As first reported on Tuesday, tens of parents gathered at the home of the Mashgiach Shlita to seek answers and solutions following the closing of Yeshiva Bais Hatorah. One of the questions the parents had for the Mashgiach Shlita, was why the Yeshivah Bais Hatorah among other struggling Yeshivahs, was recommended by the Mashgiach, to close.
The Mashgiach answered, that he was not approached by other Yeshivahs, and perhaps would have given similar advice, should they seek it.
The Mashgiach explained, parents of the Yeshivah tell TLS, that Yeshivahs without sustainable budgets, cannot continue without a way to pay Rabbeim, and he therefore recommended that Yeshivah Bais Hatorah close until a permanent solution can be found, and not have to rely on emergency meetings to balance the budgets.
The Yeshivah, with approximately 400 students remains closed for the third day after the school announced its closing.
An affiliate with another local school tells TLS, that they have begun receiving calls from Bais Hatorah parents, seeking placement for their children.
Other sources tell TLS, that meetings between local Askonim and school board members, continue to take place.
Would Reb Matisyahu also require that Kollel families have sustainable budgets that include sufficient funds to pay for tuition?
Or is this requirement only pertinent to yeshivos?
#1 of course whats your question, i’m sure if you asked the mashgiach if you should leave kollel because you can afford your tuition i have no doubt he will force you to go to work
I can think of many school that should close because there is no financial game plan. Unless someone steps up to the plate and says “i take achrayus” there is no way that a school can stay afloat.
The problem is very simple, we have a town where everyone is in kollel so everyone gets a kollel brake on tuition. When the school charges $5,500 for tuition its because thats their cost, so now when kollel guy A gets $2,000 of his bill, who is picking up that 2k? you guessed it no one! so bottom line is you cant have it both ways, if you want to learn pay your full bill if you cant its time to go to work
I work and am still unable to make ends meet, subsequently I receive a small scholarship, but still go into debt charging the annual tuition on my credit card. If I am going to owe Visa money or my sons rebe money, I’d surely prefer the former.
To ari.
The point you make is very valid, only one correction: 5,500 is also below cost. Most boys schools cost about 6,500
The Younger generation needs to get involved & the older generation needs to loosen up some control.
the problem is, if you try to find a job….. I wish you much luck!!!
its not a pretty picture out there
but we only have to make hishtadlus!
We need to really examine the tuition structure of Lakewood mosdos. We need to charge ‘real’ tuitions that will sustain the yeshiva and not automatically reduced tuitions that rely on a percentage of money raised thru various fundrasining efforts. From this starting point of real dollar values, an individual family would have to attempt to get a scholarship to reduce that amount based on scrutiny of W-2s and other financial factors as is done in most other cities. It may be humiliating to be up-front about people’s financial situations, but it is our achrayus as parents to keep the mosdos solvent. It will no longer be acceptable for a family to live in a grand house paid for by the grandparents and claim poverty on the tuition front.
Ideally the scholarship system would be a community run organization that would be distributed by rabbonim able to make decisions without negius for the mosad or the family connections. In this way, we can have a single fundraising system to establish and maintain the fund as well as being able to review a families eliigiibility in its entirety.
A mosad could then legitimately refuse to continue to educate a child whose parents don’t meet their financial obligations.
I’m not part of the yeshiva of Lakewood; I’m one of those that moved from somewhere else… What do the Roshi Yeshivos advise their students in this economy? It seems to me, that everyone is learning in Kollel after they get married, whether they can afford it or not. I understand it’s a much respected thing to do-if you can afford it. What if you can’t?
My question was rather straightforward.
If you look at the Mashgiach’s yeshiva, it is quite evident that many, if not most members have trouble paying their children’s tuition.
However, in all my years in yeshiva, having attended many shmuzzes, I have never heard the Mashgiach speak about fiscal responsibility.
I have NEVER heard the Mashgiach say that you could only stay in his yeshiva if you have a way to pay for your children’s tuition.
