Substantial Equivalency: We’ve heard so much about it, and then we heard that maybe it isn’t a problem anymore. Is that true? Watch this #AgudahLive session, where Rabbi Shai Markowitz and Rabbi Avi Schnall interview Mr. Richard Altabe, Lower Division Principal of Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB).
Spoiler alert: “These are very dangerous times for all Yeshivos in the State of New York, regardless of whether they’re Chassidish Yeshivos, Litvish Yeshivos, Modern Yeshivos, and even Yeshivos representing non-Frum populations.”
Watch the full video to hear Mr. Altabe’s perspective, in a perceptive interview from Rabbis Markowitz and Schnall, and you’ll have a better idea of what is really going on in the State of New York.
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5 Responses
I dont understand. Organizations as Agudah and the OU and Young Israel and indeed the ADL and others are supposed to be our “Activist Organizations” and our elected officials and reps as well.
Now we repeatedly see Messages telling us and panicking us that our Jewish education of our children – the future of Am Yisroel – and something we sacrifice thousands of dollars for – is in trouble across NY State. SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO??? Isnt that what these orgzanizations and officials are supposed to handle and Tell Us What To Do???? Why no call for Mass Rally (Asifah) In Manhattan AND Albany of Parents And Children and Every man, women and child to Pray to Hashem Brov Am and Ais Lassos LaHashem . We also need invite Senator Schumer, assembly members and council members to join in the rallies. And include judges, lawyers, doctors, cpas, teachers, professors that graduated from yeshivas showing the secular edication claim is a lie and this is a Basic Freedom of Religoun issue. To call in the Feds and maybe illicit help from Jared Kushner and Ivanka for Jewish education reminding them what Mordechai said to Esther! Why all this panic posting to the public instead??????
You see, this is exactly why we need the State to get involved, because the children of These Askonim on the Video, do have a decent English Dept, and these Askonim, Never Ever, did anything for children that are in Yeshivos that are not offering any Secular education.
There are hundreds and hundreds of young Chasidishe men which are extemely bright but are stuck with menial jobs because they don’t have any secular knowledge.
ader: It may not to your liking that some Yeshivos don’t offer sufficient secular education, but that’s their parent’s choice and is usually decided by their Rebbe who has more experience than you.
But state interference in our education is extremely dangerous as your friends on the other side of the Atlantic can tell you. Once the authorities get involved they instruct to teach all Kefiroh and encourage to live a lifestyle of the Dor Hamabul R”L.
This is nothing short of Eis Tzoroh L’Yaakov both in the US, UK and elsewhere.
Davd:
Is it really the parents’ choice? Does a Chasidishe Bochur fit into those Yeshivos who currently have a good English Department? Do these Yeshivos just accept whomever wants to come in? Don’t Yeshivos only accept those boys who are going to enhance the image of that Yeshiva? Aren’t Yeshivos private enterprises?
ader: Many Chassidishe Schools DO offer sufficient studies in English. There may be a couple of schools, you can count them on your hand, that are inferior to the standard. To get the government involved, telling private schools what we teach and who teaches it, takes away everyone’s religious freedom. We will no longer have the choice of raising our children with the right hashkafas. This is an attack on all private schools. Picking on a small percentage of the 500,000 students affected by these guidelines, who don’t speak English properly is very wrong.
In addition, Bilingual Spanish public schools are mandated to teach all subjects in Spanish except the English language. (since that is the primary language) Even that small percentage of Chassidishe boys who don’t know how to speak or write English properly, do not do any worse or have a stronger foreign accent than Spanish speaking kids in a Bilingual public school. Why are they not mandating those schools to teach more English and less art, music and Spanish culture?
Please understand, this is a direct attack by one against all of us, Acheinu Bnei Yisroel. We must stand strong together and not speak evil against any specific group (and know your facts before you make such a bold statement against Chassidim).
BTW, many of those “Chassidishe boys” who did not speak a word of English during their cheder years, went on to become: Big business owners, PA’s, Lawyers, Hedge fund managers, Real Estate Developers, etc.! They can put public school college graduates to shame. They are taught Gemara, which is logic, thinking skills, it develops mental capabilities, debating skills etc. which helps them get out there in the business world and do it right! A young man who is ready to enter the working world has opportunities to get a GED plus more in no time.
Let them Shteig and Chap arein now as much as they could. Let them continue learning those few hours of English, math, some science and american history the way it has been for many many years in this country. They pick up a lot from reading. (If you would read yiddish you would know that the Yiddish Newspapers have many intellectual and informative articles covering world news, business, and amazing medical reporting among many other things. )