" may be correct after all since it implies melting down the heart to obtain fat. And that, b’moshul, is what the author, quite rightly, is trying to do. A broken heart is not the solution, the yeshivas need the schmaltz to do the job. One look at our streets provides evidence for the truth of Rabbi Dubrowsky’s remarks. Most of those guys are not hanging for philosophical reasons!

  Kudos to ch.info for disseminating this urgent call

• good Shabbos

  What an excellent article finaly some is calling it as it is. It is worth having this article translated for everyones benefit.

• a bochur that has no place for a yeshiva

  1st the English part is that the whole thing it sed about the yeshivas and also i was a a bochur in the yeshiva in ch ot and like most others even with out any reason was not wanted i have a recorded conversaition with the princble saying there is no reson i dont want you just find another place what kinda chutzpa did he have to tell me this such ppl in the yeshivas must get dumped out with out thinking come on what kinda non sense is that at least have a reason if he had no reson whats with the man unless he has in mined that the less kids he accepts more ppl will think its such a good place to go cause he only takes good boys now im a bochur i may have not learnt the best but 1 thing i dident make truble go look at my records i was never in detenton maybe i was not more then 5-6 times probably but the reson for it was cause home work i forgot but come on if the school cant do what thay gotta do with my powers iy"h not to long from now you will be a shamed of your self in public and another thing im sure if the princble is reading this im sure he knows who i am allready and im making this clear to you now if i dont get accepted b4 monday or i will give you till next monday i will make sure i take you to a din torah and in that case you will need to make a public apoligy and accept every bochur even if thay are in another place by now and you got my phone number allready so dont be anbarest to call me up i have called you twice this year and sent a letter about 2 and a half months ago sent you a letter wich you told me in person you got the point please hope that letter wont make it to the press if i give it in and you know what after all if the whole system in the school is money i will pay what it cost to get it in the press myself with out my parents im not done yet here is a link on more to read about a boy not getting accepted in to a yeshiva hoe its like throwing the boy of a ship and that was sed by the chofets chaim now if you know what im think what else it ses in the link please get scared now and b4 the link look what kinda bochur is so mad for not getting accepted with out the help of his parents only telling theme b4 he dose this ook what he is doing yes that me now here is that link http://chareidi.shemayisrae…

• brokenhearted

  I didn’t read the whole article,but the point is loud and clear, our children in our communities are suffering. Why is it that Chabad will raise money and build multi million dollar chabad houses to bring other people closer to yiddishkeit but in our own community our own children are suffering. From a "Lubavitch" principal, who shouldn’t even be in this position, throwing out a child from a Yeshiva, because he just can’t take care of him, to the girls school having no role models for our children to learn from!! It is amazing, I think Chabad as a Global network should wake up and realize that charity begins at home, we must make sure that our own children in our community of Crown Heights are well taken care of, before we worry about the person in Timbuktu. I walk down the streets of Crown Heights and it hurts to see where our community is going, we need help quickly. The schools have to have more of an open door policy, not to throw children out, whether it is for financial issues or for slight behavioral issues, if we don’t change our policies then it might be too late!! Where are our leaders??

• Broke

  When I went to register my children at a school in CH I was told when I complained that money is tight that it was becasue of me that the teachers are not getting paid, because of MEEE my litle amount that I owe that the school is not on time..not because the money went elsewhere, the corruption must end!!

• ARB

  I agree 100%.

  Unfortunately, Chabad as an organization seem to be great at raising money for non-frum kids to go to schools, and to make non-frum kids more religious, but when it comes to our OWN kids and our OWN Chabad schools there is suddenly no money.

  Millions of dollars are raised for ladies mikvahs around the world, yet in the Chabad communities themselves the ladies mikvahs are the worst possible.
  Millions of dollars are raised to fund programs for non-frum kids, yet when Chabad parents don’t have money for tuition they are turned away.

  At the end of the day, I think it’s about Kovod – do the philanthropists want to see a gold plaque with their name over a school or mikvah in Crown Heights, or a place in the middle of no-where in Russia

  Seems to me that some people have their priorities all wrong……….

• Izzy Berkowitz

  i agree with this writer completly & i just dont care as my kids are married & this is the reason that we have a new sort of probelm its called " kids at risk " i dont care for these kind of problems as the so Called Mechanchim understand better & i have no respect for them at all, as they have absolutly no feeling for anybody except for themselves

• Avremi G

  I’ll take it a step further. Tremendous energy and fundraising went into creating the Jewish Children’s Museum, a white elephant of an institution that benefits kids from OTHER neighborhoods. Money, energy and talent that would be best served helping ‘eigener’ institutions. Our yeshivas are under funded. The teachers make pitiful salaries. Those with an ounce of talent have no choice but to move on to greener pastures and our own, homegrown children suffer as a result. George Rohr funds many educational projects all over the world. Why is his foundation not encouraged by our leadership to subsidize local (Crown Heights) yeshivas and mesivtas around the world. Shame on us for neglecting our own.

• A Sad Onlooker

  To all those of you scream about tuition being the reason for have children thrown out of our school, I think you are missing the point, this article is talking about just plain ‘selection’ where certain kids are turned away no matter what.

  If there are any readers out there that can translate the Yiddish article I beg you to please do so and send it in to the editors of CHinfo, who im sure will publish it for the benefit of all of those that cant understand Yiddish. And by doing so to hopefully drive the point all the way home!

• ANGREY PARENT

  **** YOU TOLD A MOTHER IF U CANT PAY SEND THEM TO PUBLIC SCHOOL . WAKE UP AND CHANGE YR WAYS ,, **** YR NOT LILLY WT . . G-D BLESS R. DUBROVSKY 4 THIS ARTICAL….MENY OF THEAS BIG SHOTS SHOULD BE THOUGHT A LESSON ,

  EVRY TEACHER AND ADM. OWENS A HOME IN CROWN HIGHTS AND THE PARENTS R SUFFRING IN DEBT,

• Moshe

  I think it’s about time we stop bringing up examples of wonderful projects such as the TH museum and say "why wasn’t that money and effort put into our schools". For all you know, the donors would not donate to the schools, but would gladly do so to the museum.

  What we need to ask is why the heads of the schools/administrators not going out and raising more money. AND, why the guys at the top of Chabad are not pushing this issue and encouraging people who they think fit the bill, to donate to the schools.

  And finally, it’s about time people stop putting school wages at the bottom of their list! Stop leasing a brand new car every three years. Take one less vacation a year. You don’t have to live up to your next door neighbor, or your relatives!

• from a bochur not in school yuong

  its not all about tuition its about principles not wanting kids for no reson

• Trouble

  Having read the article, the comments following and agreeing with alot of what is written and would like to point out that alot of the people who claim not to be able to afford to pay tuition can somehow afford a nice car (leasing at a few thousand dollars a year), nice vacations and a whole lot more. while people who can bearly afford to pay the rent on their two bedroom appartment so that their 4 children have a roof over their head are somehow sraping together the money to pay for tuition.

• bochur

  it is not only money that is the problem even parents who could afford to send they’re sons many times the boy is rejected because he might not fit the yeshiva profile

• kabel hoemess mimi

  ALl make valid points.

  It’s about time : the "right" stop their fights with the left and within themselves with rabbonim, and about time the "left" understands that ROhr LEvayev, while doing tremendous to create a diroh in chutzh: 1) with need the pnim to become good soldiers in chutzoh, 2) You (with the snobbism an d arrogance have alienated yourself from the locals small people, that in the end: men hot shoyn gemacht DOH CHUTZOH! and in the end thekids of shluchim need good chinuch for themselves, their family…why not dedicate this year’s kinus hashluchim to stregnthten from within to have LEvayev, ROhr and other donate to the mosdos in lubavitch (at least to ease the burden of chinuch) so that something get’s moving…

  When we walk the streets and see so many boys and girls completely frey….where are the mashpiim of the left to address it? IS it not in the agenda of Aguch???

• An out of towner

  I did not read the newspaper article, but from the comments above, I agree that the situation these days regarding tuition is totally out of control. I personally know of parents in my community who were told that if they didn’t pay in full now for their last year’s tuition that they still owe, their children will not be accepted into yeshiva this year (school starts in two weeks)!
  These parents have large families, ka"h, work full time, live in small run down houses, cannot afford to pay their bills, and even food on the table has become a struggle for them. Why should their children be deprived of a good Chassidishe education?
  Let me also mention that the teachers and principals of this same school, live in large houses, drive new cars, and have daily cleaning help.

• Good Shabbos

  Simply put Crown Heights is not as attractive as donating to a yeshiva or mikvah in say Kreplachistan. But why put this in on Lev Leviev or George Rohr.. There are at least 20 people living rite here in the neighborhood, That can very easely underwrite the yeshiva’s etc.. But who chose not to.. They should be brought to task.. Think of what the Rebbe would say at farbrengen this Shabbos after hearing abot the situation in the yeshvas..

• Your neighbor

  I dont have the luxury of time to read artiles; have to take care of my kids, make Shabbos and look for another job in order to PAY my tuitions even though I happen to love my present job. But now that you mention it shouldn’t we start takeing care of our own first.
  All these GORGEOUS CHABAD HOUSES
  are nice but people here are Really Really struggling. Its about time to
  spend time and money on our own so the roots–namely the Rebbes Shuchuna.
  I know many here that are living off credit cards and who will pay their bills when it gets to $30,0000. This summer I did not go away. I raised $2.700 to send my two kids to camp. Now I worry how will I pay my $2,000 a month in tuition. Forget clothes, should we not eat?? I’m not on the programs and am not interested. This is not how I grew up and I dont want to raise my kids like this.
  Instead os politics, lets put our heads together and figure out solutions. Between sky high rents, mortgages and tuitions we are headed for a crises.
  Yes there are some who have plenty but kol yisrael avrevim ze lazeh–we MUST deal with this and help our neighbors and our children to figure out how to 1)
  get more money into the schools (fundraising) 2) help those who are struggling-and help find parnossa for those who dont have. 3)please pay your
  bills to your grocer, storeowner and handiman so he can pay His Tuitions.

  A great new TZEDAKA fund would be for
  TUITIONS<

  Anybody interested????

  Gut Shabbos

• enough complaining

  Stop kvetching everyone!!
  What shluchim are doing has nothing to do with the chinnuch sitchuation in CH. Hat’s off to all the shluchim and phylanthropist out there.

  It’s a disgrace that our schools turn people away for lack of sufficiant funds. The fault here is on the people in charge of every yeshiva respectavly.
  They should be raising money just like the shluchim are.
  There’s enough money out there, let the yeshiva’s appoint fundraisers.
  A hardworking shliach has the right to a big chabad house.

