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Very well said. Thats why I dont want to live in lakewood.
before you try to move to a town make sure that the issues of the town won’t be a problem for you. take care of them before even starting to move.
Ilth -“Very well said. Thats why I dont want to live in lakewood”
Well, I do! You’re just fooling yourself, everywhere there’s problems. You can live in EY & you won’t have to pay tuition, but the government makes problems over there!
If there was a place with no problems, it would soon be overcrowded. That would be a problem.
Health, are you paid for being a spy or is it volunteer work? Here the government subsidizes Tora institutions. When Lapid wanted to add a few basic secular subjects in order to give the kids a chance at getting out of poverty (c”v – to whom would the favored few give mattanot on Purim?) he was demonized. Meanwhile, in the UK Jewish schools must teach another religion and respect for toeva. While the US does not go that far in many states Blaine amendments prevent state and local authorities from giving a cent even for secular subjects.
Reb Yidd, Yogi Berra said that nobody went to a certain restaurant because it was too crowded.
That speech was earth shattering. S Y Rechnitz is the only one in modern history to get up at the podium and speak of the essence of Yiddishkeit. The essence of Yiddishkeit is derech eretz kodmoh l’torah. What a breath of fresh air to hear him speak and say those words davka in Lakewood proper. Rabbi Rechnitz was given a lot of Siyata Dishmaya, and unlike others, he is utilizing this energy in the proper way. May S Y Rechnitz be zocheh to see a refuah shleimah for his shver and shep nachas from his family.
read out of town hillbillies in ywn cofferoom
Please. Every person I know has been saying this for years, but the rich kid says it and now it’s news.
I think that’s a bigger problem than the issues he’s talking about. I think his next speech should be “don’t only listen to the rich kid.”
Please. Every person I know has been saying this for years, but the rich kid says it and now it’s news.
He who controls the kings treasury controls the king. If you are going to rely on geverim finance your community, you are also going to have to listen to the Geverim if they have something to say
Its amusing to read what the armchair quarterbacks have to say about his speech. What I would really like to know is, how did it affect those who actually act the way he spoke out against. I’d like to read their response to the speech.
Avi K -“Health, are you paid for being a spy or is it volunteer work? Here the government subsidizes Tora institutions. When Lapid wanted to add a few basic secular subjects in order to give the kids a chance at getting out of poverty (c”v – to whom would the favored few give mattanot on Purim?) he was demonized.”
Because he’s a demon!
No one should take Zionist money for Yeshivos. And this is from the Gedolim from the last generation!
Zahavasdad, then Rabbi Rechnitz should have made his speech to the gevirim? Actually, it might be easier to convince a few gevirim than many regular Jews. If York University pulls its mural it will be because of Paul Bronfman.
Can anyone send me the speech as an audio as my filter doesn’t allow me to see he video.
Thanks
” I think his next speech should be “don’t only listen to the rich kid.”
I doubt anyone is going to listen to the “rich kid”. Its just only the rich kid who got to voice his opinion in a public forum.
Many donors and honorees speak about ideas and hashkafahs at dinners etc that the hosting institution don’t necessarily agree with.
They usually smile, nod, accept the check, and continue with life as normal.
I would assume most school leaders view Mr Rechnitz as a means to get funding, not as a moral guide on how to run their school. (Which acc to his speech they dont view anyone as an authority on daas torah).
They will applaud his speech, but it is false applause…
Like Mike Tress before him, Schlomo Yehudah Rechnitz may be our next Gadol HaDor. Time will tell.
I cant find the speech article on the main page anymore or previous pages??
<em?I cant find the speech article on the main page anymore or previous pages??
Me neither. It’s a vast conspiracy.
I would assume most school leaders view Mr Rechnitz as a means to get funding, not as a moral guide on how to run their school.
If he uses the purse string as power, they would have to listen or they dont get the money
Here is the article for viewership
New Jersey – Lakewood, New Jersey bore the brunt of two massive storms this weekend.
The second was a fiery speech given by Los Angeles philanthropist Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz who blasted Lakewood for an elitist mentality that has left numerous children without a school to call their own, shattering families and potentially setting the stage for these youngsters to abandon their yiddishkeit completely.
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Watch below Rechnitz entire speech. Courtesy of TheLakewoodscoop.com
Rechnitz said that he has been bombarded with calls from mothers, fathers and even children who have asked the well known baal tzedaka to intercede on their behalf so that they can be placed in a school and that on his drive to Lakewood that night he had received three more phone calls on the same subject.