Hence my question, would Reb Matisyahu also require that Kollel families have sustainable budgets that include sufficient funds to pay for tuition?
Or is this requirement of sustainable budgets only pertinent to yeshivos?
it’s no magic once you go to work. It’s still not enough to pay bills and tuition on top of that for a large family. I could vouch for that.
To simply scrutinize W-2 forms to set tuitions would be very inequitible in a town where many that report little on their W-2s have a higher standard of living than those making 70 or 80k on their W-2s before taxes, due to parental help, programs, and other sources of income. All of these factors need to be taken into account when setting tuitions.
a ben torah is not someone who learns, its someone who is proud that hes an eved hashem, if there is no money and u cant pay anybody anything, look in the gamara as to what the tanaim did. Do whats right, not the trend. There are no rules evrey situation is diffrent.
of course someone needs to take responsibility. how about the person or persons which started the school? dont start them and cry resposibility.
In my household the husband and wife are both working and havebeen working for a while pulling in a decent salary, it’s still hard to pay full tuition.
I am on the tuition board in a local chasidishe yesiva and can tell you that a big percentage of parents have NO way of paying what they are being billed…The yeshivas are all in an emergency status where some will have to close down sooner or later because melamdim and teachers are NOT getting paid..How long can a melamed wait for a pay check..The world of yeshivos needs a major overhaul by the gedolei hador but meanwhile every one is busy with other tzibor problems…
Everyone, stop being naive. In this day and age, it doesn’t matter if you’re working or learning. Nobody is paying full tuition because the economy is quite bad. Those of us who have managed to hold onto our jobs have either gotten less work or reduced salaries, and we can’t look for anything else either. Nobody is hiring and it’s pretty bad out there.
Living in NJ is pretty bad for anyone trying to make money, which is why I commute daily. Otherwise I’d get a 60% pay cut. However, lots of people in Brooklyn are also struggling to pay bills and pay tuition. I don’t think this should turn into a kollel-yeshiva-not-paying-for-anything-while-I-am thing. Let the kollel people work. They won’t get ahead in this economy anyways. I think that their zchus is what’s still holding everything else up, and let’s face it: how many people with high-ranking jobs and degrees are in debt and foreclosure now?
Sorry, I meant to type: let the kollel people LEARN. I’m sure you all got that anyways, but just clarifying.
It all starts from the foundation!! when a yungermann starts out his life with acondition that the shver support even at the cost of health then that attitude is one of “es kumpt mir” then the guy thinks its everyone elses responsibility to pay for my kids schooling.
I never got supported by my shver and yes I DID stay in kollel for a number of years.
I did get deductions from the schools but they also saw that I dont live above my means. I didnt and still dont go on vacations because I cant afford it! I dont drive the fancy leased cars ! My kids dont go to overnight camps! Ill be that my kids are no worse off then the rest of the ones that get it all (and probably they happier and better of)
The bottom line is that the mentality that it”s someone elses responsibility to suppot my family has gotten out of hand and we are seeing the results
Very well said. It’s about time people stop looking over their shoulders and start asking their Rabonim and Mashgichim to properly guide them with regard to their individal matzav.
Why are some people doing what they are? Is it with a cheshbon? or are you in your stituation because of yenem.
It is high time the oilam grow up. Each person should learn how to ask a shayluh. It is each persons individual achrayos to ask his moreh derech What good for them.
Stop looking at yenem. It is mind boggling the percentage of people and (schools mind you) that just go with the flow.
Why? Let’s wake up. And let each individual (and school as YBH has done) seek guidance from a Moreh Derech
Well put. And 100%אמת.
אשריך.
However one small footnote to your well thought out post. I would suggest that each person should seek guidance for his individual circumstance. It is not one size fits all.
Rabbosai- Always ask for hadracha.
You’re right W-2 forms are not the only thing to look at. As one who has seen other communities scholarship applications, there are many questions on these forms that get to the bottom line of how a person is living and will be able to determine their eligibility for scholarship money.