  Bottom line, a shliachs job is to do shlichus and raise money for his moisad, chinich in CH is not his responsability. It’s the yeshiva’s job to raise money for their needs and fix the current problem

• Your neighbor

  I dont have the luxury of time to read artiles; have to take care of my kids, make Shabbos and look for another job in order to PAY my tuitions even though I happen to love my present job. But now that you mention it shouldn’t we start takeing care of our own first.
  All these GORGEOUS CHABAD HOUSES
  are nice but people here are Really Really struggling. Its about time to
  spend time and money on our own so the roots–namely the Rebbes Shuchuna.
  I know many here that are living off credit cards and who will pay their bills when it gets to $30,0000. This summer I did not go away. I raised $2.700 to send my two kids to camp. Now I worry how will I pay my $2,000 a month in tuition. Forget clothes, should we not eat?? I’m not on the programs and am not interested. This is not how I grew up and I dont want to raise my kids like this.
  Instead os politics, lets put our heads together and figure out solutions. Between sky high rents, mortgages and tuitions we are headed for a crises.
  Yes there are some who have plenty but kol yisrael avrevim ze lazeh–we MUST deal with this and help our neighbors and our children to figure out how to 1)
  get more money into the schools (fundraising) 2) help those who are struggling-and help find parnossa for those who dont have. 3)please pay your
  bills to your grocer, storeowner and handiman so he can pay His Tuitions.

  A great new TZEDAKA fund would be for
  TUITIONS<

  Anybody interested????

  Gut Shabbos

• pissed

  its a pity that in some of the schools you have the people in charge taking home the big bucks buying vaction homes for kids owning property all over ch as just one example but when it comes to paying staff and other obligations of the school it goes ignored we all know who these peoploe are and they should be delt with instead of taking it out on people that do not have the money and as far as paying tution it means more to a lot of people to drive fancy cars go to the country for the summer and claim everything is either owned by some one else or it was given to me by someone it pisses the hell out of me that i pay what i do for tution (not that i mind paying waht i do ) and than hearing in shul or wherever about how the screwed the tution board or that the people that have money and spend it everywhere else pay less than me when they take home a lot more than me in salery and even the people with no money still seem to always go to the bungalows fo the summer which is at least 6000 for the summer no matte what they say
  people put there money where they want not where they are obligated

• Akiva

  Lets lay this on the line…

  My daughter SAT OUT OF SCHOOL last year because I could not pay tuition. My youngest son, who has mild special needs, WENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOL, because I could not pay the 4x tuition needed there.

  My wife and I went schnorring, as requested. The givirim offered us $180. B"H, it wasn’t nothing, but it wasn’t $11,000 for tuition either.

  So these two yiddish neshoma’s are lost to Chabad, and possibilly yiddishkeit. I went to EVERY school in CH and Monsey. "Sorry, not our problem, we’re not responsible for everyone." Meaning, these neshma’s. So off to the next yeshiva I go…

• An EX Yeshiva Bochur

  I can total relate, I well through a living H**l last year trying to get in to yeshiva, until I decided if I am not wanted I will not bother.
  There are many yeshivos that do these type of things to bochurim, and someone should put and end to it. I’t’s horrifying and disgusting.
  May god give us light to see what’s right and what’s wrong.
  Good Shabbos

• GE

  for all those who want lubavitch to help raise money for the schools;

  why shud kotlarsky get rohr to give money to ohlei torah if they dont like merkos or aguch….

  ULY was setup as a lubavithc org and had major fundraisers…wienberg… till they illeagli broke away from lubavitch and formed their own ULY board… and stole money from the rebbe…

  why shud lubavitcher shlchim care what happens in ch if they hate the shluchim and the schools all teach the children to hate the rebbe and his moisdos..?????

• No Yiddish, doesn-t count

  WHAT DOES IT SAY????
  PLEASE translate!!

• Reborn

  If you are a shliach reading this article and it’s comments take a moment and respond, give us a vantage on your precpective. Do you feel that you are being wrongly accused of bleeding money away from tinoikes shel beis rabbon? or is it the lazy school administrators fault?

  preturbingly, even after getting into yeshiva’s, teachers fail to give children an edaucation on par with the tuition charged. So the question really is, do you want or need a $12,000 babysitter.

• BEE

  Hats off to "enough complaining everyone" a very valid point! The Rebbe wanted SHluchim to build Chabad Houses, not to raise money for our mosdos. THat’s our own problem, and don’t confuse the lines.

• a bochur not wanted with no reson

  hey no names but go to the one who wont exept boys to yeshiva with no given reason and look now he is renovating a full house and lives like a king not just one but ttttttwwwwwwwoooooooo houses and im sure he knows who he is live in 1 house make the other for rent for some1 who cant pay there bills or at least sell it this is not rite and then with all that real estate what is this make real estate a job and i will find some one to take over your 1st job im the one who called you twice this year

• slomeh

  To: enough complaining

  you make a valid point but you missed this one. which is that in boro park or Flatbush a giver doesn’t give big money to his kid on shlichus who is in ____ because his kid has a job as a rebbie or business man, so he pours great sums of money to yeshivas and chesed work (just open the Jewish press any given Wednesday)

  so lets say we have 50 BIG baal habatim in crown heights…you don’t see their names on ANY mosed here in the hood, what are they doing with their money? well go to Seattle or china and you’ll see a torah a mikvah all in the names…people who live in CROWN HEIGHTS…yes they can give their money wherever they like, its just that now their are TOO many options for them to give their money so its the locals who loose out…make that suffer

• Anonymous

  I wonder why everyone is blaming the schools for their problems, when the Rebbe clearly stated that chinuch is primarily based on the home. When parents are ready to take responsibility for their childrens’ upbringings, maybe then we can begin to discuss the issue of schools… Moshiach Now!

• CHer

  I agree 100% with this whole article.
  I know of someone who has a son that is an ‘ILUI’ he wanted to go to a good mesivta next year and not waste his time and energy here in OT mesivta, but he couldn’t afford $16,000 tuition so he’s staying here in CH because they would NOT give him a break!!!
  I think that explains the whole issue here, you want to attend a good Yeshiva come up withthe money …somehow or go begging…or just waste your good head!

• anon

  not taking a bochur in yeshiva or sending him out of the yeshiva. sed the chofetz chaim, its like throwing a boy off a ship and that a yeshiva needs needs to handle a bochur like thay handle there own chilled it has came to the time where the yeshivas and rebbeas need to not say stories so that the bodhurim can learn a lesson we need the stories where the yeshivas can learn from this story

  The saintly Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaCohen Kagan from Radin, a.k.a the Chafetz Chaim was one of the great rabbis of his generation, and Jews from all over the world came to Radin to seek his counsel. The Chafetz Chaim would receive everyone warmly. Once a very distinguished looking Torah scholar came to see the Chafetz Chaim. The Chafetz Chaim received him but refused to look at him. Instead, he stared out of the window as he talked to the visiting rabbi.

  After the visitor left those who were present asked the Chafetz Chaim about his strange conduct. Why was it that he did not look at the visiting Torah scholar? What did this rabbi do to receive such a cold reception? The Chafetz Chaim answered that the visitor was the head of a Cheder (Jewish elementary school) in Russia. Many years ago he had a problematic pupil, and instead of rehabilitating the student, he threw him out of the Cheder. That young student’s name was Leib Bronstein, who was later known as the infamous Leon Trotsky.

  We all know what Trotsky did, and what the communists did to the Jews living in Russia and later on to the Jews living in all of the countries that came under the Soviet Union’s influence. The Chafetz Chaim held this rabbi responsible for little Leib’s spiritual demise and did not want to look at him. We learn from this story the great responsibility that rests upon the shoulders of an educator. He must make every effort to make sure that all of his students succeed. The educator who takes the easy way out by expelling problematic students from his institution is not really an educator.

• someone who really cares

  from the person enough complaining wrote
  Bottom line, a shliachs job is to do shlichus and raise money for his moisad, chinich in CH is not his responsability. It’s the yeshiva’s job to raise money for their needs and fix the current problem m the person

  let me tell you do you know where alot of these shulchim turn for help in our Crown Heights so when we need it Crown Heightser say we support our son on shlichus here our nephew there my niece there etc and our own Crown Heights have nothing left to support our schools ,help bikur choiluim, marrying off people,new lady mikvah and what about a swimmming pool in CH that is closed, help to send to camp etc everyother community support there own first crown heights is the center of the world so everyone turn to us

• bitter

  to trouble: you make an interesting point…there are plenty of families affording themselves these things, plus lavish bar mitzvas, etc.
  the families on the bottom aren’t harrassed, because they are able to bring government funding to the schools. it’s the people who have their priorities straight, and are in the middle that are suffering the most.

• dissapointed

  i think there should be some type of age where you should be able open up a yeshiva
  i think the younger rosh yeshivas don’t know what there doing not all of but a few i have personal experience from my stand point there cold hearted and don’t care about the bachorim and if a father and mother are able to pay 10 thousand for yeshivas the yeshiva should be able to supply a decent amount of gahmeis for the bachorim that are in his yeshiva and the food should be half decent at least not like man yeshivas that serve chicken all day long for weeks strait if you cant afford to open a decent yeshiva don’t open one at all a bachore needs both ruchneis and gashmeis to survivein a yeshiva not the usuall answer all the rosh yehsivas give which is your in yeshiva if you want good food go home in
  my days etc. etc. etc. i know a rosh yeshiva that that told a bachure that his food not so bad look at what they had in the holocaust this is the kind of rosh yehsivas we are dealing with these days may hashem help us all

• Kollel Yungerman Part 1

  I think it should be stated that the problems with the chinuch system don’t stop at tuition and teachers not being payed. There is a basic lack of respect and understanding of the importance of chinuch.

  I am a yungerman in kollel looking to go out on shlichus although I feel that my talents would come to better use in the chinuch field. The reason I am not looking into chinuch is because there is a basic lack of respect for the chinuch system in today’s Lubavitch society. It is very possible that I am mistaken and should have the mesirus nefesh to practically starve my family in order to improve the chinuch of the community’s children. But then again, the choice is between being mechanech other children and being able to give my own children the chinuch they deserve. How is a teacher in today’s system supposed to put even his own kids through the system on the salary that he is being "overpayed"? I strongly disagree with writers that suggest that the problem is with the schools’ administration, principles and teachers per say, the problem is everybody’s problem! The parents don’t regard their children’s chinuch with the respect that they should. They expect the schools to make malochim of their children despite all the goyishe “chazerai” that goes on within the home and when their children do come ome from school with something, they lack the basic decency to give credit where credit is do to the mechanchim who give their soul away that their children should be more of what the Rebbe would expect of them. What do the teachers get in return? They get paid minimum wage salaries, not enough to raise families and many months late. They become the sole excuse for any child’s behavioral issues and learning disabilities. The inevitable result is that anyone capable of being in the chinuch field is most probably capable of doing something else that is more rewarding monetarily and emotionally. So the schools are left with those who couldn’t make it anywhere in life and the few teachers who give of themselves relentlessly and completely unrewarded for your children’s chinuch.

  The actual chinuch system is structured in such a way that children are taught that there is one possible acceptable outcome: To be a shliach who runs his own Chabad House in his own territory. As soon as bochurim mature to the degree that they can feel the obvious impracticality of this outcome, they feel lost in “our” system and look for alterntive means of becoming successful, which are in most cases not areas the Rebbe would approve of.

  A chinuch with this mindset has already raised more than a generation of people that have families of their own and because they did not “make it” in the Lubavitch system they compromise on the standards that they keep at home thinking that Lubavitch doesn’t really cater for people who want to make a living. (There is always the exception, but across the board you just need to compare families of mechanchim and “oiskim b’avodas hakodesh” and those who run businesses unrelated to “Chabad Ideals” within our very own Crown Heights community!) In short, our chinuch system does not instill a set of values within the children’s minds that enables them to become Chassidishe businessmen.

