Teaneck, NJ – A private New Jersey high school is closing days before the start of the school year, leaving teachers jobless and students scrambling for a new school.
The private Jewish day school in Teaneck, New Jersey, the Metropolitan Schechter High School, announced abruptly last week that it does not have enough money to open for class this year.
“People are obviously upset,” a rabbi at a nearby school, Yosef Adler, said. “You have 80 kids looking for a school.”
Rabbi Adler, who runs an Orthodox yeshiva high school in Teaneck, the Torah Academy of Bergen County, said he learned about the crisis late last week when a family approached him asking if he could place their children. They had heard the school would not open the night before, he said.
Behind the school’s abrupt closure is an ongoing crisis in the sub-prime mortgage field, Citing the school’s head, Jay Dewey, the newspaper said that the school closed after a longtime donor with major holdings in the field was forced to pull back his support.
The rabbi said he has offered a place to two students, but they are still waiting to make a final decision on whether to attend.
(Source: NY Sun)
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33 Responses
Goodbye, Good riddance, and may all Schechter/Conservative and Reform temples and schools (along with their movements) share its fate.
Better for the kids to go to public school, than to one of a false religion masquerading as Judaism. And perhaps some kids will end up in a Torah true school.
VOLVIE JUST WHERE DO YOU GET OFF MAKING A COMMENT LIKE THAT, WE ARE TAUGHT TO LOVE AND SUPPORT OUR FELLOW JEW, MAYBE THEY DONT SHARE OUR EXACT SAME COMMITMENT, BUT THATS A LOADED COMMENT…BEST WISHES TO ALL IN FINDING A NEW SCHOOL
Moshe – I don’t think that Volvie is criticizing the people who go there, but rather the leaders of the communities and the institutions themselves. In these schools the innocent children are taught that boys and girls both have the option to wear tefillin, that both should be called to the bimah and lein, and worse yet, that the Torah was written by different people and was compiled through the ages. They even bring their ‘proofs’ to the children as though they are facts. If the children go to public school, at least they have a fighting chance. There is something to rejoice about when an institution like this falls – it means that fewer children will be led to believe in the pseudo-Judaic designed-for-me world of the conservative, reform and reconstructionist movements, and just possible, they might find their way to a Torah true way of life.
Moshe, A new school indeed — A Torah-true school, not like Volvie said a school from a false religion i.e. Reform/Conservative/Reconstructionist.
The conservative adherents are mostly tinuk shenishba, but their leaders are reshoyim.
Volve, it’s elul, watch how you generalize entire communities and you will have a better yom kippur. To save even one neshama is worth it. These schools may not teach orthodox torah judaism the way we learn it, but at least these kids are getting something which is more than what they would be getting in public school. Who are we to judge what these children should and should not be taught. Town Crier, I can tell you from first hand knowledge that the Teaneck Yeshivos are spread as thin as they can get and bleeding money. To expect the MO yeshivos in Teaneck to pick up 300 kids at this point would send these institutions into financial turmoil. I am not sure what the answer for these kisd are but the answer is not to put them all into the MO dayschools in the Teaneck area.
Let us sort out the issues here:
1. The public schools of America are not the same public schools of 40, 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. The public schools no longer effectively instill values in their students, and those dedicated educators who try are stymied at every step of the way.
2. What is today denoted as “Conservative Judaism” is in fact neither. It is not the “Conservative” movement of 30 or 20 or even 10 years ago. Nevertheless, there still are many children who are being raised in the “Conservative Movement” who, halachically, are Jewish. In view of Issue #1 above, these children ought not be summarily consigned to the public school system, and those who claim that they are better off there are sending the wrong message of rejection to their fellow Jews.
3. Whatever problems there may be with the so-called “Conservative Judaism” establishment (and these problems are numerous and significant), the children in their schools have a marginally better chance of developing a Jewish identity in the Solomon Schechter day schools than in the public schools.
[Exception: When the Jewish student population of a public school is a minority in the low single digit percentages, Jewish kids will develop a sort of Jewish identity from being harassed by the majority of goyim. Many such students, if exposed to real Jewish values at college, et cetera, can then be brought to return to real Judaism. I know that I certainly am not the only one in this category.].
4. The MO and the Yeshivishe schools have their own sets of problems. In the outlying suburbs (including Teaneck) there are many institutions whose rabbinic leadership (A) lives in the frum neighborhoods and commute out to the school; (B) finds some sort of pretext to send their own children to yeshivas in the city; and/or (C) engages in financial deals and arrangements which are more for the aggrandizement of themselves or their benefactors than for the furtherance of Jewish education. Any or all of these cause them to quickly lose much credibility with their target parent populations.
