Brooklyn – Councilman David Greenfield, who publicly called on the parties involved in the Bais Yaakov of Bensonhurst eviction to “enter ‘good-faith’ negotiations to allow these innocent children to immediately return to yeshiva,” congratulated those parties on reaching an agreement today that will allow the yeshiva to re-open as early as tomorrow.
“After several days of anxiety for hundreds of yeshiva parents in Brooklyn, I am pleased that the parties heeded my call by quickly negotiating a deal that will allow these girls to get back to school as soon as tomorrow,” Greenfield explained.
In the days since the school was forced to shut its doors due to a rent dispute, Councilman Greenfield’s office was flooded with calls from frantic parents, asking the Councilman to intervene on behalf of their children. As a result, Greenfield personally called both parties on Friday to encourage them to quickly resolve this dispute. Greenfield was in a unique position to make this request, as he has long-standing relationships with both the landlord and the yeshiva administrator, both of whom supported Greenfield’s initial bid for City Council.
While the exact terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed, Greenfield has learned that it is a multi-year deal that would allow the yeshiva to remain at its current location. “Boruch Hashem, tuition-paying parents will now have some peace of mind, knowing that their children will be able to return to their yeshiva,” Greenfield concluded.
This is not the first time that Councilman Greenfield has intervened to keep this yeshiva open. In May, just weeks before the end of the school year, Councilman Greenfield worked extensively with the yeshiva’s administration to bring the building into emergency compliance after the Fire Department wanted to close the yeshiva due to serious safety concerns. At the time, Councilman Greenfield helped broker an agreement with the FDNY that ensured the students could safely finish the final days of the school year and would allow the administration to make necessary comprehensive safety improvements over the summer.
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28 Responses
These last-minute high-wire gymnastics are great. I really admire such skill. But they don’t address the REAL PROBLEM: The government is treating our children as second-class citizens.
Even the lowliest illegal alien is elegible for a gold-plated $14,000 a year education from our State Government, while our children are told: “Sorry, you’re religious, so you get nothing–Tough luck!”
This is a scandalous disgrace. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Yeshiva students can get vouchers and tax credits. there is no excuse for New York politicians to hide behind the NY State Constitution, and treat us as second-class citizens.
Ask Assemblyman Hikind and all the others what they are doing to correct this outrage!
why do we have to wait for a school to close down for Councilman Greenfield to get involved .
why can’t Councilman Greenfield just tell all the Jewish schools to close down and have all the kids register at the local public school and then lets see what happens when we are told that the new york city board of education does not have the available space for our kids .
then we will get lots of money for our schools and our institutions will have money to make the burden for us that much better.
Assemblyman Hikind is busy making ure that the children of Beitar Illit and the other Yeshu settlements are properly educated and have food and shelter. He has no time for the people who elected him time and time again.
Kudos for Councilman Greenfield. He has proved again and again that he realy cares about the community.
Boruch Hashem for this true servant to the community.
deepthinker: While Hikind pays lip service for assistance to religious schools, he continuously supports politicians who oppose it.
The last line “ask Dov Hikind what they are doing to correct this outrage” is totally uncalled for disgusting and yeshiva world should take this comment off. I respect greenfield and hikind because they both do things for the klal . Why does everybody have to hate each other and always worry about taking credit for things?
And do people really think that Greenfield and Hikind don’t fight for vouchers and anything to help parents who pay tuition?
It’s complete chutzpah to blame greenfield and Hikind for things that are out of their personal control.
If you think you can do a better job why not run for city council and lets see how well you will fare. You would not be able to stand up to anyone let alone the pressures of the job.
You blame the governement and then you blame Greenfield and Hikind. greenfield and Hikind do not runt he governement.
Do you even vote?
Does Greenfield’s statement below mean that parents who can no longer afford to pay won’t be able to send their children?
“Boruch Hashem, tuition-paying parents will now have some peace of mind, knowing that their children will be able to return to their yeshiva,” Greenfield concluded
Even the lowliest illegal alien is elegible for a gold-plated $14,000 a year education from our State Government, while our children are told: “Sorry, you’re religious, so you get nothing–Tough luck!”
That argument would apply if the public schools were turning you away at the door because you’re religious. But they’re not. You’re just as entitled to enroll your kids in public school as any other parent in New York.
The fact that you choose not to is a different story.
The Wolf
Dear wolfmusings (no. 8):
You wrote: “You’re just as entitled to enroll your kids in public school as any other parent in New York.”
You’re missing the whole point.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin case that Yeshiva and parochial school parents, have a right to educate their kids in their way of life, and that they cannot be discriminated against by the State, if they choose to avoid the immoral, atheist brainwahsing that is so prevalent in the public schools.
Rabbi Twersky’s yeshiva gets State vouchers in Milwaukee. He doesn’t have to call-in Coucilman Greenfield to rescue his school.