• Kollel Yungerman Part 2

  The result: the (younger) members of the community that have the money do not have the interest in investing in the chinuch system (which incidently burned them out) and those that are involved in chinuch and Avodas Hakodesh have the interest but do not have the funds to do so.

  The school administrators struggle to foot the bills of the schools although many of them might try really hard (I don’t know and I’m not in the position to judge them without knowing) to make the schools work, but so long as there is not enough of an interest amongst the gevirim in the chinuch system, no administrator or fundraiser (with the best of interests) will be able to pull the urgently needed funds from them. And if our own gevirim won’t support our schools why should gevirim from any other community?

  In fact, why should anyone want to support a failing cause?

  The schools are terribly wrong for turning down children, but I’m not sure they have a choice. They are struggling to keep their doors open and sometimes they must sacrifice one important value (turning down a child for lack of funds – as important every child is and as terrible turning them down is) in order to keep the entire school open and operational.

  In sum: I don’t think anyone can be blamed in this issue; yet, I don’t think anyone is free of blame!

  I think that in order for us to proceed in solving this problem there needs to be common understanding on the part of all parties and a common effort to solve this chinuch disaster!

  People need to put hard feelings behind them and do whatever they can do to:
  1) Raise our personal level of yiddishe and chassidishe observance in our own home and thus on the streets of our schunah.
  2) Fathers should make themselves seen at home learning Torah so (for one thing) children build an appreciation and respect for learning in a way that isn’t only associated with school.
  3) Put effort into being mechanech our children at home without depending on the mosdos.
  4) Raise our level of respect for the ideal of a yiddishe, chassidishe chinuch.
  5) Realize that if chinuch is important to us we should be prepared to invest money into it.
  6) Parents should give more respect to teachers and teaching should become and honorable and well paid job (Administrators: this will motivate better mechanchim to join the schools and make parents happier with the results). Realize that a mechanech doesn’t only need your money, he needs your good words and compliments as well, don’t think you are excused if you don’t have the money.
  7) Working parents should realize that there is no excuse for them to be less frum and chassidish just because they are in the business world.
  8) If you have the means, donate to our schools and see tuition as an investment into your children rather than a burden.
  9) Use every possible opportunity to urge mechanchim to improve the chinuch our children are getting in school.

  Only with achdus can we make any changes possible!

• shlomo

  There is a story told about a child who was looking for something that he lost. He kept looking in the smae area over and over again. so someone asked him why he keeps looking in this area he said "because it is light in here". that is an analogy for people who look to tzivos hashem and george rohr to solve the problem. it is easy, because they are succesful and philanthropic. why don’t you turn to the people in CH who are just as talented as rabbi Binyominson and chose to sit and do nothing? why don’t you go to the gvirim in CH one of whome can buy out goerge rohr out of his watch pocket? If the top ten wealthy people in CH gave Maaser to chinuch, there would be no tutition problem in crown heights. Instead of getting the kovod they get for giving the money that falls out of their pockets they should be pressured to give more. There is a proper context to mention george rohr and leviev – it is to create a standard by which our own gvirim should be held up to.

• Wish I knew Yiddish

  yes, please translate.

• System has failed us

  Let’s call a spade a spade. The Gvirim within our community won’t dig into their own pockets to help rather, as they did last year with Beis-Rivkah, force the parents at the last moment with their child’s expulsion to sign over their lives, after tuition was already negotiated with the tuition board. Gvirim in Crown Heights today don’t want to dig into their pockets to cover the budgets- but they are willing to go in-your-face with parents who have to serve their 10 kids lukshen at night because they can’t afford protein foods, and tell these parents, who are already under constraints and whips of everyday life, pay more! These Gvirim feel they are going to be rodeif the "untermentchen" and "losers" just because they have money. Our kids are hearing and seeing this now and in the future. Birth-rates in Lubavitch are drastically down primarily due to this.

• IDEAS

  To run a school efficently you need $7000 per child. The Yeshivas already discount the prices so that people can afford to send their children. Ho much more do you expect them to discount. How are they supposed to raise the funds. Instead of berating the Hanholas etc. Come up with ideas.

  The principals have a responsibilty to pay their teachers. Because parents don’t pay, they are unable to pay their teachers. You may say it is only a mere 1000 dollars. But remeber foyou it is $1000 for someone else it may be a little more.

  Tuition is definitely an issue. But instead of moaning about it come up with ideas. Don’t be dismissive and say I don’t have money, the school needs to accept my children regardless.

  The hanholas would be thrilled if someone would come up with viable solutions to this terrible problem.

• Bullied by hanholah

  my parents were told just one week before zman started that there son will not be aloud to return unless they pay more money. Not only that, as they cant say that to other yeshivahs they told people that i was a terrible bochur and i had things the entire year in my room , things which i dont want to publicized, (use your imagination) Now i was left with no yeshivah one week before zman, i have just one more point to mention, its one thing to kick me out of yeshivah for money but to bad mouth me its just……….. well you know. You can take whatever you want out of this i can tell you more stories but i believe that you get the idea of what i has happened to me over my years in the SYSTEM. I know my parents have done all they can and I am happy with it. Well we all know the problems that we have in Lubavitch but I have just one question what is being done to solve this problem????????????

• Mendi

  I run a yeshiva in south america and as much as i understand it is totaly wrong not accepting kids to school’s or yeshivas because the parents can’t pay, instead of waisting time on parents that really can’t pay try to get out the money from the parents that can pay full tuiton and do not, every school or yeshiva should have a special person (social worker) that is responible in seeing who can pay and who cannot pay thru looking thru the bills of the parents and those that cannot pay, it should be seen how much they can pay and that’s how much they will pay and the person that collects funds for the school or yeshiva should go to the gvirim and ask him to help pay the schar limud for them. I’m sure that if the Gvir sees that you have a serious person taking care of the schar limud situation and it’s not like the parents are not paying and twice a year they go on holidays he will forsure be willing to help that person.

• broke

  there are families here who only owe $30,000 in credit card debt? not bad.

  Try, $100,00 +.

  we are going to bankrupcy. Hope we can save our home.

  And you still want tuition…How the **** can i do that? My wife is having a brekdown and i dont know if my job will be therer next week

  I still owe for years of tuition. I see why people committ suicide becase of debt.

• Nachman

  Well Well, the root of the problem is of course not addressed. If we will start raising our children in a way that they can get a good source of Parnosah, ie give them the ability to learn a trade, than this problem will not exist. Do you know that RAMAZ tuition is $30,000 a year and no one is complaining. Because the parents went thru a normal system and learned a trade and can afford it, and they can also donate for those who cannot. end of story.

• we-re digging our own grave

  You’re right its not all about tuition. It’s about power and pride too. When a school’s pride is hurt by its’ competition (namely another school,) they will take revenge.
  I know of a child that was not accepted to any school. Not Beis Rivka, Not Bnos Menachem and not Beis Chaya Mushka. WHy? Because she left Beis Rivka for a year (because of academic reasons) and now is not being re-accepted. The staff at Beis RIvka (principal and director) are very experienced at giving the parents a run-around, pushing them off, saying that there is no room, telling them to try a school in flatbush or boro park, because there is no way that Beis Rivka will accept this child. Remember, we are talking about a family that could B"H pay FULL TUITION. But pride hurts more and Beis Rivka will not budge.
  (All I can say is thank G-d I don’t have to deal with this and would very strongly consider moving away from Crown Heights by the time I have children.)

• Zalman-s

  WHAT HAVE CHABAD HOUSES GOT TO DO WITH THE EQUATION?

  The problem is that the people running the schools are ADMINISTRATORS running organizations, not devoted askanim running yiddisheh mosdos.

  The ones given the achrayous to run the mosdos take pride in their “avodas hakodeh.” Many consider themselves “Shluchim”.

  If all you do is take money from parents and redistribute it to yourself and your staff, you’re an ADMINISTRATOR, nothing more. Even worse, you’re Shluchim being moil b’shlichus.

  As for the yeshivos/Semineries, who run their other mosdos on the backs of their yeshivos/Semineries; shame on you! Welcome to corporate Chabad! You wouldn’t dear do this before chaf zayin adar! (With the exception of one or two “real mekusharim” who understand the deeper kavanah”.)

  Fulfill your shlichus! Do your job! become a manahel mosod.

• reader

  To anon

  your message from this story was very clear. HOWEVER, it weasn’t by one of the Rebbeim , so it dosen’t count. pple won’t take any notice

  To bullied…I believe you, but I’m not the one making a difference here. My voice isnt heard because I don’t have too much $$ or any loud mouth. Cant your roomates help put the truth out>

• Viewer

  B"H

  The philanthropists who support the Chabad Houses around the world need to be given to understand that the source of these amazing shluchim are in the Chabad mosdos. If they want more of these unbelievably dedicated and self-sacrificing individuals to do such work, they must support the mosdos who raise them.

  Not only that, but providing the funds for good, Chassidishe mosdos will make their own names on the Chabad Houses look even better. For the shluchim coming out of these mosdos will be more talented, more knowledgable, more positive, more visionary and more committed.

• i don-t get it

  in communities like har nof, EVERYONE complies with the standard way of doing chossonahs, bar mitzvahs, etc. i’ve been asking about this for years, for our community’s benefit, only to be told that this can only work in a community that takes achrayus for each other.
  we need to put the luba back in lubavitch.

• sara

  The Rebbe wanted our kids to be rabbonim and shluchim, not go to college and have careers. Where that leaves Crown Heights parents, I don’t know . . . but many kids are bounced from this school to that school, leaving head checks all over the country, don’t finish, and still owe money.

• to Nachman

  sorry to be so blunt, but you speak as a total mauron. That is exactly his point in this article. These schools only take those children who they believe will make it in life. By non Lubavitcher Schools this has been an ongoing issue – but in Chabad this is a new problem which is quickly growing. Everyone should be excepted whether they will make a profession or not!!

• CH-er

  regarding luxury chabad houses, it most definitely makes a difference where the $ is coming from. if it’s coming from local gvirim who wouldn’t support our yeshivas, that’s one thing, but if the $ is coming fom lubavitchers who would otherwise support our schools, then we do need to reconsider our priorities.

• It hurts

  There are many sad points in the previous posts but I think that the saddest of all are the children who write about their experiences. Can’t the schol administrators and the parents discuss the financials without putting the kids in the middle? Why di the kids have to be privy to all the details?

• Disgussted

  Rabbi Dubrawski hit the nail on the head. How degrading is it to sit with Rabbis ***** ******* or ***** ******* and beg for a discount because i cannot afford to pay the high tuition. How many millions of dollars are spend from our community to people all over the world? Why does Sholom Ber Drizn give many for 500 talmidim to be here for Tishrei???.

  When the Yeshiva receives $4,000 for the Pell program how do they have the chutzpah and still ask for thlusands more from parents who cannot afford day to day living???

