Following a heated battle between parents and school, the parents of Shulamith of Brooklyn have come to an “tentative agreement” with the school over the sale of their building.
The following letter (dated May 21, 2010) was mailed to the parents of the school:
Dear Parents,
We are pleased to announce a tentative settlement of a lawsuit that was filed against the School seeking to prevent the sale of the Brooklyn campus and the creation of a Long Island campus. This settlement is now on record in the New York State Supreme Court.
As a part of the settlement, the Brooklyn building will be sold, and the proceeds will be divided and used for a continued presence in Brooklyn and Long Island Campus. Additionally, the settlement provides that Brooklyn and Long Island will operate as two distinct, separate and independent schools. Each school will be academically and financially responsible for its own continuity.
The Long Island school will now be able to broaden its appeal and reach in Long Island.
The settlement enables the Long Island school to proceed with its continued development of the new Long Island Campus that will consist of a Nursery to Eighth Grade as well as a High School, to be established in 2011. The days of operating the school while spread across three buildings are rapidly coming to a close.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience, allegiance and understanding during this time.
We will be scheduling a meeting of the parents in early June to approve the settlement. We ask that each parent vote in favor of the settlement. We will provide you with further details regarding the settlement as well as the date and time of the meeting.
Once again, we thank you for your patience during this stage of expansion and growth.
Sincerely,
Board Of Directors
SHULAMITH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
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32 Responses
BROOKLYN will never be the same without the huge, flourishing, academically sound and terrific teachers & parents school of Shulamith.
Umm… did we read the same article? It seems to me (unless I read it wrong) that Shulamith will be staying in Brooklyn (albeit in a new location).
The Wolf
It was a beautiful Campus and he will run away with the money even though the parents gave for building fund.
basically the brooklyn campus has been dwindling for the past 5 years as the LI campus has flourished. Brooklyn pays lower tuition, has larger facilities and bleeds the school system dry.
I am glad that they will split the money and allow the LI school to grow.
And who exactly is this cryptic “Board of Directors?” seems spooooky
It seems that some nostalgic people are upset that Shulamith is basically leaving Brooklyn for LI. Torah Vodas left Williamsburg because nobody from Williamsburg attened Torah Vodas. The basic constituency had moved to Boro Park and Flatbush. Yeshiva of Flatbush is mostly Syrians because the Aschkenazi modern Orthodox Young Israel parents moved to LI and Teaneck. These demographic changes happen and the remaining parents have to live with it. It’s ludicrous to spend so much money on a campus that they don’t need. Is it sad? Not really, nostalgic maybe.
Shulamith Brooklyn has become a shell of what it once was. The Tznius & reputation are at an all-time low. It really is time that the LI branch become the rose among thorns at rise to levels not seem for years.
Malach HaMooovies, funny your talking about stuff being ”spooky”
As a parent of a brooklyn grad, let me understand the comments!
Malach Hamoovies feels that Flatbush is bleeding the system dry!
Of course, the oposite is the truth. Here we have a campus that has been fully paid out and the costs are lower. perhaps you mean the LI Parents are bleeding Flatbush dry. I assure you the LI Parents are fully entitled to start now and in a few generations their building will be paid up and ready for some new group to steal.
theprof1 says that it is ludicrous to spend the money on a campus they don’t need.
Actually, what money is being spent? Land, R.E. Taxes-none apply. The demographics still work, imagine a school that went out of it’s way for 20 years to avoid good PR.
Despite it all Shulamith kept a core of great Teachers and they should be publicly thanked for this.
The tuition I paid was not really low and perhaps I will get a refund on buiding fees that every parent was forced to pay!
ShloimeB-I understand your frustration. I felt the same way when we donated the seforim library at my shul only to see the shul rebuild 20 years later to accomodate the larger crowds…and oh yea…a new seforim library with a new donor…oh well.
the sad reality is that the enrollment is dwindling in Brooklyn and increasing on LI. This split with allow Brooklyn to do whatever it is that they are doing while allowing LI to flourish.
“Despite it all Shulamith kept a core of great Teachers and they should be publicly thanked for this.
The tuition I paid was not really low and perhaps I will get a refund on buiding fees that every parent was forced to pay!”
Your building fund was yearly genral upkeep not part ownership!!!
Malach HaMooovies
Building fund is usually structured to help pay off new building expenses and perhaps building improvements. It is an effort to introduce a building fee, separate and not negotiable.
So, I never expected my building fund donation represented ownership but it was not meant to be yearly generel upkeep.