How about a 10% tax on all bagel shops, pizza shops and restaurants? I don’t think it will deter anybody from visiting these stores and obviously you can afford it, so why not?
I would imagine that this fund would gross more than anybody can imagine. Of course the problem will be the system of allocations, butthat’s why there’a a Mashgiach. With today’s computer technology it’s real easy to set this up…………..
Think about it – what’s another $$4 to a $40 bill in glatt-bite? Does anyone ever look at the bill?
Let’s do it!
I think there needs to be accountability on everyones part. Mosdos need to open there books as well. Huge mega yeshivahs should be a thing of the past considering the way the economy is now. People whether working or in kollel need think ahead and realize that the way we live isn’t sustainable as we get older.
Actually thats a great idea. tax anyone building a new home as well as anyone shopping in some of those new fancy stores that we have in town. Hey look if you can afford those prices than you ought to be able to afford another 10%. Great idea??
As someone who works and pays in excess of 10% Maaser, I take offense in your suggestion.
How about a suggestion that people stop freeloading off the people who already pay more than their share?
Instead of furthering your liberal agenda of “Hey, lets just take money from the haves and give it the have nots,” perhaps it would be best to make a cheshbon hanefesh and determine whether it is better to be a giver or a taker.
Ultimately, we are supposed to emulate Hashem and His ways. Hashem is just a giver.
Now, do you want to be a giver or a taker?
And in our little town, to the best of my knowledge, the people who have, give more than the required 10%. Simply because they want to emulate Hashem, and enjoy giving.
Please don’t try to take away our enjoyment of giving by trying to force us to pay an additional 10%.
Please try to take responsibility of your own family.
Sounds like republicans against democrats!
#26 please don’t take offense. In Europe there was a chicken tax to support the Vaad Hayeshivos. It is certainly a communal responsibility to be mechaneich children, especially since the times of Yehoshua ben Gamla.
I was only suggesting that the take-outs would be a place where the tax would not be felt (as much as the chickens!) and perhaps done in a communal way would be accepted in a positive light by almost everyone. These prutos would add up to to a lot.
It would be one simple way for us to chip in as a community to the chinuch of every boy and girl in town.
If you tax then schools can’t say no to people. Everyone will be paying tax hence everyone should get accepted. It will never happen.
There are many issues that need to be addressed.
#1 – A need for a community wide fund to assist those that truly require the assistance.
#2 – A need for both the parents and the schools to be open and forthcoming about their expences and income.
#3 – An idea for a tax on limited to certain stores is unfair to them and their customers. However a tax on all local stores of 1% would go a very long way.
#4 – There should be a group purchasing set up for all the Yeshivos to purchase through. This can significantly save all the Yeshivos a large amount of money.
We need to take pointers from the beautiful song of the mother that sells her precious candlesticks to be able to pay her son’s melamed. If chinuch was really our priority and we valued it as our personal chiyuv to be mechanech our children, we would change our lifestyles to be able to pay our childrens rabbeim. It’s not bseder to leave it up to others to foot the bill.
If evreyone would pay a tax to support yeshivas and beis yaakovs the yeshivas and beis yaakovs would have to not discriminate who they accept (within our community) according to how frum or modern their famlies are. I dont think most frum lakewood schools would agree to this.
Name me one school in the entire lakewood that has a sustainable budget (besides maybe bmg ) even if Every parent paid full tuition the schools r still in the red 150,000 or more so to rely on a system that doesent cover itself and one has to rely on outside donations to make up the difference (and in that case maybe even bmg should be shut down bec 70% or more of there budget comes from outside money)
The parents at the end of the day have the achrais to make sure the school is afloat even if they have to go door to door other wise they have to suffer the consequences of there inaction
Wake up everyone! The is a class born every week in Lakewood. Who is paying for their future? Stop digging further into a debt hole.
Anonymous says:
August 19, 2010 at 11:53 am
the problem is, if you try to find a job….. I wish you much luck!!!
its not a pretty picture out there
but we only have to make hishtadlus!