  It is time that the parents stand up and demand that the yeshivah fund raise like the RASHAG and not shlep every penny from parents

• all menahalim go home enough is enough

  I don’t understand the problem, if a menahel can not raise funds .please get off the chair and go home. The community will find a better menahel to do the job.

  This is a simple answer, montifiore is full of people who thought the world will not stand without them. And I promise you that the world will go on and on and on .very simple if you can’t go home.

  This is not you father’s business.

  on a different note I see so much Chessed in Crown Heights every day .people are being helped Shluchim etc. you know WHY because thy feel the SHAYCHUS thy being make to feel like part of the INYAN. In our yeshivoth in Crown Heights the separation is the problem. They talk to parents like who are you anyway.

  Why should I raise money for YOU?

  And no one wants to see them a day after the registration not even to say hello .and for sure not to give one penny to this moisad.

  And tell me how a Yungerman who works for OT. His father works for OT, his shver works for another moised and he lives in a double house plus a nice new summer home . From who’s money????????????

• SHLICHUS STARTS AT HOME!!!!!!!

  just wanted to make a point over here that I know was said but needs to be stregthened! SHLICHUS STARTS AT HOME!!!!!!!!

  If we forsake the home than what have we accomplished? If all those wealthy people can help build chabad houses and etc. then they can also be encouraged to help our FORSAKEN home!! Yes chabad houses should be built, mikvas and etc. but we should be taking care of the ch community as well!
  WHY DO WE NOT HAVE TZIVOS HASHEM for our own kids in ch! Tzivos Hashem is not what it used to be! We’ve got to get our priorities fixed and make sure that teachers are our priority so that our kids will be too! If teachers were paid correctly than the talented ones would still be teaching!!!

• withheld, but believe I-m 100% right

  little note–
  My children are young now, so babysitting etc. is costing me, but I will be able to afford tuition G-d willing by the time they need school, but…here’s how-
  I went to Beth Rivkah, my husband, went to Oholei Torah- where college is not encouraged, I went to college, I have a decent job, I get paid decent money, I did not do what the system taught.
  How can these community schools expect parents who came out of their schools to pay for tuition, when the education they gave them left them with no skill for life; I went to college, but even that was hard since I had to start at the beginning, with no college credit courses haven been taken in high school.

  Beth Rivkah, Oholei Torah and Lubavitch Yeshiva— you are to blame for a society of adults who can’t make a decent living nowadays.
  I think everyone will agree with me.
  If students came out with basic credits and life skills, maybe they would be able to go out to the world, make better money and afford it,
  In short I bless everyone that — lo yitztarchu amcha beis yisroel ze laze ve lo leam acher,….

• Basya

  Maybe instead of saying these affluent chabad families don’t help out enough, why doesn’t someone make an awareness movement or organization, that allows this to get solved and a "official" place in which the more affluent can give their money. If we want something done, we need to be more aggressive about it. The loud and obvious allows gets the most attention and the quiet needs don’t get addressed. That’s the way it works!

• Yehuda

  While it is true that there are those who can afford to pay more tuition, there are also those that can’t afford to pay what they are paying. The administration has a responsibility to be fair on those parents and not be the cause of their stress, as this itself directly affects the chinuch of the child in the home.

  Unfortunately, most mosdos nowadays (with very few exceptions) are not being run lsheim shomayim. Although they may have been started off lsheim shomayim years ago, they have subsequently fallen into the wrong hands.

  Once upon a time, the menahalim of the yeshivos would take their paycheck last (and it wasn’t a fat one at that). Nowadays, they take first and they make sure it’s very generous too.

  It’s sad to say it, but even if the gvirim would give millions of dollars to the mosdos to help cover the tuition, it would not help any parent get any sort of break on their tuition. The money would just be pocketed by the hanhala in the name of "projects".

  Proof of this is that there are schools out there that pay their teachers very little. The pay is usually months, sometimes years late. In the meantime the hanhala are taking big fat six figure salaries plus benefits (and tuition breaks for themselves!), which is paid on time. It’s hard to believe such a mosad when they cry poor, especially when the same mosad refuses to show anyone their books.

  May hashem, who controls the world, find a way to bring justice into the world and make parents’ lives easier in providing a good chinuch for their children. And may the administrators realize that if they work lsheim shomayim they will be rewarded in this world also, and their mosad will have hashem’s bracha to be successful.

  ps. Before Gimel Tamuz, if an administrator would have denied a child into their mosad because of money, that administrator would have been fleeing 770 out of embarrassment from the Rebbe exposing him at the farbrengen.

• fundraiser

  from a fundraisers perspective:
  I fundraise for a cause in crown heights and here are some rough statistic that may shed light on the issue at hand:
  at least %50 of gvirim are mostly dedicated to their brother, brother in law, son or son in law on shlichus
  %10 percent are unapproachable
  %90 percent put the fundraiser through quite a bit of runaround
  many are involved in factional law suits that are supported by "maaser money"
  donation to government politic parties are also significant
  Even if the schools want to accomodate low income families, the monetary balance is off balance
  We need to appeal to our more fortunate brothers to reasses their giving policies
  and we need to appeal to the school hanhala to patiently work with community givers and with the low income families

  nachman: plenty of our poor know a trade and you can argue even better: go to public school!

• A solution

  Hashem is masbia lechl chai rotzon, there is enough money out there, one of the solutions is for real successful fundraisers, it’s a job that you don’t need education for and if you care so much for the cause you’ll do a great job and, you’ll make a commission too and be able to send your kids to overnight camp!

• A concerned Shliach

  1. Whoever wrote that comment about RAMAZ school is a big fool – that is not the "end of the story". For every child that goes to RAMAZ there are 100 Jewish children going to public schools.

  2. This is not a C.H. problem but Lubavitch, in many cities around the world.

  3. Years ago every child was first accepted in the Yeshivas no matter what they paid and then the parents paid whatever they were able to afford. In fact, I heard that this is the way it is in many Chassidishe yeshivos and camps (not Lubavitch). Mir in Eretz Yisroel has thousands of American boys in their yeshivas and they hardly pay anything. Why can’t our yeshivas be the same. I always had a dream to build a free tuition yeshiva. Whoever wants to join please list your name and email address.

• fair and balanced

  2 quick points
  #1 how about a moratorium on sending money from any ch resident out of town until the tuition crisis( and that’s what it is) is over and a few of the other items(Womans Mikvah etc)are taken care of. The shluchim can raise the money from non Ch gvirim.
  #2 We must lay the blame at the feet of the administrators and hold them personally responsible. Shame on you ***** *****
  In closing I submit this question is it time to remove the title chabad from our yeshivas since they are not follwing in any form the wishes of the Rebbe or the Bal Shemtov!!!!!!!!!!! in these matters.

  We Have no leaders in CH there silence speaks volumes

• CN

  To the extent it is a money problem the real culprit is our government which has no problem taxing us like it taxes everyone else, but then when it comes education little if any can be given to the Yeshivas on the pretext of separating religion and the State. However, the fact is that if all the Yeshivas were to close tomorrow and we were to all put our children into the public schools, it would cost the State billions and billions, and the State knows it. We rightfully should demand that money for the Yeshivas and the government can easily find the right name to call the funding so as to still preserve the separation of religion and the State.

• ElterBochur

  the shluchim are doing a marvelous job and should not be questioned here at all. One has nothing to do with the other. CH is our problem and our baby, and we should solve our own issues and not knock anyone else.

  That said, there are many askanim in CH that should and could pay many many tutions. The fact is they don’t, at least most don’t. Why? because maybe they want to fund big name items? maybe they are fixing there homes (readplural) you know regsardless I don’t care why. In the end of the day they are our askanim and damn it you every right to help, sustain and fund our kids, families and our woes. The money is temporary and given to you for certain reasons. Those who need to know will understand. Now!

• A CONCERNED PARENT

  What do you expect from a system where the leaders have no vision, plan or concept of what they are trying to accomplish?
  Our main school has no active curriculum, teachers who just try to get through the day, a place where real education takes a back seat.
  The principal says we can’t expect more form today’s kids. And their only concern is to keep the salary coming (no matter how meager it may be).
  As parents, until we get together and say enough, get rid of these leaders. Right now all parents say “what can I do I am just a parent…”
  The shlichus situation is such now that one needs connections or relatives to get a shlichus.. Many of our real good guys are hanging around kollel for a year and then they go to business etc etc..
  No normal yungerman in his right mind would join the school system as it is now… where the existing manahel will smack down any call for change. So they stay away form the school like a cancer… and the old guys just hang there while our kids are getting NO education.
  The schools should be courting this new fresh young talent, to bring them up to date with today’s kids, with new curriculum and a plan for education that spans 20 years from kindergarten until 770.
  Our kids are coming out of the system with no education illiterate in 3 languages, and of course no understanding of what it means to be chosid!!
  Maybe this article can serve a call to parents to DEMAND new leadership!!

• ...

  ‘Do you know that RAMAZ tuition is $30,000 a year and no one is complaining.’

  #1) they do complain.

  #2) They have smaller families?

  #3) How execatly does "good source of Parnosah" say it is $50-60k a year cover $10k per child?!

• Shlomo

  Hey, I might not even stay with my family in Crown Heights. If this is what I’m in for in the near future with my son then I do not want it. I’m moving asap, even if i earn a good income I’ll go to another community instead. I would rather a chabad yeshiva for my children but if this is the story, forget this, I’m not interested in dealing with this mess.
  Mind you, I’m educated and I’m not using the government for anything, I will be paying from my money noone elses so we all have free choice. Like I said my choice would be to move.

• a parent

  I don’t fault the Gvirim of crown heights for not supporting the yeshivos the way they should, most of these gvirim are "business people"… they like to invest to get dividends. They feel as most of us do that giving more money to the current leadership will NOT change the face of education, and more money will be flushed down the toilet. Parents I have spoken with have told me clearly that they don’t feel if they were to pay MORE tuition they would see ANY change in the “system” so instead of paying more tuition they continue to lease new cars etc.

  If there was NEW leadership, and someone put together a master plan for education, and there would be presented to the parents (at tuition and registration) and then this plan would be presented to the gvirim and they would see they have the opportunity to change the face of Lubavitch forever, and stem the tide of kids turning their backs on the system. They WOULD be interested in supporting the schools, as they would see that their money would save whatever the Rebbe works so hard to build. But in the current situation they see no purpose in giving any money to the schools.

  Give us some value — an education — for our money, instead of looking at tuition as a BURDEN, parents would look at it as an INVESTMENT in their kids education. Then giving up the summer house or minivan will make sense and won’t seem so farfetched.

  It is high time for a public outcry for a change in leadership!! We have many talented young guys that can “turn the school around” with their youthful passion and energy, by making “INREACH” their shlichus. The current leadership are stagnant, lack any energy, refuse to make any change, refuse to allow any new technologies, we are losing todays kids with antiquated methods of teaching. The leadership constantly “shtelt feeslach” for anyone that even bring up a request for change.

  The beginning and the only hope for any real change is the Total removal of the OLD leadership. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

• CONFUSED

  Having gone through the system I am really confused. We are educated to be Rabbis and Morahs. Then we are expected to pay tuitions for our children as if we were doctors and lawyers. How the heck are we supposed to come up with such astronomical amounts. It’s so unfortunate but tuition has become the new Jewish Birth Control. I don’t want to knock or blame anyone, I just want to make some sense of it.