So my question, again is: why don’t we hear anything from the State representatives of Borough Park, Williamsburg, Flatbush, Monroe, and Monsey on this issue? Why do we let our representatives get away with treating us like peasants, who are entitled to nothing?
By the way,where is Agudah, Young Israel, and the Orthodox Union (OU) on this?
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin case that Yeshiva and parochial school parents, have a right to educate their kids in their way of life, and that they cannot be discriminated against by the State, if they choose to avoid the immoral, atheist brainwahsing that is so prevalent in the public schools.
Is that really what the Supreme Court said? Somehow I doubt it. Nonetheless, if you can point me to the case, I’d like to see it for myself.
Also, does the decision mean that it is mandated to every state, or is it up to the state to make those decisions?
Lastly, as you probably well know, public funding of parochial education is forbidden in New York by the Blaine Amendment. If you believe that the SCOTUS decision renders the Blaine Amendment illegal, then why don’t you bring suit on the matter?
The Wolf
Ah, never mind… I found it.
http://www.schoolchoices.org/roo/wisc1.htm#REVIEW
The case considered six questions:
1. Does the MCP program violate the 1st amendment
2. Does it violate the establishment principle in Wisconsin’s state consitution?
3. Is it a private or public bill as mandated by Wisconsin law?
4. Does it violate the uniformity provision of Wisconsin’s constitution?
5. Does it violate Wisconsin’s public purpose doctrine?
6. Should children who enrolled before the injunction be eligible.
Of the six questions the court had to answer, four of them are specific to Wisconsin and have NO BEARING at all on New York law. The sixth is specific to the MCP program and also, has no bearing on New York State law.
The only question that is even remotely relevant to New York is whether or not the program violates the establishment clause of the first amendment. Even if it does not, that does not mean that a state cannot enact a Blaine-type amendment to prohibit public funding of parochial schools. All it means is that a state may, if it chose, fund them.
New York State has chosen not to do so. The state voters put the Blaine Amendment in the state Constitution. If you want to have it repealed, by all means, work towards it. Keep in mind, however, that any modifications to the state constitution require a vote by the voters. Good luck getting the voters to approve millions of dollars in religious school expenditures when the state is already bankrupt for the next umpteen years.
The Wolf
yosse – “… just tell all the Jewish schools to close down and have all the kids register at the local public school and then lets see what happens when we are told that the new york city board of education does not have the available space for our kids.then we will get lots of money for our schools and our institutions…”
A pretty good idea. Many American bred g’dolim are products of the public school system. But you need achdus amongth the Rabbonim, too bad.
Deepthinker. One word to you. Maskim!
So the school is an unsafe building that the FDNY felt children couldn’t safely be in, and the Councilman intervenes?
The school is in violation of its contact and local laws, and the Councilman intervenes?
And it’s the Councilman’s fault that the school is in violation of various local and federal statues AND was STEALING tuition money from the parents to not pay their bills.
Let the school close down and the administrators be held responsible under Civil law, for failure to discharge their fiduciary duties!!!
Thanks Wolf, I was going to point that out. States may, of course, protect rights more extensively than the Federal Constitution. While the S. Ct. ruled that a school voucher program like the one used in Wisconsin does not violate the Federal Constitution (mind you, State legislatures must tread carefully in crafting such programs because this area of law is complex, nuanced, and sometimes inconsistent and illogical), it is pretty clear that the program would violate the NYS Constitution. the People of NYS have chosen to impose more stringent protections against State-sponsored religious instruction, as is their right. It can be changed, but this will require a Constitutional amendment, not just mere legislation.
why can’t Councilman Greenfield just tell all the Jewish schools to close down and have all the kids register at the local public school and then lets see what happens when we are told that the new york city board of education does not have the available space for our kids .
I always see this suggestion bandied about, and it is one of the stupidest suggestions out there for a number of reasons:
1. The state is mandated to provide an education to any kid who shows up in public school. So, if all the yeshiva kids suddenly show up in public school one day, the board of education will have to find a way to make space for them. They will not (and by state law cannot) just say “OK, we’ll give the yeshivos money.”
2. I firmly believe that the NYC public school system *can* absorb all the yeshiva kids if they had to. Yes, it might take a week or two to sort out if everyone shows up at once, but in the long run, I’m positive they can do it.
3. Any change to the state constitution requires direct voting by the public. What that means is that any proposed measures are added to the ballot in November on Election Day. Furthermore, any effort to amend the state constitution takes time — you can’t just show up the day before election day and put it on the ballot. So, are you seriously advocating that the yeshivos all close (never mind the unfair havoc that plays with the teachers and staff) and that everyone keep their kids in public school from September until November (at a minimum)? Do you really see that happening? Will *you* keep your kids in public school for two months?
4. Of course, it will be common knowledge that the spike in enrollment is only temporary — you’re not going to be able to hide it from people that these kids are leaving public school once the measure passes. As such, I don’t think the voting public is going to go for it.