Rechnitz noted that while the problem of children out of school does exist in a few other places, the problem is exponentially worse in Lakewood.
It is not the heads of the mosdos who are to blame for the problem, opined Rechnitz, but rather the people of Lakewood, whose view of others is devoid of the fundamental principles of Torah Judaism.
Rechnitz noted that while every child is special to Hashem, the general Lakewood populace sees only some children as being worthy.
Rechnitz wondered when a life of klei kodesh evolved into a system where some consider themselves to be superior to others, noting that many of the mosdos that he helps support would be unwilling to accept his own children as students.
Rechnitz said that he and others are prepared to finance inclusive schools so that no child will be forced to stay home.
I’m thrilled with this message. Rechnitz can finance and support a few inclusive schools so they can absorb all the rif raff from my yeshiva (e.g. kids with fathers who wear blue shirts) and keep the place up to snuff. He has my best interests at heart. I can’t thank him enough.
Squeak -“I’m thrilled with this message.”
Don’t get your hopes up! This has been going on for a long time.
The only thing that will change it – is if he & others who support these elite Yeshivas, would put their money where their mouth is!
Ridiculous. Nowhere did it say who the speech was being given too. I am assuming that it was to no one important. Nice speech, but not going to have any affect. Those that can change it don’t want to, and those that agree with Rechnitz are not in any position to change it. If he weren’t so rich, maybe they would put him in cheirim, if anything at all.
One thing that supports my opinion – I was amused, annoyed, and amazed when at one moment in middle of the speech suddenly everyone clapped. I didn’t understand what they were clapping about, as he had not gotten to any important points yet. I backed up to listen again, and it turns out that it was when he said “I give money to support Lakewood Mosdos.” So it wasn’t his message that they were agreeing with, it was his money.
In any other circumstance my post would be inappropriate as it would be be’geder lashon hara…However, once the speech has been made and later reprinted, it requires answer from benei torah.
This speech consisted of populist feel-good rhetoric meant for self aggrandizement and public self pleasuring for personal gain for the further purpose to increase populist standing without regard to the damage such words would cause…a jewish Trump. While some of the sentiment is correct, it is just that, sentiment, devoid of careful reasoning and positive approach or inspiration to a community regarding the issues addressed.
It is easy to tear down a community and be amongst those who sit in the back of the shul and complain, the “they should” crowd…they should…they should..they should…there should be…there should be…there should be…It is easy to join the “they should” crowd. This was not the sort of rhetoric appropriate for public consumption and will only stoke the coals of populist murmuring and discontent among our congregation; it will cause only further division.
Do you think that every principal and rosh ha’yeshivah has not anguished and cried over every child who can not find a place? This approach was most inappropriate and serves only to deride and tear down. There is little positive here. This was a waste of influence from a most well-meaning wonderful man who has so much ze’uchuth in his pocket who strayed into foreign territory squandering his potential influence and ability for engendering good will and even more importantly, good results…He could have used his position and influence to inspire and offer positive solution without the negative and words of destruction. He most likely regrets terribly his words.
Those who write and say that “it is about time…” are mislead by populist sentiment without regard for reality and the good works of others who work behind the scenes for the good of all. The speech which was entirely one-sided left out consideration for the parents who have placed in their child’s mind that he “must” get into such-and-such a school “or else”; if hd doesn’t get in, he will be a failure. Parents are sharing everything which is inappropriate to share with their children these days and discuss in front of their children that which should not be, just to mention one or two small examples. Today, everything is discussed with and in front of our children without regard for what is appropriate and what is not. Every sentiment and “feeling” the parent has is discussed with and in front of the children today without sense of propriety or realization of the potential damage. No wonder the child is heart-broken after having been set up by his own parents. We do not guard our tongues in front of our children…
This is far too involved to fixed with a few posts from be’nei torah on a web-site. May HaShem heal us from this terrible avlah and may we learn from our mistakes and become better people and avdei-HaShem; may we better learn to remember what is appropriate public speech and what is not.
W3DCB -“Do you think that every principal and rosh ha’yeshivah has not anguished and cried over every child who can not find a place?”
No, I don’t! Can I ask you a question – were your kids ever denied entry into a Yeshiva or BY?
I don’t think so! So stop with your Ploitering.
“The speech which was entirely one-sided left out consideration for the parents who have placed in their child’s mind that he “must” get into such-and-such a school “or else”; if hd doesn’t get in, he will be a failure”
Obviously, you didn’t begin to understand what he was talking about. It wasn’t that they didn’t get in the one that they preferred, but they were rejected from all of them!
