I’m one of several people who works everyday for the Jewish community. Along with several leading askanim, four years ago I co-founded TEACH NYS – an organization dedicated to solving the yeshiva tuition crisis. TEACH NYS has spent millions of dollars over the last few years on behalf of the klal (all of it privately financed by these same askanim) and, Boruch Hashem, we’ve had some incredible results. Oh, and none of us has ever taken even a dime of that money (you wouldn’t believe how popular that question is – “what’s in it for you?” The answer: nothing).
As a result of our collective efforts and by working together with leading askanim from the UJO of Williamsburg, the Orthodox Union, the Board of Jewish Education and Agudath Israel of America, since founding TEACH NYS we’ve secured the following for YOU: $600,000,000 in annual tax credits for school age children (worth an estimated $30,000,000 a year to the frum community alone), a nearly 50% increase in direct government funding for yeshivas (this defrays the costs of educating YOUR child and helps reduce YOUR tuition increases), millions of dollars in security funding for yeshivas (this protects YOUR child in yeshiva and prevents yeshivas from charging “security fees”), and this year we secured FREE tutoring for over 14,000 yeshiva children in fifty yeshivas across New York – that’s right free tutoring worth at least $25,000,000 a year to the frum community each and every year FOREVER.
But the jig is up. The politicians have figured out that despite our efforts and our millions of dollars spent on political campaigns, strategists and lobbyists, we can’t produce the most important currency in politics – VOTES. They have told us (off the record, of course) that without clear proof of our community voting in large numbers they will be hard-pressed to help our community’s parents and yeshivas anymore. What’s more, they won’t even consider real relief – like education tax credits that would give money back to parents who are spending on tuition. After all, these politicians are facing enormous pressure from a REAL bloc with REAL voting power – the 500,000 members of the Teachers Unions who are demanding that these politicians “stop supporting private yeshivas with public funds.”
We at TEACH NYS have never solicited funds from the general community because we know how much the average family is struggling to make ends meet. Instead, we are asking you today for something that is FREE. We’re asking everyone in the community to register to vote and to actually vote on Primary Day (TODAY) and Election Day (November 3rd).
What’s more, to prove to the politicians that our community can’t be taken for granted, starting today we are launching a massive GET OUT THE VOTE campaign. It’s simple, if you are registered to vote PLEASE VOTE TODAY and in the General Election on November 3rd. If you’re not registered, please call our hotline at (347) 562 1224 or email us at [email protected]. Please be sure to include your name, address and telephone number. We’ll be sure to send you a voter registration form in the mail immediately.
I want to be clear – I DON’T CARE WHO YOU VOTE FOR – it really doesn’t matter to me. The fact that you are voting will send a message to ALL the politicians that our community will not be taken for granted and that the politicians should be afraid of us – NOT the Teachers Unions.
And for those of you who are thinking of skipping today’s elections because you don’t like any of the candidates, I have a better suggestion: show up and write-in a protest vote. That’s right. You have the legal right to write-in anyone you want instead of the candidates on the ballot. Of course, ideally you should pick the best person on the ballot and vote for that person. But if you really dislike all the candidates, instead of skipping the election and giving the politicians the impression that you don’t care, write in a vote instead for your favorite friend or relative or even musician (Lipa for Congress!).
Remember, I don’t get paid if you vote. Neither do the many askanim who toil everyday for the community. So don’t vote because of me or because of our community’s wonderful askanim. VOTE FOR YOU. Vote because you not only owe it to yourself and to your community, but to your children and grandchildren to guarantee their future.
David G. Greenfield
Director & Counsel, TEACH NYS
David Greenfield is one of the top political strategists and analysts in New York State. Mr. Greenfield is also an experienced attorney and a renowned community askan who is the founding director of TEACH NYS. TEACH NYS is the only organization exclusively dedicated to solving the tuition crisis. Mr. Greenfield hosts “Ask Greenfield” – an exclusive audio feature on the latest political news each and every Thursday on Yeshiva World News.
To find out more about the candidates running in today’s elections please click on one of the two “Ask Greenfield” audio features below. The first audio feature is about the three citywide races in today’s election and the second feature is about the many local races in today’s election. Enjoy the show!
Show # 1: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=38958#comments
Show # 2: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=39253#comments
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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6 Responses
thank you ywn for posting this article. I am a registered voter and never heard of TEACH NYS I am very happy that you brought it to my attention, and I will also urge other to get out there and vote.
My Broches to David Greenfield.
Chail-cho L’ioraysa
K’siva v cha’sima tova, to you and yours.
David,
In you article you state that TEACHNYS has secured “a nearly 50% increase in direct government funding for Yeshiva’s (this defrays the costs of educating YOUR child and helps reduce YOUR tuition increases)”. Is there a list that is made public in which parents can see what Yeshiva’s are receiving aid and exactly how much they are receiving. We constantly hear Yeshiva’s complaining that there isn’t enough money and tuition’s continue to go up. This goes for boys and girls Yeshiva’s. I B”H have a daughter in kindergarten and I pay $7,500 dollars a year. This does not include the transportation portion since it is kindergarten. If I choose to have my daughter picked up and dropped off from school the cost is $2,000 dollars on top of the $7,500 the school is being paid.
For my son, the total cost for a fourth grade education this year is $8,300 dollars. This does not include lunch. If I want lunch included it’s an additional $500.
If I want to complain to either of these Yeshiva’s that tuition is to high, I am asked to provide a W2 to prove I cannot afford what they are asking.
Do I have the right as a full tuition paying parent to ask the Yeshiva’s to show me their financials?
Please help.
He is 100% right, I think we can even vote for mickey mouse (like ACORN registered) in order to show we count, since the OTHER communities are voting.
David, what would the city do if 4,000 bais yakov girls showed up at public schools on the first day of school? Also, maybe if Yeshiva teachers belonged to the union the Teacher’s union would not object to financing.
Tuition never goes down and it never will. Yeshiva’s might be getting money but the savings never get passed down to the parents. At the begining of every year you get a new dollar amount higher then the year before. Never does it go down.