5. As it is, even in good economic times, you’re going to have a hard time convincing the voting public to vote on something that will increase their tax bill. There is no way on heaven or Earth that you are going to get the Legislature to authorize tens of millions of dollars or more for yeshiva education when the state is broke. You certainly aren’t going to get the taxpayers to vote for it.
Bottom line — it’s a silly plan because (a) no one is really going to enroll their kids in public school for the length of time that this requires, (b) the Legislature will not approve it and (c) the voters of the state aren’t going to approve it.
The Wolf
does anyone know who we can make checks payable to to help this school??
thank you!!
“Boruch Hashem, tuition-paying parents will now have some peace of mind, knowing that their children will be able to return to their yeshiva,”
I AGREE. PARENTS WHO DON’T PAY THEIR AGREED UPON TUITION ARE WHAT IS BRINGING DOWN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
EVERY CHILD MUST BE PAID FOR. THE TEACHERS AND REBBEIM DON’T DESERVE TO SUFFER ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THESE NON PAYING PARENTS.
SCHOOLS ARE PRIORITY ONE. PERIOD.
“there is no excuse for New York politicians to hide behind the NY State Constitution”
Except that they are sworn to uphold the law. If you don’t like the law, start a campaign to change it! But you will have to decide if you just want to use that campaign as a tool to elect Republicans, or to actually get support for our schools. You probably can’t do both.
‘I firmly believe that the NYC public school system *can* absorb all the yeshiva kids if they had to. ‘
That is absolutely true. Class sizes would increase slightly, a few new teachers would be hired, some temporary trailers would be rented — and the NYC Board of Ed would buy the buildings of the bankrupt yeshivot for pennies on the dollar.
“any effort to amend the state constitution takes time”
There are two ways to amend the state constitution:
Method one:
(1) A proposed amendment is approved by both houses of the New York Legislature.
(2) The entire New York Legislature faces an election.
(3) Both houses of the newly elected legislature approves the identical amendment.
(4) The majority of voters approve the amendment in a referendum
Method two:
(1) A majority of voters approve the calling of a Constitutional Convention. The voters must be asked this every 20 years; the next scheduled time is 2017. The Legislature may also give voters a chance to do this.
(2) The Constitutional Convention is elected by the voters.
(3) The Constitutional Convention proposes one or more amendments to the Constitution, or proposes a completely new Constitution.
(4) A majority of voters approve the amendments or the new Constitution.
The last Constitutional Convention was in 1967. It had a Democratic majority even though the governor and legislature were Republican. It proposed repealing the Blaine Amendment in order to permit government funding of religious schools. The proposed constitutional revision got about 28% of the vote statewide, which is about what voucher proposals usually get when they face voter referenda.
Deepthinker doesn’t want to admit it, but government support for religious schools just isn’t popular with the public. It will take a major effort at coalition building if this is ever to happen. Simply using this as a way to bash unions, liberals, and Democrats will guarantee failure.
What I want to know is if the school has not been able to pay the rent for the last 2 years why do people think that they will be able to pay it now? I am going to assume that the agreement with the landlord still requires them to pay the rent. So do they have a plan for how to pay the rent and clear up the bills? Or did they do something stupid like take out a note on someone’s house to cover the next few months? If they did that guy is probably going to loose his house.
quote from deepthinker: “Even the lowliest illegal alien is elegible for a gold-plated $14,000 a year education from our State Government, while our children are told: “Sorry, you’re religious, so you get nothing–Tough luck!””
You know you are disgusting racist right? If the education in NYC Public Schools are “gold-plated” then you should have no problem sending your children there! You shouldn’t even bother to clean up your language. Just toss out whatever “s” word strikes your fancy. You just don’t want your children around darkies and you want everyone else to pay your way.
Well, that’s deep alright!
Zach Kessin
I am glad you have it all figured out for the school.
What makes you think that they weren’t paying ANYTHING, mybe they were giving something?
What makes you think that they weren’t paying ANYTHING, mybe they were giving something?
It doesn’t matter — his point still remains. If the school wasn’t able to keep up with their rent obligations before (whether they were paying something or nothing) what has changed now that they will be able to pay rent (something that, I would imagine, the landlord would require as part of any agreement)?
The Wolf
The Wolf,
Very good. If the landlord was able to accept the agreement, then obviously the deal was pretty realistic, and that was the change. Sometimes we need to live in the real world.
Aaym,
You missed the point. What changed on the part of the yeshiva’s finances? What changed on their part that they can now afford the rent? I can’t imagine that the landlord is going to allow them to fall further behind in rent.
The Wolf
I guess we misunderstood each other. I meant that obviously the deal worked out was more affordable than the original deal.
Yolk, great idea checks should be written to to yeshiva Ketana of Bensonhurst, and can be mailed to 2025 67th street. Brooklyn, New York 11204.
Tizku lmitzvos