“Do you think that every principal and rosh ha’yeshivah has not anguished and cried over every child who can not find a place?”
A red herring. The speech was not addressed to the principals it was addressed to the parent body to stop with their ridiculous elitist demands which place unfair pressure on those in charge.
” if hd doesn’t get in, he will be a failure.”
rightly, or wrongly, why do you think they will feel that way.
“may we better learn to remember what is appropriate public speech and what is not.”
I dont know if he is right or wrong, but until I hear someone slightly up the daas torah ladder from your vantage point say he was wrong for discussing it publicly I will stick with my opinion that he is not at fault for discussing this publicly.
I am not so familiar with the admission process in Lakewood.
Do people really pressure principals not to accept specific kids by name into schools.
What is the justification to these demands?
Are they afraid these kids will be a bad influence on their kids? If the principal is otherwise ready to accept them how bad could they be?
If you can’t speak about public issues publicly, how can you expect a solution within the next millenium?
Bored_on_the_Job – Yes, absolutely there are parents that make outrageous demands, and the administration gives in. Occasionally it could also be a decision on the side of the administration, that they falsly blame on ‘other parents’ just to cover themselves.
I have a neighbor that is/was an administrator in a Yeshiva. He told me about one family with a few boys that entered the Yeshiva after moving here from Eretz Yisroel that had to enroll using their mother’s maiden name, because their real last name was a very Sephardi-sounding name, and the administration could not risk an outrage from the other parents!!
“I am not so familiar with the admission process in Lakewood.”
I know someone who was told by a realtor not to waste his time looking for a house in lakewood until he was assured of a place for all his children in a yeshiva or beis yackov. Apparently the admissions process is not so secret.
No child bad influence is worse than the bad influence of a parent ruining other children’s lives.
Yitzyk, why does the administration listen to these demands?
Why would parents be outraged by sephardim in the school?
W3DCB: can you post a link to the cliff’s notes version of your comment? I’m sure you have good points to make but that comment was a behemoth. SYRechnitz had some good points, and we cannot make positive changes without dialog. So, good for him for bringing this discussion to the people. The speech itself is not magic and will not fix anything but it spurred a constructive dialog.
W3DCB,
What I got from your post:
1 – You never had a child rejected, probably because of:
2 – You sound like you’re in the administration of some Moisad.
3 – Your ahavas Yisroel is no where close to Rechnitz’s!
Which school is Perlstein the menahel of? Actually Perlstein says he is the principal of two girls schools. Is being principal such an easy job?
W3DCB: can you post a link to the cliff’s notes version of your comment?
Cliff’s notes version: He has all of his children in school, and had pull so not to have to beg or worry about it.
It is about time somone took the liberty to address this MAJOR PROBLEM. KUDOS TO RECHNITZ HE PUTS HIS $$$$ ALL OVER AND HE KNOWS A PORBLEM WHEN THERE IS ONE.
All children will be allowed into school with dignity and maybe we will see less kids at risk.
All the klal will give din vesheshbon for the Holocaust they created in LAKEWOOD. yes its a community of torah and chesed but so much is laking in kovod habriyos. & so much more is lacking in trating one another with respect.
We never had this problem post WW2 everyone sat together in yeshiva and BY and Reb. Kaplan and All the Rabanim took in EVERYONE
HATS OFF TO RABBI RECHNITS
W3DCB: You mentioned that the primary issue is that parents are expressing their expectations for their children outwardly so that the child who does not get into the most desired school feels like a failure since the parents conveyed to him he would be a failure if he was not accepted.
Bim’chilas Kavod Torascha, I beg to differ. As SY Rechnitz pointed out, I believe the problem is the parents’ attitude whether expressed explicitly to their child or not. How can a parent believe that his/her child is a failure if that child does not get into a certain school? All our children are the Ribbono Shel Olam’s children, and if he is not a good fit with the school you want him to attend, maybe his fit is with a different school that’s best for him, not what’s best for you. Perhaps his strengths lie somewhere else where he can also contribute posivitely to Klal Yisroel. It’s a parents’ job to imbue confidence in their children and to make them feel that they are special and beloved to the RBSH”O and that they have a unique way in which they can contribute to Klal Yisroel through their own unique Torah, Avodah and Gemilus Chasodim.
Its interesting. When Rav Mattisyahu Salomon Shlita talks about this, it gets swept under the rug. People murmur while school openings are delayed a few days and then life goes on. When Mr. Rechnitz gives a speech on the topic……
To W3DCB:
I see you just joined the CR yesterday in order to post your rambling retort.
I would be delighted to read your post but just looking at it gives me a headache.