• TO SHLOMO

  I hate to break the news to you but if the top ten gvirim in CH gave their maaser to the institutions here, the deans of the school would just be taking home 500k a year instead of 250k (yes, people lets not be naive here – that is what the top of the hanhola makes).

• Israel Goldshmid

  A parent of two learning challenged girls writes:

  One of the problems is that there is no DECENT hebrew teachers ( there are some exceptions in the first, second, and most high schools grades) in ANY of our girls’ schools. The main reason for that is the majority of teachers are just out of seminary, to immature to even take care of themselves let alone be responsible for 25-30 children, they are also too fixated on starting their own families and getting their lives going that they fail to meet the needs of the YOUNG children.
  If your daughter does not fit the middle of the road in learning, she looses out greatly in her studies. there is no program WHATSOEVER for a girl that has a slight learning problem (or even a higher understanding), so you have to go outside the chabad network of schools.
  If I want to send my daughter to a Chabad school and have to pay $6-7,000 for it, the least I should get is specialized classes, whether the child has a learning disability or is to quick for some of the classes. Also there should be a counselor that children can talk to about their social awkwardness.

  But my biggest complaint about the school system in chabad boys and girls if the school can’t provide a service there is no one to help with finding a place they can have that taken care of.

• Angry bochur

  i am a bochur and wanted to stay in teshiva another year, but unfortunatly my parents couldt afford it. so we spoke the administrator and all he said is $15,000 or dont bother cuming. we dont need u. now i am at home for the year doing nothing. these big shot, money hungry greedy people have alot t answer for. instead of smiling fro the press and SUCKING UP to millionairs maybe they shoud care about a bochur who wants to be in yeshiva but cant afford it? the whole system is corrupt.

• Bored on EMpire

  To the CH community, don;t you wonder why the two main schools have the same family members running the tuition/money depertment?
  They all have a house.if not two) summer homes and leased cars, and that is what we all see, what about what we do not see?

• A mother who knows

  Too much anger and of course frustration. Being there myself I understand. But one has to ask, where is the bitochon here? And b/4 you judge, I have a large family so I am still involved w/all of this. So I ask again, where is the bitochon? It is Hashem that rules the world and instead of looking at our neighbors and blaming everyone and pointing fingers, we should look at ourselves. There are 3 things that say what kind of person we are, drink, money, and anger. Yes, there needs to be something done b/c it is a real problem. And it is a relatively new problem. Hashem has a reason that those in charge are in charge. And at times one wonders why. But it shouldn’t matter. As with all problems this will be addressed sooner than later. I also am frustrated by it all, the politics, the egos, who you know, etc etc…but again it comes back to only one thing…BITOCHON. Instead of anger, there should be action, and prayer is a big part of that action. This is the biggest chinuch a parent can give their child. THIS is what the Rebbe wants. Before you speak, think. Before you vent make sure your children aren’t around to hear it. B/c that only angers them and frustrates them. Tell them that everything will be okay and then trust yourself that things will work out. I also have had to take on another job to help pay for tuition. So I have a choice. Cry and get angry or just accept it and teach my children that their education is important enough that I have to do it. Yes, it’s frustrating and sometimes upsetting when I see people not acting as they should (those involved w/the institutions). But Hashem gives back midah k’neged midah. You just do your part and more, and everything will turn out fine. Anger is a terrible thing. It turns to jealousy and jealousy eats away at you. Keep a smile on your face and trust that all you do will turn out positive in the end. Hashem and the Rebbe are with us so keep the faith. Have Bitochon

• Disgusted

  To "Fundraiser", the 50% + 10% + 90% you speak about, in my rough estimates, of the top of my head, amounts to aproximatily 140% (give or take a couple percent). maybe the reason moisdes arent as succesfull as the can be in raising funds is because they have ppl like you doing the math. A product of OT or ULY no doubt. Now heres and idea, maybe, just maybe, if children would have a normal education and not come out of a school system being a buch of uneducated illiterate ppl. the issue of not being able to afford tuition would not exist. and to the ppl complaining about "gvirim" not giving enough money, who the **** made you an authority in regards to somebody elses hard earned money. they most deffinitly give alot more then any of you know about yet you ppl ***** and whine about them not giving. Disgusting.

• Mendel Whose Hurt

  It’s ironic that Rabbi Dubrowsky mentions Rabbi Nissan Nemenov. His very son who took over his Yeshiva has turned away many kids because of tuition and I was one of them.

• RESPONSE TO KOLLEL YUNGERMAN!

  Your words are sincere and from the heart, but one thing remains painfully obvious; you must not have children in the YESHIVA SYSTEM. I would love to hear your point of view down the stretch!

  May you be blessed with a happy and healthy year.

• david

  If someone has a premium subscrtiption to guidestar.org I think we would all be very interested in some of the figures we could get from it for the local schools…..

• Zev

  What about home schooling?

• Positive Change

  The Community has to demand change within the system and within ourselves.
  The Yeshiva has to require from the Teachers that once a month all teachers are receiving guidance from a frum professional unfortunately most teachers in our yeshivas have minimal or no training at all they need alot of guidance.
  More important is from ourselves it is counterproductive to send your child to yeshiva to learn about Torah Chasiddus Rebbe etc… and the child comes home to an environment of just the Opposite. If there is no chasideshe atmosphere within the home or an excitement about yidishkiet in general then you are fighting an uphill battle. The biggest role models for children are their parents it is our approach to yiddeshkiet and chasdishkiet that our children feed off.
  http://www.chabad.org/multi…

• SOLUTION for CRISIS

  Three problems:
  1) Kollel yungerleit are waiting just to be given a "place." They will fundraise by themselves to make the move.
  2) Parents are struggling to make ends meet and cannot afford ANY tuition regardless the amount.
  3) Yeshivahs cannot upkeep the school unless tuition is paid.

  I suggest that the Yungerleit become fundraisers right here in NYC. This is the highest level of shlichus possible. These yungerleit can also raise funds for tuition for secular jews who will only send their kids to Jewish day school for low cost. A Hebrew day school is the greatest achivement possible in the Shlichus world.

  Jews in NYC GIVE OVER $10 BILLION a year to non Jewish charities. Just this week, a Jewish woman, Leona Helmsley passed away with over $5 Billion and no children.

  Is this the solution? I am ready to be challenged.

  PS: It would be impossible, however, to fundraise for OT as there is no secular studies.

• anon

  to reader who responded to anon wich was me if its not from the rabbaim why do teachers still say stories about the chofetz chaim and others let them start stories for now on only of the rabbaim

• A teacher

  As a teacher I would like to point out that I find the hardest part of my job to be the parents` negative attitude. I could live with the salary (for now) but if I have to, and it seems like I do, then why make my job so much harder by not being supportive? If you cant pay more and increase my salary then at the very least, appreciate what I do and don’t badmouth me when I make a mistake!

  If you make my job easier then I will have an easier time working for less.

  After all, I am doing your job here!

• Shlucha

  I am writing as a Shlucha. We, on shlichus do our fullest to raise any amount of money we need possible to make the most beautiful chabad house and best of everything that we’re offering to our community. This is our job.
  The same should be for the community in Crown Heights. The pple. who are in charge of the Mikvah’s, the schools, and anything else they want done for the community are equally responsible just as a Shliach is to raise the sufficient funds-whatever it takes, to make everything perfect for their community.
  Just because Crown Heights is a frum Lubavitch community, doesn’t mean anybody should be deprived of anything. The pple in charge (are there any? and if they are) should and is responsible to make sure there are enought funds flowing for that is needed to provide every person and child in the community with whatever they need.

• MONEY GOING TO THE WRONG PLACES

  It does seem to me that the Hanholos of these school happen to live a bit lavishly wich is bothering. You won’t find a Shliach and his family going on a vacation or buying a house upstate if there are other more important places where the money should go. The teachers in the schools work VERY hard to do their job, and their salary shouldn’t be at stake because the hanholas of the school are pocketing extra amounts of money in their pockets for their own pleasure. It’s their kids that are in these schools too, and are included in these concerns.

• Thank You Rabbi Avremul Shemtov

  It is intresting to note that there is only ONE shliach who brought his major baal habos to support a moised in Crowhn Heights. He brings in Millions of dollars a year that he can use for other things but he recognizes this priority.

  I believe that he is doing as much as he could and does not need a show of appreciation from people in crown heights to be motivated (though he is humon and i am sure that it wont hurt)

  But what about other shluchim. Maybe if they would see thet Avremul was appreciated, they would be motivated to bring their supporters.

  The bottom line is that in Crown heights, a person who comes from a chasidisher house, trims his beard, has a billion dollars and gives a few hundred thousand to tzedaka, gets more respect than a chosid, who when is sick in bed in ohiladelphia is on the phone borowing money to make payroll(though late) in beis rivka.

  When you fix that problem, other things will fall into place.

• PRIORITIES

  I highly think that the people in Crown Heights that support their brothers, sisters and immediate family members and friends on Shlichus, should re-prioritize. I think their families would very well understand that their money should go to their community first, and the Shluchim will take care of themselves, and raise from their own communities. Maybe it’s hard, which of course it is, but every person that gives has to be responsible to their immediate children and their community first!

• fundraiser

  a response to disgusted:
  first of all the numbers I added come out to %150 not %140 so before you criticize check your own math
  and you have to be really bad not to realize that percentages overlap, which means that of the at least %50 percent that are mostly dedicated to shluchim many give anyways – about 50 dollars which is not doing much, and amongst the givers (including the unaproachable that were somehow approached) 90 percent will take the fundraiser on some type of ride

  also: you are totaly right about that my atitude is wrong to advise gvirim what to do with their hard earned money – even if its for a good thing – from a goyish perspetive your right
  from a jewish perspective – there is a concept of kofin al hatzedaka and if a qaulified rov says that a certain tzedaka is an important cause a yiras shomayim will know what to do…

• Bravo to CH.info

  With all due respect to Rabbi Dubrowsky, CH.info covered this issue two months ago when they printed Shea Hecht’s article outlining the problem and giving solutions. Why don’t we work on those?

• confused

  what about this..My son recently needed to be evaluated fro services fromt he Board of Ed. However, the results were unreliable, do you know why? He is taught in english, but doesn’t know how to read english therefore, he doesn’t know how to understand all that he reads. He reads Hebrew and Yiddish but doesn’t understand it so well. Our Yeshivas have a real messed up way of teaching our kids, the evaluator never heard of anything so ridiculous..we need to make changes..our kids are suffering, whe are we going to wake up and smell the coffee???