5. The Judenrat Federations do not accord sufficient priority to Jewish educations.
In an ideal world, there would be no “Conservative” or “Reform” movements, there would be no Solomon Schechter day schools, there would be no Jewish children in the public schools, all Jewish children would receive a top-rate Torah education, and all the yeshivas would be adequately funded by the community. But we do not live in such an ideal world.
An education vacuum has been created, and there are now 80 Jewish kids looking for a school. The question is whether they will be sucked into a better educational situation or a worse one than the less-than-ideal situation that existed before the school in Teaneck padlocked its doors. And if just one of those children ends up in a worse situation, then it is certainly not a good thing.
Conservative & Reform “Judaism” is not Judaism at all.
May all the enemies of the Torah perish (as we say in Shemonah Esre.)
I hope some Orthodox schools will step up ASAP and take these kids in.
There are no Conservative or Reform Jews; there are only Conservative or Reform Clergymen (and women) who are chotei u’machatei es ho’rabim.
#9 ANOTHER LOADED STATEMENT, PERISH, AND WHOM IS A N ENEMY OF THE TORAH. SHOULDN’T WE JUST LIVE AND LET LIVE, WHY DOES IT BOTHER YOU SO MUCH WHAT OTHER PEOPLE’S BELEIFS ARE? YOU SHOULD BE UNSECURE IN YOUR OWN BELEIFS?
What’s up with all this sinah in Elul??
Listen, this is all Min Hashomayim – let these kids come into frum mosdos, & let’s not turn this into an all-out slug fest of frum vs. frei.
Does anyone doubt that (the practice of) Conservative, Reform, etc, is another religion?
We need to be mekarev these people with ahava.
Re: Post #8: This was a rational and well-thought post. It is regrettable, however, that the term “Judenrat” was used in apparent reference to local Jewish Federations.
The “Judenrat” were Jewish administrative bodies ordered by the Nazis yemach shemam to oversee ghettos; those so ordered lived precariously. Regardless of one’s opinion of any particular Federation, the application of the term “Judenrat” is a slap in the face.
How that term applies to modern Jewish Federations begs rational explanation. It is a profound insult to Holocaust survivors, Federation workers, and Jews who rely on the various social services (housing assistance, elder assistance, etc) that many Federations provide.
For sake of our people as we approach the High Holy Days I pray that the invective was the result of ignorance, and nothing else. Otherwise, I shudder to think of how we stand before the Almighty as a people to beg his compassion and forgiveness.
Moshe, He just quoted what we all daven in shmone esre 3X a day.
The conservative and reform ”clergy” are reshoyim.
town crier:
nicely said!
There was a famous Rebbe of a Hungarian town before the war. In that town there were two options for the girls. Either a CONVENT or a ZIONIST school.
The Rebbe advised all his followers to send their girls to the convent! Why? Considering the staunch religious chinuch they got a t home, the chances of them converting to Xtianity would be much less than for them to be influenced by Zionists!
They all heeded the Rebbe.
Rabbosai: Please, it is Elul. The issur of Lashon HaRoh pertains to all Jews regardless of their level of observance currently. Why can we not use the information found on this site as an impetus to step up and come up with positive approaches to help Klal Yisroel? Why can we not see this as an opportunity from the Ribbono Shel Olam to demonstrate the ahavah that the frum community can have for the entire klal and offer positive suggestions? Those who espouse nothing but sinah are making it harder to bring the geulah! The Chofetz Chaim’s yahrzeit is this week!! What would he say to those who speak in such fashion? What would he tell us to do!! Do not, please, fall into the trap that the Yeitzer HaRoh has set up for us. Please!! The galus has gone on too long!
20. Study the laws of Loshon Harah. They do NOT apply to Conservative and Reform Clergy. In fact, it is a CHIYYUV to speak Lashon Harah against them.
(Note, consistent with my post #11, I am specifically referring to their clergy. Their “lay people” are tinokos shenishbu, and the laws apply.)
nameless, Very good example. Perfect analogy for here.
But a conservative school is probably even worse than a zionist one, so kol shkein if better a christian school than a zionist one, certainly better a public school than a conservative school.
23,
Hate to burst your bubble, but the DAAS Torah of yesteryear were as respected and possible , because of yeridas hadoros, on a higher Madreigo than that of tdoay EVEN from ‘Hungarian Villages’,,,,,,
If a zionist school is considered pure tarfus, certainly a conservative school is even more so.
Its debatable whether zionism is worse than conservativism or vice versa.
But both are bad enough that it should be entirely scrapped.
26,
The Rebbe I was referring to was not a ‘rebbele’ but the Munkatcher Rav, one of the most illustrious Gedolim of that generation!
Feel free to outsmart your fellow posters on this site! But its pretty pathetic when you attempt to crawl up the latter an equate YOUR opinion with that of someone whose league you will never ever reach!