==================================================
part of hishtadlus is getting the education one needs to get a job in the area he is most familiar with or is pretty confidant in .
saying to you shver that you will be eventually be going into chinuch or kiruv is all a fraud when you know deep down that you have zero intrest in it .
I think that before any family get’s any sort of a break from tuition at all, they must first surrender owning a cell phone. Why should it be right for a family to own and pay the monthly bills of a totally unnecessary item (which is very questionable in frumkeit as well) and at the same time be entitled to a discount for yeshiva? In essence, the family is saying that tzedokah money should come and pay for his and her rights to have a cell phone, not to mention their children also being entitled to carry them constantly.
Everyone seems to be making it like the whole world is in kolel and cant afford jack. Actually thousands of people in Lakewood work for a living.
Other people are blogging how in this town there is pressure for this and that but do the right thing blah blah blah.
Pressure shmessure where? No one gives a beep what you do unless you make a fuss about it or have very low self esteem.
Lets stop blaming everyone and move on.
To all those who recommend examining parents tax returns and basing the tuition structure on that. I wish you luck. there are some really creative 1040’s out there.
Instead of an income based structure alone, it needs to be “consumption based” but even that poses problems
There is in interesting phenomenon I see with Lakewood families. Often the less the “earned income” the higher the consumption. In other words A lot of the people who work, only do so because they are poorer. and receive less support than those who don’t earn as much (kollel yungerleit)
Lakewood has a different financial dynamic than other frum communities and we therefore need our own unique system on how to judge “financial ability”.
if evreyone would cut two hours a week of cleaning help that would bring in around $150,000. and those who have more mb alittle more, this can be upward of 200-225K a week!!
We as a community have money, plenty of it,question is what is our priority?! for some reason in a recession or depression, evreyone still has and is always looking for more cleaning help! Im surprised people cant see thrugh the truth. im not saying to cancel ur help for good, but mb in times of a crisis like this we ought to take all measures into consideration.Please advise.
Perhaps there are seniors in the community who have no children or grandchildren of their own who would be willing to “adopt” a child and pay for the child’s education. That “new grandparent” could have a special relationship with the child and have the satisfaction of knowing that their kindness benefited another. Just a thought….or if some seniors do have grandchildren of their own, perhaps they could still “adopt” another grandchild if they have the means to do so.
If all people would stop eating out , stop sending their kids to camp, stop buying unnecessary items and use the money saved to help pay someone’s tuition, maybe that would help the situation. But, people who can afford those things won’t do it. Anyway it would be bad for the owners of eateries, camps etc. Then they and their employees would be out of jobs and won’t be able to pay tuition either.
Rabbosei,
You all missed the point.
Yes – there is plenty of money out there. It is time our leadership starts doing the the hard job of pressuring the big boys for big dollars. The real big boys have the next 10 generations funded. THAT’S NOT EMUNAH OR BITACHON! The middle and lower income are always pressed, there are real big GEVIRIM who have real big money that need to get really serious.
Sorry it hurts to say it- there IS real serious money out there!!!!
The only reason for poverty is to allow the wealthy a portion in Olam Habba. All the reasons why this school closed are excuses only. The Truth is Hashem is giving an oppurtunity to the wealthy before Rosh Hashanah to help Bais Hatorah so the wealthy people will have more Z’chusim to put on the scale.
“The people with money, You know who you are & what to do”
People aren’t used to living with minimum frills nowadays. Most people have a very high standard of living. If everyone would try to pare their living standards down and saved some money , maybe they could pay more tuition. I am sure some people have a bare bones lifestyle, but, many do not. If someone has more money than he needs for a normal comfortable lifestyle, then maybe he should be giving more tzeddaka not living a very luxurious life in a big ostentatious house. I think the scourge of living here is the very high expectations people have of what they consider necessary to live. People used to be satisfied with much less, here we are very spoiled.