• OPEN BOOKS

  until OHELEI TORAH and BEIS RIVKA "OPEN THEIR BOOKS" there is nothing to talk about. Let’s see the numbers. ANd let the paying parents decide where the money should go. And if it means getting rid of administration because we can’t afford them, let them find a job at RAMAZ where the parent body can support them. (Or let them continue flipping houses on young couples and live off of that money. Either way you look at it they are living off of stolen money and will pay for it one day.)
  But we’ll all continue to KVETCH on this board and nothing’s getting done.
  So, Who is arranging a demand to open the books?
  (I don’t think that I am a good candidate as I am still single, but will support anyone who makes a change)

• HOMESCHOOL

  Zev, just out of curiosity,
  who else is interested in HOMESCHOOLING? – but please realize this is to address a different problem, to address the academic standards not the tuition problem bec. it will still cost 6 grand a year to homeschool collectively.
  BUt I’m interested in hearing if anyone else is interested…

• Beef

  Here’s my beef, how can a school that discourages it’s students from secular education, meaning college then only hire teachers for the young children that have a degree? (it doesnt matter that it’s the law, that only compounds the problem!) does that mean we are having non-chasidish girls teaching our future??? the future of lubavitch (i do not mean to say whoever went to college is not chassidish, but the schools apparently think so, so how can they hire them to teach our kids????? and if it is something that needs to be done because nowadays you need a degree to teach then:\
  1. help our youth to get to college and go through college in a way that will ahve the least negative effect.
  2. open a chabad college for teaching so all the issues of reg college will not be present. then it could also be a night school, and so many people would benefit!
  the point i was trying to make is the schools are hypocrites, and we should force them to change. and by the way, if all parents united, we could force them all to change their policies and rules….

• BN

  It’s funny how everyone is so easy to point fingers. If you have a problem with the education system in Crown heights today, why don’t you raise awareness with solutions? I.e. if you feel people should be giving to our institutions, why don’t YOU speak to the guy down the block who you know supports Shluchim around the world.

  When people say that administrators are over paid, would you take all these headaches for less? Running a school with sometimes hundreds of employees? Never deal with a content client? Can you run it better? Would you last? Never getting positive recognition, and its not like these guys are driving Ferrari’s.

  With the same token, you have no business criticizing parents that drive a nice car or go on a nice vacation, you don’t know what they need for Shalom Bayis or maybe their used to a certain lifestyle they gave up to be Frum.

  When you see someone that is not accepted into a school because of money, this usually isn’t the only reason, it is packaged with a disgruntle parent, a very tough student, I am not justifying this, and I’ll be the fist to try and help the kid get back into school, but understand it from the school’s point of you, a kid that can affect other students in a negative fashion, a system that doesn’t have the proper infrastructure to support such a student, and the guy cant even pay his stay. They would get a negative reaction no matter what they decide, What would you do? Don’t jump, think. And if you have an answer shhh don’t tell anyone, DO IT!

  There were so many responses to this article, so many that were moved. Lets all start by bring a Pushka to our offices tomorrow for the Yeshiva’s our children go to!! Lets bring a positive attitude to the school system, maybe some talent will feel honored to fundraise.

  What positive thing are you going to do today to make this community a better place?

  Happy and healthy sweet year to all.

• Stop the Blaming!

  i dont think that anybody should be blamed for not giving money to our schools because we all see that the teachers don’t get paid anyway. do you see how it’s all about the money these days?

  the ADMINISTRATERS dont care if you get a good education or not all they care about is MONEY MONEY MONEY! i think that there should be a normal tuition amount and those who can pay it should but those who can’t should be able to pay less if they can’t affored it. I partly blame the schools for whats going on in the streets these days.

  If you start to go off the way you get kicked out! nobody should be blaming the Shluchim because they are doing what the Rebbe wants of them. In fact, I believe we should learn from many of them. The point of Chabad Lubavitch is to bring Jewish people back in, and yet our own are being pushed away! And we should DEFINITELY not be blaming the people who give tzedakah. They get to choose who they give tzedakah to. so many people wrote how they’re giving MILLIONS of dollars to shluchim and other places. At least there giving tzedaka! You shouldn’t be scolding them. Why should we give our money to our schools. We all know where this money is going. I’m just saying that we need to know were the problem is and not go blaming shluchim and wealthy people for the schools problems.

• anonymous

  Response to Yehuda:

  You are correct, as there is a lubavitch school in Australia that gets $6000+ from the government for each child in their school. However, they still charge more than $8000 tuition, and harrass parents who can’t afford it just the same.

• i cannot figure it out

  some of you write that the crown heights moisdois do not have anything to do with the shluchim amd the shluchim do a great job fundraisning etc..

  but when these same shluchim send their children here to the CROWN HEIGHTS mosidois they want the "shluchim discount" at that doesm impact our schools so go figure ..

  i gues we in crown heights are there only to support the shluchim and not our own kids

  think of this

  almost every shliach before he goes fundraisesin crown heights 20- 50.000. dollars time that by the 100 shluchim taht go out every year that is between 2 tro 5 millin dollars that go out every year

  then we have the rest of the year tishrei shluchim convention etc when the shluchim go out to the houses and fundraise more from our communinty ….

  maybe we should stop this practise and give to our own ib crown heights …..

• ONE STEP CLOSER

  one step closer to solving this problem would be to
  OPEN the BOOKS – on BOTH ends…
  THat means, let the paying parents see where the money is going to, and let’s see how much everyone is paying.

  It’s not a matter of privacy anymore. Too much is at stake. ITs been abused as a shield…y’see if I can get away with paying only $1,500 tuition, nobody will know and I have papers to prove how poor I am…
  I’m telling you, once this is all public knowledge I would think twice about skimping on tuition lest I expose my discrepencies and dishonesties to my neighbors at Evergreen or Cozy Acres.

  And the school? Let’s see their numbers! Maybe we could help alleviate some of the expenses. Nobody is asking anyone to work in the school for FREE but there is a tremendous amount of senseless spending.

• Yossel S.

  All I can say is that the Rebbe wanted his chaisidim to have large families. As a result of tuition at his mosdos, families are smaller and rabbonim are being bomborded with requests for ‘heterim’ to use birth control. How sad!!!

• Teacher

  I am a teacher. I work for peanuts that I get 6 months late, and I’m not exaggerating. But I do it for the Rebbe and for his children, and I consider it a Shlichus.
  At the same time, I have to say that I don’t know how long I can hold out on Mesiras Nefesh like that. It should be very clear: Teaching is an incredible job that demands talent, effort, dedication, and countless hours – it must be treated as such! No one in his or her right mind will remain in Chinuch for more than a few years, because it’s practically suicide! It’s about time the standard for teachers’ salaries in this community graduated from its current pathetic level!

• jona

  i think you should print the hole thing out and send it to all the rosh jeshivas,

• Short term problem

  The new genration will use birth control, the next will use public school. It’s not a joke, Menahalim: think about it before kiras shma tonight

• Out of towner

  B"H
  To all the people complaining why Chabad’s around the world are building such nice buildings, mikvas’s etc. and crown heights looks the way it does…
  I agree with you tottaly, but its not coming from the same account, a Chabad in California is raising (most of) their money localy. Local people in Crown Heights should stop speaking, and go out and fundraise…. start in CH itself, where you could probably raise enough!

• Possible solution?

  Maybe there should be a centralized non-profit school system under Chabad, similar to Catholic schools. If resources are combined, curriculum standardized (to some degree), costs would go down and quality would hopefully go up.

• Teacher-parent

  paying 6000-7000 Is not enough for a specialised program for a child in a school ystem. It may allow a few extra curricular activiteis for the school as a whole.

  Many members of the Hanholoas who run the schools purchased their homes and apartments years ago. At this point they have low or small mortgages to pay for and they may be able to afford small luxuries because of this. There is obviously a lot of jealousy going on, but I think when we begin judging the Hanholas you need to understand the entire picture

• Bullied by hanholah

  I mentioned my story above, but there is one more thing that needs to be mentioned and its that, teaching a child a trade is not the problem here. The income of a person is controlled by one person and that is GOD. Now if we want we can blame and create whatever reason we want to just to make us feel better, but the truth is its not to do with ones job, we just need a kaili (vessel) so GOD can give us the income. BUT still we are all trying to work out what is the cause of the problem instead of trying to find out how we can SOLVE the problem. I can tell you stories which allot of people know half of where hanholah bullied bochurim just to cover their own backs.
  SO I AM GOING TO ASK FOR THE LAST TIME WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM AND WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT???????????????

• Chava

  Do you know in New Squire there is a cap on tuition – $5,000 PER FAMILY!!!!! Wouldn’t it be great if other communities could work like that.

• moshi

  the real problam is,that kids today don’t learn any trade for parnasa.kids finishing our system have the same knwoledge as mexcican immegrent.beside teaching our kids to get drunk,sleap late,make fun of everybody,learn nothing,and takea pictcher with some none frum V.I.P. we should help them be matzliach in the world with parnasa.the african countres have better education .to all who say the rbbe…. I would say, what wil he say about the curroption in the schools.what will he say about the kids on the streets.what will he say about the parents who can’t get a god job becuase thay have no trade! ME SHAINO MELAMED BENO MELACHA, MELAMDO LISTIM!(with exseption to hanhllA kids who got 5 free summer houses purchsed with CASH! that explaines why thay can not pay the shamful paycecks, to the teachers on time!)the solution is not just to blame the gevirim,but to help every one to earn dicent parnasa.

• moshi

  the real problam is,that kids today don’t learn any trade for parnasa.kids finishing our system have the same knwoledge as mexcican immegrent.beside teaching our kids to get drunk,sleap late,make fun of everybody,learn nothing,and takea pictcher with some none frum V.I.P. we should help them be matzliach in the world with parnasa.the african countres have better education .to all who say the rbbe…. I would say, what wil he say about the curroption in the schools.what will he say about the kids on the streets.what will he say about the parents who can’t get a god job becuase thay have no trade! ME SHAINO MELAMED BENO MELACHA, MELAMDO LISTIM!(with exseption to hanhllA kids who got 5 free summer houses purchsed with CASH! that explaines why thay can not pay the shamful paycecks, to the teachers on time!)the solution is not just to blame the gevirim,but to help every one to earn dicent parnasa.

• Retired Teacher

  To teacher

  You are NOT doing the parents’ job!! To say you do is quite wrong. I am a teacher, even though I no longer teach. (My philosophy is, once a teacher, always a teacher.)

  Parents aren’t teachers. Some aren’t even parents; that is, they raise out-of-control, psychotic, sociopathic lunatics. But that’s another story.

  You are SO RIGHT that the parents make teaching a nightmare. That’s why I left after over 30 years, even with tremendous success. I left because I was nearly destroyed by the anger & attitude of many parents. Some were/are a joy to work with. Most only care about how much it costs them.

  Be glad you’re not doing the parents’ job. Be glad (for as long as you can) that you’re doing yours…trying to ram some knowledge into disinterested/lazy heads with every ounce of your being. Know that SOME people DO respect and appreciate you. I hope it’s enough!!!

• proud to pay tuition to others

  Its time for everyone to take a good look inside. It used to be that we were respected and people from other communities wanter to help the "Rebbes" mosdos. Today, post gimmel Tammuz they are no longer the rebbes mosdos but personal business ventures. Crown Height’sers should also be ashamed of themselves. You have brought shame to the Rebbes holy name by fighting like animals and then to have the chutzpa of mixing the shluchim into this, thats Pathetic. Grow up and take your issues into your own hands and try not to blame the world. Its Crown heights that has allowed this disgrace to happen and no one else.

  As Far a gevirim giving more money. For what? For the Fat cats to get fatter and cry poverty thereafter. The ones who are struggling will never gain anything from the gevirims donations.

