Tutoring in Yeshivot in EY – A LOSE/LOSE DEAL

For at least 50 years that I am aware of, the Israeli branches of Hashuv American Yeshivot have offered English speaking Yungerlite jobs tutoring the Bocherim who need extra help. It sounds like a Win/Win idea. Your son gets a private tutor who is mature, highly motivated and knowledgeable to help him advance his learning. For an entire Seder the “Avrech” walks the boy through the “Shakal ve Taria”, reviews his Sheur and makes sure to fill in any gaps in his understanding of the Sugya. This way the Yeshivot can bring weaker boys up to the level of their class without hiring (or paying) for more staff. “LeChora”..

However in fact it is a Lose/Lose arrangement for the Yungerman. The Yeshiva generally tells the Avrech: “You are being hired directly by the Bocher and being paid directly by his parents. We are only Shadchanim, we take no responsibility.” Frequently the boy is not overly motivated and will find any excuse he can to wake up late, finish early, skip, or leave in the middle of the Zman for a friend’s Simcha. Similarly, the parents who are already paying close to full tuition of 25K a year, balk at paying an extra $700-800 monthly to the tutor and the money dries up after a couple of months. In either case his Avrech/Tutor after a month or so is left to learn by himself without even a Kollel salary. He has no position or status in the Yeshiva and when his wife asks him who did you learn with today? Sometimes he answers: “Well maybe tomorrow Yanky will come on time, or they promised they”ll find a new Bocher for me next week. Or he has to admit that he simply carried on a monologue with his own Gemara until he got sleepy and picked up a Humash to Hozer the Sidra.

Occasionally tutoring works for one Zman, but generally it becomes a sad story or even pathetic. Like most of my friends (whose father or uncle doesn’t own a Yeshiva) I gave up tutoring after a couple of years. Recently I came back after I retired from my morning job. This time I lasted two years teaching mostly poor kids for free. Once in a while I got a kid who was very appreciative so I felt it was all worth it. Last Zman I actually got a very smart Bocher from an obviously wealthy family. He took advantage of my enthusiasm to teach him and at the end of the Zman offered me 50 shekels. I felt so denigrated that I finished the Zman and ran away. My “career” in American Israeli Yeshivas is over for good. Baruch Hashem I found a good Kollel.

I am sorry to present such a depressing picture of the situation and I”d be happy to hear from others that had better experiences. In my opinion the present arrangement operates under false pretenses. The Yeshivot and parents knowingly exploit enthusiastic Yungerlite to sit with their kids until they realize no one is responsible for their remuneration or work satisfaction. In the end the majority of parents, students, Yeshivot and tutors walk away angry and disappointed. Maybe somebody can suggest a better way to do things ?