Time out everyone : a few points: we have the Rambams promise that anyone who makes thmselves like Shevet Levi, hshem will take care of all their needs, that’s for the yungerleit: as for the schools here are some ideas: a. each school needs a business attached to it that could generate an income BEFORE THEY OPEN! LIKE ponivezh yeshiva has real estate etc. MUCH more pressure needs to go on Govt that our tax dollars which go to illegals tution should go to our own . this is ridiculous already. 3 We should adopt a Lakewood first policy like Chicago has, where NO MORE PARLOR MEETINGS FOR OUT OF TOWN MOSDOS. just until the situation calms down. I think these are real ideas that can work .
To all u people saying to make a communal tax of restaurants and other foods here’s something to chew on
1) Who will be making sure you are getting all the money from the sellers I don’t know many proprietors that will let someone go threw there books
2) Who will be in charge of giving out the money
3) Who will get this money will it be the same as it is today certain mosdos and certain people are more eligible for certain things than others
All in all as I said before. Your school your achrias don’t like it you can go to public school.
What makes you think that non-community members would want their tax $$$ to go to your schools any more than giving it to educate the illegals? Would you want your tax $$ to go to support the christian schools in town? You’d be screaming if that happened. Lets be fair.
Ok – whatever has happened has happened , the idea is to make sure it doesnt happen again in the future . I dont mean next Zman or next yr or even in in 3 years – I mean in 10 , 15 ,20 yrs down the road.
As everyone know too well , secular education in Lakewood isnt only discouraged but is looked down upon. A vast majority of Lakewood parents are very upset about this but there isnt much that can be done as you are fighting city hall.
I think ppl have to realise that we are living in 2010 on the brinks of worst financial crisis since the great depression in 1928 , with reports that we are headed back into a W shaped recession . We all now how hard Parnosa is even with an education , how much more so without an education . The options for a yungerman leaving kollel after a few years a very slim . When I say options I dont mean low income earning jobs .
We have to face the facts that having both husband and wife working is deft no ideal and does really fit in with Torah Hashkofas – besides for the detrimental affect it has on the kids . Husband need to be able to work and support their families – albeit this is difficult but especially when we are talking about someone with no education .
To bring up a jewish family you need around $150k at a minimum if you are going to be paying decent medical insurance , tuition , taxes etc . Those kinds of jobs DONT exist without an education and NOT everyone is made for business where the statisics are that mose businesses fail.
I think its about time we start offering our kids the opportunities to make themself a decent parnosa. Yes I know ppl are going to say …..they know many rich ppl who cant even spell their name etc . How old are those ppl ??? many are those made it by setting up businesses 30-40 years ago when anyone will tell you that competition was less and regulations were far less than today. As well many younger people (aged 35-40) made alot of money getting in early on the real estate boom , while many who got in abit late lost everything.
We all can see that these opportunities are no longer and yes of course Hashem is the one who gives parnosa etc however you need to be realisitc and live with the times . There will always be miracle but arent we taught not to rely on them ?!.
I would be interested in hearing R Mattisyahu view on all this in light of the current situation as he is a gadol with a very open mind to whats happening in the world.
I heard there is a girls school in town that the owner opened a business to help run it. How about all schools doing the same?
lets remember who the daas torah is here reb matisyhu said what he said on whom he said it and none of us are qualifed to argue question or attack so let just do the right thing and learn the lessons he taught without politics please
Rabboisai – I live in Monsey and we are a two income family. Full tuition for 4 children is approximately $37,000. That is an average of $9,000 per child. We are struggling immensely to pay tuitions. Count your blessings that Lakewood is only $5,500.
I dont care if the economy is great or lousy. The cost of tuition is simply too high for many of us to afford. Something needs to be done to alleviate the stress of both running yeshivos and paying tuitions.
Ideas –
Merge all schools into one larger shared super building instead of each school owning their own building?
Oorah knows how to raise money quite well. Have them sit and give ideas to yeshivos?
Any other ideas people can share on how to increase operating income in yeshivos without taxing the public? Who knows, someone from the yeshiva may read this!!
