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Futuregirl: I can’t speak about Beer Miriam from personal experience, but I have talmidos who have gone there and been very successful… It’s extremely warm, and provides girls a lot of space to grow at their own pace… it’s not a party school, but you do have girls at a variety of levels… I think describing it as “in the middle” between BY and MO would be very appropriate… the girls there seem very very happy, and come back very inspired to continue learning and growing… I hope that helps…
Be’er Miriam would also be a possibility…
Have you considered Machon Ma’ayan? That seems to fit the basic issues you’re looking for…
Winnie – I agree with you, that there is a lot of “kiruv” that average lay-people can “do” in their every day lives… but as others said, I’m not sure that necessarily has to be by pushing Torah upon people that haven’t expressed interest… I’ve found that the most powerful impact normal frum people can have on their secular neighbors and colleagues is simply by living their lives the way they are supposed to… The impact unwavering honesty, spectacular middos, simchas hachaim, not speaking loshon hara, being mekabal KOL ADAM b’seiver panim yafos, etc can have on people around you… I’ve often thought that if every frum Jew would just focus on making a Kiddush HaShem in every way during the course of each day, the world would realize the emes of Torah and we would change the world… It’s not as exciting as giving over a geshmak d’var Torah that you recently heard, but it might just be more effective…
Sparkly – I’m confused by your question… It’s an INFORMATIONAL EVENING for people who are interested in becoming advisors… it’s not for existing advisors… Though there will probably be people there who have been advisors in the past, if you are INTERESTED IN BECOMING an advisor in any capacity, or on any level, that evening is the best way for you to get a foot in the door…
From what I understand, NCSY works with about 20,000 teens per year throughout North America… I think you’ll be hard pressed to find another kiruv organization with that type of reach.
The NCSY Advisor night next week is for anyone interested in becoming an advisor. All of the regional directors will be there and you’ll get a chance to meet them, and they’ll get a chance to meet you. You’ll get info on different roles advisors can play in different places, etc. Sounds like it is perfect for you!
There are also a lot less choices for high schools in most cities and towns than there are Seminaries and Yeshivos in Israel… You go from having 3 or 4 choices (maybe) to having to deal with 20 or 30 choices – and because they’re an ocean away, it’s difficult to get clear exactly what each of the schools “are”
What about Midreshet Tehilla? Seems to fit a lot of what you’re looking for…
Really? Which ones?
Funnybone, I’m so happy that someone finally said what I was screaming at my screen as I was scrolling down the posts. In my experience, kids won’t act out with teachers that they truly feel love them and care about them. IKNO, you clearly do care about her, but might need to show it to her in ways that you don’t need to with other kids. A mentor of mine once said that the best medicine for a child starved of attention – is attention.
Perhaps invite her to your house for Shabbos. Maybe a Thursday night to bake challah. If those aren’t shayach, maybe take her for coffee or ice cream after school.
For many teachers, money is an issue. You might want to meet with her parents and share your care and concern for her with them. Show them your commitment to her growth and wellbeing (which you’ve clearly demonstrated throughout this stream). You’re not “busting” her by going to her parents – you’re strategizing and partnering with them. My hunch is that your description of her behavior won’t be a surprise to them, and they will embrace your reaching out to them and gladly offer to “help” you in any way they can – which might mean paying you or at least reimbursing you for your additional expenses. (NOTE: Before I get jumped on for saying that. I’m not claiming you should demand extra pay for helping her. You clearly are a dedicate and lishma teacher. I just know from experience with teachers that money is often an issue for them that prevents them from doing some of these things and parents will very often GLADLY help in this way when they find a teacher that is willing to go the extra mile for their child.)
But I think your plan is a great one. Make a meeting with your local NCSY regional director, and when he tells you that interfaith dialogue etc is not the type of role model they’re looking for in an advisor, throw a whole bunch of names at him, none of whom will mean anything to him, and see how far that gets you. Are you looking to expose Jews to the beauty of Yiddishkeit, or campaign for your own personal niche brand of orthodoxy?
You can apply directly via the national office here: http://ncsy.org/advisors/ or you can contact the local regional office and speak with the Regional Director or the programming director. The New York web site is newyork.ncsy.org.
Good Luck
Why are you assuming that there are really 2 different things? I understand where you’re coming from in the assumption, but perhaps, according to the Torah, there aren’t really 2 different categories and, really, there is only ta’ava. It’s just a matter of degree.
The government’s use of the economy as a justification for this fight is simply deception at its best. This is about “sharing the burden” of army service and nothing more. That may or may not be a reasonable argument, but that’s the only argument to have.
It’s the government’s own policy which prevents people from working legally until they have finished army service that locks the chareidi community into lifelong learning and rampant poverty. Equate intensive Torah study for 3-4 years post high school with army service, and allow those completing such programs the legal right to work, and you will take huge strides towards minimizing dramatically the economic problems.
But, as I said, at best this is about sharing the burden of army service.
That said, the government’s historic and continued unwillingness to address the reasonable issues the chareidi community has with the negative spiritual/religious environment today’s Israeli army creates makes me wonder if this is more about a different battle altogether.