That should read ‘ladder’, sorry!
Well put nameless.
i spoke to some rabanim in kiruv they paskened better they go to ps then a religion with kaferah which ever frumak that has nothing to do with kiruv to scream at the first writer
I corrected that spelling error in my 29 post, but since your menatlitly of mocking even the greatest amongst us is as natural for you as breathing, that tasteless joke doesnt surprise me!
Actually I heard that story from my Aunt who indeed attended the convent , as the Rebbe advised. She was also the daughter of a Dayan in that town. The ultimate Role model THEN, and TODAY.
“20. Study the laws of Loshon Harah. They do NOT apply to Conservative and Reform Clergy. In fact, it is a CHIYYUV to speak Lashon Harah against them.
(Note, consistent with my post #11, I am specifically referring to their clergy. Their “lay people” are tinokos shenishbu, and the laws apply.)
Comment by shazam — September 3, 2007 @ 8:45 am”
This only applies if there is a toeles to being mefarsem whatever issue you are talking about. Here, there is no such inyan l’ma’aseh. No one here is suggesting that anything other than absoluite adherence to Halacha is an acceptable approach. The question is what can we do to help. At the end of 120 years, are we going to be asked why did we not fulfill our tafkid and help these neshomos? Do you think that this approach of spouting such vitriol is likely to encourage a student of a non-frum school to come to a real Yeshiva? Have you honestly ever seen someone say “wow! I am so moved by your hatred and disdain for my old school and its faculty that I think that your way of life is the one I wish to emulate?”
The Chofetz Chaim, as staunch an opponent as he was of any non-Torahcentric way of life, NEVER lashed out at its followers. Everything he did was done through Ahavas Yisroel. Furthermore, the only real rishoim are the actual leaders of these movements. The “rabbinic” masses are as much tinokim she’nishbah as the laity. We know for a fact that vinegar will not attract followers. Only the sweetness of Torah will do so. We learned at Krias Yam Suf that while we can rejoice at the gifts and nisim that HKB”H does for us, we should not rejoice at the downfall of others. Rejoice now at the tremendous opportunity that we have to be mikarev these yidden. DO NOT spout fire at them and dance at the fall of their endeavors, even if you feel it inside. This is not the way of Torah and our gedolim. It is the way of the Yeitzer HaRoh and our enemies.
1. my cousin was a principal at a salomon schechter school in another part of northern new jersey, and he tells me that at the school was started, no one but the conservatives offered the school $$$, so it became a solomon schechter affiliate (but without that name). if orthodox would have offered $, it would have been an orthodox school. (this was before the days of chabad being strong in new jersey; they would have made proper arrangements.)
2. the minchas elozor story is interesting, but in hungary, EVERYBODY went to public school (interesting; except in muncacs where there was a gimnasia, where many went. years later, the gimnasia’s principal’s son brought the minchas elozor’s son in law (the present rebbe’s father) to cholon, from brazil). and by the way, EVERYBODY also went to public school on shabbas, with an understanding of no writing, no chilul shabbas, etc).
3. and the minchas elozor was VEHEMENTLY AGAINST bais yaakov. so take your daughters out of bais yaakov!!
4. the truth is, is that students who go to solomon schechter schools are more identified with judaism (i wont use the term yidishkeit) than their “shulmates” who go to public schools. they know (more or less) what is going on. and they dont take in students who are not halachically jewish (no patrilineal descent, or other questions)
5. what is the charedi response (except for chabad)! the only reason they started shalom torah centers is to compete with chabad; it ended up a windfall for them (the lakewood kollelim) cause they managed to find better paying jobs for their kollel wives. now they can earn better pay than lakewood chadorim pay, so if a teacher is any good, she teaches at shalom torah school for better pay than the same teacher in a lakewood school. the inferior teachers stay in lakewood. of course, neither gets paid as well as the administrator of the yeshiva (in or out of lakewood, or bp, or willy); he gets the big bucks!
35,
As far as your second point is concerned, The Minchas Eluzer ZY’A was genuinly disgusted by that gymansium and wasnt very coy about it when he passed it on the street. I still think he would have preferred Bais Yaakov to the convent! His son in law was a staunch Zionist and later had strained relations with his children for various reasons. He was avery intelligent man.
Bottom Line is Conservative is not Judaism, but some other, foreign, religion masquarading as Judaism.
I’m sure joseph(#37) and your brethen, are great tzadikim.
I asked the public school vs. Solomon Schechter shayla to a real Godol and his response was that although you can’t guide someone to send to a Solomon Schechter school, the chances of the children identifying Jewish is greater there than in public school. So if they are sending then there not to pursuade them to send to public school. The hope is that at least if they identify Jewishly someone will have an opportunity to be mekarev them later.