To #33: Up until the end of June Bnos Brocha Girls School of Lakewood had a sustainable budget. They owed no one money and paid all their teachers on time. It’s called dont spend school money that you don’t have and don’t promise salaries that you can’t cover.
To # 50 girls schools r different than boys schools.
Girls elementary schools can sustain themselves as the pay level for their staff is lower. Boys schools and girls high schools must pay much higher salaries than girls elementary schools. Thes e higher salaries are still very low but nevertheless they woud require highee tuitions. In most communities it is a fact that boys schools and all high schools commnd much higher tuiitions than girls elementary schools but not in Lakewood.
YEAH!!! both of you are normal, everyone else is nuts. WAKE UP!!!
The lavish lifestyle of the wealthy creates a negative trickle down effect. Peer pressure forces those lower on the financial ladder to emulate those above them. Perhaps, in an Ir HaTorah such as Lakewood, the first step would be for the wealthy to tone down the public aspects of their lavish lifestyle.
Just do the math… The cost of rebbi and English teacher is $20/hour. The average class size is over 20 talmidim. The overhead with good management should not exceed 30%. Not-for-profit mosdos do not have property or corporate tax burden. This does not account for any gov. assistance. Therefore, full tuition should not exceed $3,000 if everyone pays. However, if mosad is designed to be a feeder for family members of roshei mosdos and administrators with salaries over $100,000 then there is a problem… If mosad build building it cannot afford then there is a problem.
Who ever heard of a yeshiva with a sustainable budget since the days of the Gamara they have been collecting money for yeshivas. Reb Baruch Ber Lebowitz Came to America in the early 1900s to raise money for the yeshivas in Europe. I really doubt that the Mashgiach is being quoted properly. He must have said something else and is being miss quoted!
I should have stayed on vacation… the level of the “give me , give me” mentality is frightening. As a father and grandfather who put his kids (and still does) through Yeshiva and always B”H paying full tuition, I say stop looking for others to help you. You need to take responsibilities for yourselves! Stop looking for your parents and grandparents to “sponsor” this and sponsor that! Learn to live within your means. How many of you have homes with swimming pools, expensive watches, cuff links, 2 or 3 Sheitels, the newest suites, cars, designer shoes and belts etc.? You spend thousands of dollars on bungalow colonies, sleep away camps etc and then complain about tuition. And then there are the “Obamaniks” who say let the Gevirim pay for it. Why? So some spoiled brats who have been babied by their mothers all these years can continue with your entitlement attitudes? Yes, there are people that need help despite all they do to make ends meet and we all should help them. I for one “sponsored” 2 kids in my sons Yeshiva who were in need. But stop all this nonsense. These people in need didn’t have computers, Blackberry’s, and extravagant homes. It is very simple and I will surprise you, it is Daas Torah too… if you can’t support your family then go find a job that can support them. If you can’t find a job, reduce your expenses, and if you still can’t make it work then and only then rely on the Kllal. Here is another idea… there are millions of dollars flowing out of Lakewood to support Meshulachim from Eretz Yisrael who by the way, don’t pay any tuition. Why not redirect the majority of that money for scholarships for our own community for people in “real” need. Just a thought.
@ Torah Truth,
You said
“if you can’t support your family then go find a job that can support them. If you can’t find a job, reduce your expenses, and if you still can’t make it work then and only then rely on the Kllal. ”
I am afraid that is where we are. We have a large number of Young Men (younger than you and I at least) who have the responsibility to support a family and cannot find a job because they have NO SKILLS. A large percentage can’t even communicate using simple 4th grade English without throwing in Yeshivish words.
What we need is a massive jobs training program including remedial Math, English, basic geography and science to get the folks with responsibilities to the point where they CAN pay bills.
I can’t understand how we religious people continue to deny that Hashem created the system of economics.