Covenant Eyes, one of the best monitor and filter systems in the world, just announced iphone services. worth looking into…
Never did Devil’s Path, but did Devil’s Kitchen up near Hunter last year… an amazing day of rapelling and climbing, including some great hiking and scrambling… well worth the trip!
mint*dot*com is essentially a web-based version of Quicken and, while not particularly customizeable, it automatically pulls your data from your bank accounts, credit cards, etc, and allows you to edit the information, budget, set reminders for bills, etc. I find it easy and very helpful.
I don’t usually post here, so I guess that makes me a troll (though I’m not sure if that’s the right use of the term), but this topic so upset me, that I felt compelled to write.
Firstly, let me make clear that I have no affiliation with Oorah whatsoever. I know and respect many of the individuals that do work there, but I have no compelling bias either for or against them. The utter naarishkeit of leveling accusations of ribis or esmachta at an organization run by individuals who, kulei alma lo pligi, are bnei Torah, is laughable. Did any of you call R’ Chaim Mintz before you whipped out your post for all to see? I’m not saying he’s the gadol haDor – I have no idea – but he’s not enough of a ben Torah that he deserves to be asked for a clarification before you write? Or does truth or accuracy matter that little to you as long as you can get a good post up there quickly?
Now, as to the discussion of the value of donations to Kiruv Rechokim, let me start by saying that I have been involved in both Kiruv Rechokim as well as Kiruv Kerovim on a number of different levels for several decades. The crassness of pitting donations to kiruv against frum chinuch is ludicrous. Is the issue REALLY that simple? Has the frum community made its collective cheshbon hanefesh and cut back wherever they could, and NOW have to tap other valuable klal projects to cover the shortfall? You are actually prepared to close down kiruv rechokim before Pesach hotels, high end car leasing, the excessive silver, jewelry, clothing, wig and hat shops that fill the weekly papers and magazines in the frum neighborhoods? Or are you saying that chinuch is not as important as all of these things – but simple arvus? That should be the FIRST thing to go? I can’t do the math, but I would venture to guess that if you take even half the money spent on Pesach hotels, pre and post-pesach relaxation retreats, winter break trips to colorado, florida, white wolf, the Caribbean, etc. you would have a pretty nice fund to put towards reducing tuition costs, and have plenty left over to help the kiruv movement as well.
And as for Kiruv workers turning their talents towards helping the frum community… that’s the funniest one of all… Why don’t you pick up the phone and call Danny Mechanic or Mordechai Becher, both of whom are solid, frum, guys, and ask them about the hoops they have to jump through before they are permitted to give shiurim in the “frum” schools! Most Kiruv guys I know would love to be asked to give shiurim in their kid’s schools, run special programs etc – free of charge… the problem isn’t that we’re not focused on the frum community, the problem is that the frum mosdos think they can deal with it themselves. If they make stricter rules, punish, threaten, cajole, or otherwise box the kids into cookie-cutter templates, everything will be fine. If they can just get the parents out of their way in educating the kids, then the kids wouldn’t be going off the derech. To blame Kiruv people for not putting their talents towards the frum community??? Give me a break!
I once heard Hishtadlus expressed as follows: You are obligated to do everything you would do if you were a card-carrying atheist.
Because I know people that work with them. I think if you’d take a look at their web site, or speak with anyone affiliated with them, you’d agree. Or ask around dayanim that you know that sit on a geirus Beis Din. From what I understand, there’s no opposition any more.
Iced… I think you should investigate things before you speak (or type in this case)… From what I understand from some people involved in geirus that work with them, they made some significant changes in the organization when they restructured. It wasn’t just a cosmetic name change. Leadership changed, programming changed, and the mission, to some extent, changed as well. That’s why all of the yeshiva-ish Batei Din returned to working with them.
Take a look at the website and see for yourself.
By the way… I’m also pretty sure that Tiferes Bais Yisrael doesn’t actually do geirus. All they do is refer people to Batei Din, Rabbis, and Mentors.
iced… is that true? where did you hear that? I know that they have the support of most of the major yeshiva-ish Batei Din in the US, so it’s really surprising to hear that they engage in inappropriate conversion practices. What practices are they?
Could be you’re right, but I’m pretty sure there’s no Beis Din in Lakewood that does geirus under the auspices of R’ Nissan Karelitz. There is one that used to work with R’ Nochum Eisenstein, but I’m not sure if that is still the case.
There is an organization called Tiferes Bais Yisrael that helps direct converts to Batei Din that are accepted worldwide, and also helps in finding mentors and rabbis that will help along the way. They have a searchable database on their website: jewishfamilyfocus-dot-org.
Good Luck
Hi Aurora77,
There is an organization called Tiferes Bais Yisrael that was created specifically for people like you. They work in partnership with the most reputable Rabbinic Courts throughout the world and guide people that are pursuing Orthodox Conversion to the right Rabbis, Mentors, and Conversion Courts. They will also help walk you through the process of investigating your heritage, or direct you to people that can help. Their web site is http://www.tbyisrael.org or (if that’s not allowed on the CR) you can google them – their office is in Monsey, NY.
Good Luck!