  My advice look outside of Lubavitch. There are plenty of Schools that are still decent and good Torah Teaching institutions. those schools because of the way they treat people they still have people giving them money which is used to offset tuition costs. The problem is as was mentioned before. No One Cares what the Rebbe Says anymore. Likewise they act that way. when they had to give a din vcheshbon they would never be treating people this way.

  I’ll leave off with this Crown height yes you have a serious problem. But the problem goes out to all the lubavitcher yeshivas at least in the US. Bootom Line if the guy had hair down to his A** and was a Karkavta he would be accepted free of charge for our own kids FFB’s BT’s etc are not accepted. Thats the sad part.

  Truth be told the Rebbe means nothing to most of the lubavitch yeshivas anymore.

• Solutions?

  Two points:
  1. If this isn’t a wake up call, I don’t know what is. Whatever the arguments for or against, what’s obvious is that people are hurt, frustrated, unhappy, meaning we have a major issue on our hands and a problem that must be dealt with rather than ignored. If so many people have so much negative, there is indeed a problem whichever way you slice it.

  2. I think that the beginning of a solution to horrific stories we hear about menahalim turning away kids aetc. etc. should start with publicizing names of those very authoritarians. Obviously they are not embarrased of ther actions so why not publicize them? Maybe then they will think twice…

• Get a job?!?

  For those who think that earning a good parnasa will solve your personal tuition crisis, you’re fooling yourself. Check out this post on Orthonomics: http://orthonomics.blogspot…

  The gist: A family with 10 kids, making close to $300,000 per year… needs help from family to put food on the table. And they aren’t living it up either. Factor in taxes (nearly $100,000 at that tax bracket) and the $120,000 they’re expected to cough up for tuition (full tuition, obviously), and there’s left $60,000 to pay for the house, the car, clothing, food, etc. for a family of 12.

  Telling people to get a job isn’t going to help.

• Disgusted

  To Fundraiser. obviously it was a sarcastic remark (140%). it was an attempt to ridicule your keen ability at mathematics. secondly, if you were to mention that the remaining 10% or 90%… then your concept of "overlapping" would hold true. In this case however you seem to be using Enron’s accounting principles. But hey, it worked for them for a while, didn’t it?

• DH

  As a girl not coming from a frum home and going to a chabad school in crown heights up until 11th grade i can tell you what is really going on. I must say from the first hand that my grandmother did not have to pay much for me to attend the chabad school. I found this out many years later. But, i can tell you the reason why i left at the end of 11th grade is that i was given an ultimatum after failing all my classes up until that point to either pass my sat’s in the next two weeks or be left back. Let me reassure you that i was a very respectful student in the school and the only reason they decided to give me that choice was b/c girls and boys from within the community were interarcting together and they didnt want this to occur. But, the bigger picture was that the Rabbi’s children and the rebbetzins children were doing far more things that were not accceptable. So the big machers in the community decided that they are going to control what goes on.They will decide who is to be accepted or not. I would think that the Lubavitcher rebbe may he rest in peace was totally against all this distruction that is going on within the community. He was into "love thy neighbor like you love oneself." Isn’t that what it states in the Torah. As we see money and greed is more powerful. And that is because we as yiddin allow these people to get away with it and are afraid to unite and stand up to them. Tzedaka starts at home. This prob is not just in CH its all over frum communities and Institutions. It is making frum and not frum people not to want to have so many children and multiply. Which is also what goes against everything we learn in yeshiva and at home as well. Isn’t turning away a child from a Torah education for not having the money a big sin? Arent some of these schools government funded? Why must we make a yid go so deeply into debt? I agree with what a person commented that this is one of but,not just the main reason why the suicide rate is going up. How can we just sit by and allow this to happen!! It’s good that we are commenting our feelings to this wonderful article but what is that going to do for all of us if no further action is going to be taken? Who’s going to be accountable? Where are all the funds that were raised going to? Who’s pocketing> It’s come to a point where families have to decide do we put food on the table and clothes our children or do we give them a Torah education and love for Hashem. It’s also come to where, do we want to be frum anymore? The jewish clothing stores charge outragious prices. Fashion has become more important as well.Instead of spending $300.00 on a skirt why not give some of that money to tzedaka or buy an outfit for someone who can’t afford it. I remember if i walked around CH not fully dressed the way they wanted i would be austrosized. Now, the ones in power wear whatever they want and it is accepted. All this stuff that we are discussing just doesnt have to do with tuition acceptance for schools there is a much larger picture to look at. We are definitely in Golus! And the yiddin are at war amongst themselves and how bad this must look like amongst the other nations who are smiling right now. We truly have to take a deeper look into ourselves and hope and pray that these problems can eventually be resolved, stay true to hashem and become better people as well. OH!! p.s. to the teacher who made a comment that the parents negative comments make it hard for her and she doesnt always get paid as much: You shouldnt teach b/c of the money. You should teach beacuase you want to make a diff in the students life. You would like them to leave your classroom feeling like they learned something from you and it touched there inner soul. I have to tell you that most of my teachers that i had in CH girls yeshivah were horible. They taught you from a text book. Half of them didnt even have a degree.They did not even know how to answer any questions that the students had. Alot of them were arrogant. They taught you and at the end of the day they went home with no care in the world for you. I will say though on your behalf that there are some parents who can be ennoying and arrogant as well but, you should never let that cross over into the feelings for the students. Otherwise find another job or if money is an issue go to another school! You never know what goes on in the students home or surroundings. You either make the child or break the child. Good Luck!

• ben Amrom

  Tuition is the "final solution" what the Germans didn’t achieve; we will.

  The way tuition is now, you =can’t have more than 3 or 4 kids..

  I wonder who will be the shluchim of the next generation?

  With so many kids leaving yeshivah early so they "can make a living" or learn a profession (which automatically takes them out of the Shlichus pool)so they won’t be in the same position as their parents whom got notes to "take the kid home – if tuition is not paid" and they will have way smaller families then their parents had….

• a kvetchi CHer

  After all the Koilos U’Vrokim (thunders and lightenings) it is time to make SEDER. The main problem is that our community is not a community. just look who is runing it…. it should have been done right after gimmel tamuz, the beis din should have appointed respectable and distinguished people as community leaders. similar to vaad horuchni of kfar chabad. the beis din should have given them the guidelines and power to control, inspect and take actions. their esponsibilities should include: moisdos chinuch, mashpiim and rabonim in every shul in CH. and much more.
  at the other hand. the school system, meaning the educational issues, that is totaly the resposibility of the schools. the type of families living ourdays in CH is different not only from 30 years ago, but even different from 10 years ago. for instance, many parents do not understand yiddish. the schools are still teaching chumash etc. with yiddish transelation, the kids (boys) end up knowing yinglish, a language that doesn’t exist. part of the problem is that most teachers graduated the same type of school they are teaching in. yes, we should continue in yiddish, but at the same time the school should have added tutors or special classes for those kids who don’t speak yiddish at home. same realy goes for subjects like gemoro which for many parents it was a frustrating experience when they learnt it. and the same feeling is being broadcasted to their children. a father who can not review the gemoro with his son because he himself is lacking experience in it or he is too busy, must get a tutor for his son. all failures hapening in school begin with academic issues.
  another important point. many parents want their kids to be (at least when they are still in school) better than the parents themselves. a father walks on the street in CH or to work dressed very NOT chassidish, reads the newspaper (in the better case) or watches the news (in the worse case) and expect his kids to be respectful to the people who teach him and try to educate him that all these things are TREIF! what should the child think, who is right and who is crazy. by default the child takes his parents’s way of life as the right thing to do, and marks his teacher with a big X. to the schoold I would say, gear yourselves to deal and teach these kids as well, and beseiver ponim yofos. but we have to run 2 paralel programs or additional hours for those who need a boost to their immune system against the winds blowing from the street.
  all this has nothing to do with tuition. BUT, when parents will see that the school is going out of their way to teach their kids, to educate them. to give them what the parents can’t give. then. everyone, not only the parents will gladly help the school in any way possible.
  and as far as the administrators, they are first of all doinga very important and holy work. secondly, each and every one should look in the mirror and think if he is ready to take upon himself the big job of an administrator in a moisod this size, a thankless job, a hard job, no day and no night. and yet get cursed out by every living soul of your own people. People of CH learnt how to talk a lot (use their keyboard instead of their mouth) and do very little. thats the reason for what our comunity looks like that. with such leaders who we are blessed with, no changes should be expected.
  we in CH reached the bottom already. chinuch, ahavas yisroel, tznius, machloikes and the lost goes on.
  One thing is positive, from where we are we can only go higher, there is nowhere lower to go.
  in this time of the year, we should all have a ksivo vachasimo tova for a real good year with moshiach now.

• To DH a teacher with a degree

  I have met many respectable teachers who don’t have degrees and are able to teach far better than those who have degrees.

  I went to college for 4 years. I learned a lot and I really enjoyed going. I believe that I would have been a good teacher regardless of wether or not I went to school or not. I believe that my eduction and teaching was enhanced by going to college.

  You see DH if you don’t know how to teach an infinite amount of years of college won’t help.

• SOLVE THE PROBLEM B4 THE PROB SOLVES US.

  OK!! Parents can be blamed for where there child is standing in yidishkite, the teachers for the lack of education (such as trade or even just a low level of secular studies), and the hanholah of schools for causing grief to the parents that if they don’t work hard enough they cant afford to keep their kids in the system and now are not worried so much about where their kids yidishkite, so its just one big fishes circle.
  WELL WHO REALLY CARES WHO’S TO BLAME!!!!!
  Lets WORRY how to solve the problem for the last time, we can sit here for the next month or until we fall of the page talking about what the problem is or who’s fault it is BUT wont be able to solve the situation.
  WHAT IS BEING DONE BY THE PEOPLE OF CH????????????????????????
  PS THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO WORLD WIDE.

• i cannot figure this out

  was reb shia dubrovsky’s artocle only about not letting in because of finances or was it also jus the selection procces as his title ???

  i read his article and he seems only to focus on the money issue .

  i think chinfo printed an article already about this from shia hecht before. and we had the same comments from the same people.

  what new came up here and what new will happen from his article. the answer is NOTHING. the reason is because people are too busy working trying to raise a family and worrying abouttheir own kids and saying tehilim that they stay on the right path.

  askanim like in the old days we do not find anymore. shimson stock, jj hecht,

  who is left today in lubavitch that can galvinize the oilam to do something in unity?

  who is left to tell the moisodois how to run a school ?

  who is left to tell the hanhula how to teach?

  who is left to tell the parents how to raise a family?

  who is left to tell our children the right derech in life?

  we have no one the rebbe lefts us to fend for ourselves and we are dissapointing him..

  hashem yirachiem we need some one to get up and say enough is enogh.

  the best line in ren shia dubrovsky’s article is the end. and that is "before gimmel tamuz this never would have happened"

  are we not afraid?
  do we not believe ?
  do we have no shame?
  do we have ho conciiense
  do we not look in the mirror ?

  ad mosai

  all i can do is say a kapital tehilim ……

  with that i wont be able to pay tuition but.. they wont accept my tehilim….

  with that they wont accept it in the camps….

  with that they wont accept it in the food stores

  with that they wont accept it i the clothing store….

  and with that my landlord wont accpet it for the rent….

  but i wll say it again and again maybe hashem will acceot it and send the yeshua……..

  gimmel tamuz …………

• It-s very strange....