I wonder what salaries you are thinking about even with advance education. Many of us have 8 children in school and full tuition (with all types of obligatory on the top of tuition payments) is just about $50,000 cash! If one make $150,000 one pays some $30,000 in federal and state taxes, at least $30,000 in insurances and medical expenses, property taxes, higher car and home insurance premiums (since higher income requires better protection), and some $20,000 many expenses (orthodontics, mortgage, reliable transportation to keep the job). Do you expect that remaining under $20,000 can cover very basic living expenses? Do you know how much humiliation those people have to go through dealing with schools? The tuition are raising by more than 5% per year while the wages and benefits are falling. Most of $150,000 see decreases in their pay in our days. This is just not sustainable.
I meant to#58 in my previous comment
I come across people all the time that are asking for tuition breaks but I see them giving Tzedoko to all the wonderful orginazations in town, is that fair?
I welcome comments on this point
Many of those reasons might be frivolous or mistakes in understanding halochos of maaser and derech eretz but nothing is poshut. Many things are far beyond what eye can see. E.g. presence at the fundraising event or ad in the journal does not necessary mean anything. You must ask those parents for their reasons.
to 60,
I always have this question. I get knocks on my door all the time, and I give 1 or 2 dollars.Yes, I have a large home because I have a large family. I pay tuition approx. $6000.00 per child, plus I help out my married children. What is my responsibility to meshulachim?
How do other people deal with it.
Some even give back me the money which I take back without a problem.
I would like to speak to afew lakewood askanim about my son who are the askanim???
To School Executive Director and # 61. I am one of those who negotiates a tuition break and then gives generous donations to meshulachim form Lakewood and Eretz Yisroel. The schools that I send my kids to are private businesses. As in any other business deal, I would try to get the best terms for myself. You say you are an Executive for a mosod. I have no interest in supporting your lifestyle. Did you get the job because you are the Son-In-Law of the school owner? What are your qualifications? Do you have any fundraising skills other then calling parents to pay their tuition? I still pay more tuition then ninety percent of Lakewood but until our schools become community schools that feel an achrayus to accept all children I will continue to send my tzedakah dollars elsewhere.
to Min Hameitzer:
A school is not a business.
The goal of a business is to make a profit.
The goal of a school is to educate Yiddishe kinder.
Trust me, yeshivos do not make a profit.
It is your achrayus to educate your child.When you choose a school, you are asking them to fulfill that achrayus for you.
That school has an operating budget well before they can see any profit from their ‘business’. In yeshivos, there is no profit.
Divide that budget by the number of children in the school and that is the actual amount that you should be paying.
The school does not even ask you for that amount (although that should be one of the first things changed in Lakewood to come out of this crisis situation). In other words, they are willing to subsidize your child’s education by fundraising the difference.
When you proudly “negotiate” better “terms” for yourself, you are in effect asking them to increase that subsidy.
Ultimately, that difference is made up either from the tzedaka of others, or, sadly, by “borrowing” from the rebbeim of that mossad by not paying their meager salaries on time.
Are you really ok about accepting tzedaka money from others? At the least, your “generous donations” should go first and foremost towards your childs education.
The school executive director is to be commended for his superhuman efforts to pay his rebbeim and keep subsidizing your child’s education.
The bottom line is this: we are living in difficult times and are having such a hard time prioritizing. It all starts with the chinuch we received as children.
Tell me how it is that Lakewood stores are settling winter coats for babies for $400-and the owner told my friend she was sold out?????
We are so mixed up, especially the new generation of young married couples in Lakewood-who have no idea how to budget, who blow their wedding money within two years, and who spend lavishly on unnecessary items that many rich people would never look at. Take a look at all the upscale stores from Brooklyn that are finding a niche in Lakewood-why? how? OF COURSE there’s a tuition problem.
It’ll only get worse when the schools are mostly comprised of kids of the new generation. I think the problems must be addressed in our schools, and young teens must learn about economizing and budgeting.
This won’t solve the above problem but will help prevent one in the future.
At least, I’m part of that generation and I know exactly what’s going on. And I wish that I would have been prepared differently because I am working so hard now and am barely cutting it even-I have no idea how my neighbors and friends make do with their new wardrobes, sheitels, cars, and jewelry.