Next time, could you break it up a little for us?
Thanks.
Fixed it for you-29
This should be a cautionary tale when you take money. Nobody gives “Free Money” they expect something in return, It might not be a bad thing, like some accountability where the money is going or they might want a say on how your organization is run, but its not free.
BY taking the money they gave him the right to give his opinion on something and its not so simple to shut him up. He might stop giving the money which is probably in the millions per year. Other Giverim might follow and say somethiong too on a topic, You cannot dismiss them all.
Earlier today there was a response to the Rechnitz speech in the YW mailbag. I can’t find it now. Anyone know to whither it vanished?
I have no intention to be goaded or seduced into machlochet to answer vitriol with more vitriol. Most who have answered me seem more interested in cultivating personal machlochet with me. This type of forum seems to invite behavior among normally frum who would never act thusly to their fellow when greeted personally face to face — another reason why I tend not to post in this type of venue. No, I have not posted until now b/c I was not so motivated until this avlah was committed in public which demands be’nei Torah stand against populist rhetorical complaining and murmuring. Those who have answered me have assumed much in both ignorance and error. However, this is not about me or my children. My true “feelings” which have been questioned? — I believe Mr. Rechnitz to be a very wonderful man who means well and only has love for k’lall Yisrael…He is one of few who who loves k’lall Yisrael enough to actually spend his own resources (time, money, and human energy) to accomplish real “building” — literally and figuratively. One the other hand, just b/c one has expressed sentiment harbored by “many” and “has some good points” does not make one qualified to express these sentiments in a kosher way in public. I have no doubt that Mr. Rechnitz regrets his words today. That is not to say that status-quo is good or even adequate or that much doesn’t need to be done. However, it would better serve the community by acting IN CONCERT WITH da’ath Torah under the guidance and direction of those qualified to direct movement that has goal to make repair rather than getting up in a public venue to express every frustration and sentiment that one harbors. More damage can be wrought by opening one’s mouth in a non-kosher way than remaining silent. Is not the damage already apparent just from the posts here which have pitted be’nei Torah/yeshivah community against Ba’alei battim, kollel against their fellow? Has this speech served to heal or motivate change or has it polarized a community already somewhat divided? Yes, better to remain silent…Alternatively, use the influence which HaShem has bequeathed IN GREAT MEASURE to JOIN FORCES with da’ath Torah to effect positive change rather than murmuring against it. Think of how this very nice man has squandered his hard gained influence and good will through poorly chosen verbal expression. Unfortunately, the feathers can not be re-gathered and placed back into the bag…Now, there is only to minimize the damage and heal the community.
There was a problem with the speech — it was too mild. Isn’t Rechnitz “daas torah” by the way? If Lakewood is “Ir Hatorah” and its decisions are made “al pi torah” then the threshold for having “daas torah” is not that high (at least if you ignore the wallet).
“[H]eal[ing] the community” is what Rechnitz was trying to do. Some, however, have no idea what “community” is, let alone any concept of health.
Rechnitz directly attacked appalling behavior. I’m not always Rechnitz’s biggest fan but when someone attacks appalling behavior you are either with them or appalling. W3DCB – I’d have no problem telling you to your face that your comments are objectively, inherently, appalling (but I’m sure you are otherwise frum and kosher).
W3dcb -“More damage can be wrought by opening one’s mouth in a non-kosher way than remaining silent.”
You can’t remain silent when this is been going on for years. It’s not Rechnitz who has to regret his words, but those who remain silent when a kid isn’t allowed in any Yeshiva!
I too noticed a reply to R’ Rechnitz that was on the site yesterday written I believe by R’ Moishe D Perlstein, a principal of at least 2 mosdos it said. He challenged every factual point on which R’Rechnitz’s speech was based.
Whilst I have no idea who’s right, surely Lakewood has the right of reply, once their alleged shortcomings have been so publicly exposed. It was a very well written piece and I would ask YWN to republish it.
Ironically, the speech was given at an event celebrating 30 years of chinuch in Lakewood.
What he did say was, if anyone bullies you into not accepting kids and you are worried about the financial implications of people voting with their dollars, dont worry, you have my dollars to fall back on.
Rechnitz published some sort of Apology in Matzav for what he said
Really sad when a father who works to support his family is considered a bad influence. The values this represents are really quite disturbing.
I read the letter he wrote today.
I still don’t understand the dynamics of the school admissions process.
What leverage do these “elitists” have to pressure an administrator not to accept a kid?
Please someone enlighten me,thanks.
Too bad. We will have to wait.
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