  I find it very odd that we live in a community where…

  Owning a summer home (mountain lodge,evergreen,cozy acres,etc…) is a MUST

  Driving the latest model gas guzzling SUV with GPS and DVD option installed is a MUST

  Lavish Lchayims with the most expensive party planner is a MUST

  Printed invites,catered meals in a hall with an entertainer for an Upsherish is a MUST

  Extravagent Chassanus with multi player bands,double sets of photographers (let’s not miss a thing)and flower center pieces that resemble a work of art ia a MUST

  Send your daugther(s) to Seminary(spring break for the entire year) is a MUST

  A vacation to some exotic country(you can get kosher in Costa Rico) is a MUST

  All familiy members birthdays ,anniversarys etc.. celebrated at an expensive restaurant
  is a MUST

  Family members need to have the latest high tech cell phone and laptop is a MUST…..

  BUT when it comes to tuition,we kvetch and whine and blame everyone else and now successful shlucim are the latest villains. We say why can’t we be like those other Chassidshe neighborhoods where they don’t have to pay so much for tuition ? Well All other chassidim have little or none of these MUSTS. They either never had them or are smart enough to have done away with them.

  I find this all very strange….

  PS – I don’t mean to preach and berate anyone. I myself have fallen victim to many of these MUSTS and kvetch about tuition too!! Just thought I would add my 2 Cents !!

• Akiva

  Everyone in the thread likes to pretend Shulchim have nothing to do with this. After all, they’re not in CH’s, right?

  Well, when I went looking to place my children, I was told "the Shluchim making $40,000 have no problem paying our $12,000 tuition, so you with a job should have it easy". Yeah, right, the Shaliach is making $40,000 and is able to pay $12,000 for 3 children, and $6,000 for another 5. (For those who don’t know their math, that’s $66,000 in tuition, which means he’s paying $26,000 MORE THAN HE "EARNS".)

  So how are those Shluchim paying more than they earn? Naturally, "they" are not. They’re Chabad house is, their donors are, they are not. So, in the belief of whether or not I can pay, I’m competing with people who have magic money, it appears from nowhere! And since they can pay at $40,000, I must be able to pay at $100,000.

  Unfortunately, all my money is ON THE TABLE. No secret money for me.

  And my children sit at home or go to public school. But not to worry, the Chabad houses will be there to mecarev them after they leave the derek. Right? right? right?

• anonymous

  To BN:
  You are totally mistaken. I have a close friend who was an outstanding student and very well behaved. Nevertheless, they had to be embarressed in front of the class by being told to go home for fiancial reasons. They can testify to many peers in the same boat.

• suggestion

  a post to shea hecht’s article mentioned a tuition-free school in queens sponsored by leviev. a group registration from crown heights will get the ball rolling

• disgusted 2

  reply to its very strange:
  you’re 100% right, BUT, many struggling families are NOT in that category, AND why should the hanhalas afford themselves these very things on the teachers’, parents’ and children’s backs?

• To the Teacher with the degree

  ‘I believe that my eduction and teaching was enhanced by going to college.’

  Agree with most of what you wrote but the above phrase speaks volumes. Why should we accept anything less (especcially since it is becoming mandatory)? When you/your husband find a leak that you think you can fix on your own, are you not more comfortable calling the plumber and knowing the job will be done right? why should our kinderlachs neshomos be subject to anything less?

  You wrote above that your degree enhanced your (and your studants) teaching experience. This is also an indication of a teachers motivation and dedication. One who is just passing time for a meager salary is not inclined to go out and spend years (and $$) getting their college degree. That does not mean to say that there is no good teacher without a degree but it does show on one’s sincerity and passion to the cause.

• mushkie

  It would be truly lovely if a spell check feature could be added to the comment system. Thanks for the great work.

• Hey, don-t bash shluchim

  Instead of blaming shluchim, learn from them!

  We are on shlichus, we are not supported by family or friends in Crown Heights; we have taught our community that they have the responsibility to uphold a center which benefits the community.

  We do not go on vacations, we do not own any vacation homes, but we are able to support our family with dignity.

  This summer, for example, we worked, (husband and wife) day after day after day, because the community for which we are responsible for is on our conscience. We worry about the spiritual, physical and emotional welfare of our community; they are our second family.

  We have touched and continue to impact the lives of many. We create a kiddush Hashem and kiddush lubavitch on a constant basis. In our mosod, the Rebbe LIVES.

  Those who run the mosdos in Crown Heights, MUST, MUST, take achroyos for the kids in the community. Their shlichus is the schools that they run. Let them stand up and take the challenge or let others do the job. No child should be left behind, no parent get sick, because of a lack of conscience by administrators.

  Please, don’t bash the shluchim, learn from them!

• Fardak

  B"H
  we should all take a lesson from the rashag who was in charge of the rebbe’s yeshivah. he went out to inspire those who could be inspired to give money to tomchei temimim. yes, he did shnor for the whole community. he was the rebbes brother in law and the son in law of the friediker rebbe. he made sure that the issue of tuition would not be a factor in a child going to yeshivah. actullay i just heared a story how the rebbe encouraged to collect for the yeshivah so that lubavitch would have large family’s
  that is true mnahel yeshivah that founded a real learning place. the job description for any menahel is that they have the resposibility to raise the entire budget for the yeshivah even if tuition is not paid. this is a true person doing a real job. only the person that is willing to do this is to be allowed to be a menahel. currently the menahel is the tollbooth collector who only opens the door when the toll is paid. otherwise the door may be shut. that is not what a menahel of a yeshivah is.
  the story with Hillel is exactly the same story where if the watchman was not paid he could not enter. to many gatewatchman today emulate that gaurd. and we all should know now that the hero of that story is Hillel not the gaurd.
  the answer is simple
  the school belongs to the comunity
  the comunity should allow only those individual’s who are willing to to the entire job be the menahel.
  the menahel must cover the school budget wether tuition will be paid or not. if they don’t then they can not be in that position. simple. every cfo has a job description.
  and the mechanech must make sure that no child will be left out. if they send a child out they should follow the child out also.
  it is a simple formula that has worked in our parents generation
  it will work in our generation.
  we just need to wake up and take charge.
  a ksivah vechima tova to all
  Moshiach Nowb

• anon

  to all the pple who try bashing the shluchim stop it the shluchim raise money for there chabad house and in crown heights the schools need to learn how to raise money as well and its not only money its about the yeshivas just simply not wanting you

  webby i think you need to post this back on the front page so pple can see where we are holding pple are missing it and let them say what thy think and webby make a discussion board about crown heights schools it will be the best

• ....

  To the Shliach,

  I am very happy to BH hear that you are able to maintain your moised through cultivating the local mekuravim and you should have much success continuing bringing the Rebbe’s vision to the masses.

  When you first moved out to your shlichus, did any one from anash help you financially? not sure where you hold today with schar limud but are you paying full tution for all your kids?

  The simple fact is that a lot of money is leaving CH and other Lubavitch communties to help sons,daughters,brother,etc. that could be used to help sustain the local chinuch mosed. On top of that many shluchim request and receive "shluchim discounts" that in effect means the local anash person is helping to shoulder the burden of financing the shliach’s childs chinuch. Most chasidim think this system is good (shluchim have noone else to rely on in their early years but friends and family) however successful shluchim must also shoulder the burden and give back to the community that provides beginer shluchim with seed capital. A shliach that is building a $5m building must send $100k to his/her almamatar to ensure that future shlichum and anash are being educated properly. Moshe Kotolarski, etc. should push their doners to not only give to "campus shlichus", to the next Chabad "soup kitchen" etc. but to the institutions that are producing these dedicated souls that are going out into the world and reaching all Jews (including that same doner!)

  As someone mentioned above, A. Shemtov was the only one that managed to influance one of his major doners on how important it is to support one of the local schools. Most CH’ers don’t seem to realize that (one was the last time you heard someone from CH say a nice word about A.Shemtov?) , maybe if we did you would see other shluchim participating….

• DOE FUnding

  Akiva – were you able to find an alternative to putting your child in public school with dept. of Ed financing? THere are so many organizations that help with this issue…or did you choose public school as the best alternative?
  to Shliach – you’re right. if only the administrators were as devoted as some shluchim are to their communities.

• Yehudis

  someone wrote: Just this week, a Jewish woman, Leona Helmsley passed away with over $5 Billion and no children.

  actually, her late son was Jay Panzirer who had four children (don’t know if he married a Jew)

  Her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, got millions. Go after him!

• To ...wrote to the shliach.

  Doesn’t the order for giving tzedakah start with family and then communitiy, etc.. So stop blaming CH parents for supporting their own kids on shlichus!!!!

• .....

  ‘Doesn’t the order for giving tzedakah start with family and then communitiy, etc..’

  Can you provide a source for that?!

  As far as I know Chinuch is an obligation of the parents (midaryassah for sons) In the old days you paid a malemad, today you pay tution (to the best of your abilities).

  As far as I am concerned parents with your mindset of my kid/shliach comes first is the cause of this problem. In fact a parent with this mindset is stealing from me and my children because I am paying full tuition and receive a less than paid for service because I am financing this parent and their kid shliach! Next year maybe I’ll give my money to a shliach thereby perpetuating this downard spiral to the abyss.

• Veteran Mechanech

  Having been a mechanech for more than 30 years (not in NY), I can testify that the system stinks
  1. Melamdim get paid next to nothing, certainly not enough to cover monthly expenses without food stamps vechadoime. (and that gufa is not bederech hakosher vehayosher) And forget about saving for big items like chasunas, retirement, vechadoime
  2. When they do get paid, the check is 4 to 6 weeks late (if you’re lucky)
  3. The so called breaks that Melamdim get when they have to send their own kids away are worthless, because what the mosdos do is double the tuition, and then think that by giving a 50% discount they’re being moser nefesh ( and they keep the Pell grant on top !)
  4. Did anyone do a comparison on the tuitions in Chabad yeshivas and sems vs. the oylamsher? My research is that their tuitions are much more reasonable. So are our mosdos just relying on the fact that no-one will send to the misnagdim ? Do they think that they have us over a barrel?
  5. This doesn’t even touch the parsha of a moised sending a student out because they don’t know how to deal with him. In 30 years, I sent only two students out and this only when I verified that another yeshiva would take them. How does anyone send a student away to fall through the cracks?

  Perhaps the Chinuch office has some ideas. Maybe THESE should be the topic of conversation this coming summer at the annual conference in Newark.

• Negative

  Why always negative? I was refused ot and Morristown at 19, so I went to work, now I sport yeshivahs instead of moaning about them,
  I would like to know how many of the ppl. Who complain about having no money, have fancy cars (that means more than 1), go on trips, have computers, I pods, video machines, and other mod cons that they don’t need, but still get them so that there children should be happy, but CHINUCH is not so important!!

  And besides most bochurim that are refused yeshivahs, is because of who and what they are and not because of money, that is just the reason most yeshivahs use.