One reason for Shulamith decline in not demographics but PR. there is a huge community that is part Israeli, part Edot Mizrach and not ready for the image of YOF.
Shulamith has hiddeen itself, G-D forbid they would grow. They skip or cancel open Hose meetings, etc. there are easily enough apropriate girls to sustain and grow Shulamith in Brooklyn.
Come and visit Flatbush, Midwood and Madison on a Shabbos and you will see plenty of parents and children who are potential and present Shulamith families. BTW have you noticed how Derech Hatorah has grown since its inception?
There seems to be a confusion of cause and effect. The PR got bad because the school was dying, not the other way around. To survive, the school started taking girls it would not have otherwise accepted, which in turn caused even fewer traditional Shulamith parents to want to send their girls there.
Best evidence of that is Long Island, where the PR has been absolutely miserable. No open houses, a complete bust of an aborted high school opening a few years ago, little or no advertising. Yet the school has grown, despite itself. Why? The demographics are there. Those girls who went to Shulamith in the heyday of the early 80’s — guess where most of them live now? Many, many more live on Long Island than live in Brooklyn.
It’s a shame that Shulamis is leaving. Yes, even though they will still have a presents, they are cutting the legs off the school. There is a need for this kind of a school. This will change the demographics of the neighborhood.
Ummm…Hello???
They are not moving! They are staying in Brooklyn but will have a school building that better accomodates a dwindling student enrollment
To Malach HaMooovies, clearly you no nothing of the Shulamith situation. Yes, today enrollment is way down. The reason is why? It is because parents do not want to be in a school that might not be there the following year. This uncertainty factor is the single major reason the enrollment has fallen so drastically. The proof is the brother school to Shulamith, Derech Hatorah, where enrollment has continued to grow, in the same community, often with the same parents. Ever since LI opened, the question has been “whats gonna happen to Brooklyn? Will Shulamith be here for my daughter to graduate?” and the answer from Shulamith has been “we cant promise anything.” This is the only reason why enrollments have dropped. The costs of running Shulamith Brooklyn are much lower that LI simply by virtue of the fact that they own the building. Much of the problem has been starting the LI school at the expense of the Brooklyn school. In addition the LI parents were “promised” to have their own building as soon as the Brooklyn building was sold. Does that sound fair? Brooklyn has over 600 girls, a complete school in every sense of the word but it is way down for what it used to be. However, if your goal was to kill the school, reduce enrollment, then the administration is doing a fine job. Add to that not wanting to go to bet din to resolve the situation, lying repeatedly in court documents and even a blind person can see the truth.
Brooklyn does not have over 600 girls, it has under 500. And no 9th grade.
The numbers at this point are meaningless. If the situation is worked out, then the school can begin to grow again. The reason for the decline is clear. The resurgence will be as well.
Read the “settlement” closely. What do the parents get? An uncertain amount of money, and the right to use the Shulamith name on a successor school that they will have to build from scratch.
The parents should reject this “offer” of a settlement. It’s a bargaining position, but doesn’t sound like a real settlement, where both sides will be hurting. The LI campus gets everything, the parents get almost nothing. Were the parents just in it for the money? I doubt it. This isn’t a liability or personal injury case, this is destroying the academic lives of 550 girls. There are only two other schools that might be suitable for the demographic that goes to Shulamith – BLOPPY and Flatbush, and neither of them is prepared to take in half the population of a large school.
Vladimir: No, the PR got bad because of a whispering campaign organized by elements within the administration, spreading rumors for 10-15 years that “Shulamith is about to be sold.” Every simcha I went to for years, someone would ask me, “Shulamith? Hasn’t that been sold to a Beis Yaakov or a Chasidic boys school or a developer or take your choice what rumor”.
It became clear, after the lawsuit, that this had come from the top, to try (unsuccessfully) to drive down the enrollment and reputation of Shulamith in Brooklyn, so that they would be “forced” to sell and move.
Since the real sale attempt, of course, uncertainty over the future has only increased the bad PR. But in the grand scheme of things, 550 is not that small a school. Maimonides in Boston is hardly larger than that, about 600 students N-12, and was never more than 700.
thanbo, how do you know the LI branch “gets everything?” why don’t you attend the meeting that the letter indicates will be scheduled and withhold judgement until then. if, in fact, LI does “get everything” then vote against the proposal. And why not cite real facts that can be verified rather than repeat unsubstantiated claims of some vague conspiracy (“this had come from the top…etc”)?
the truth is that there is likely fewer than 550 girls currently in Brooklyn, given that there is no 9th grade and no pre-school. and for all of the wonderful derech hatorah success, that school has less than 400 boys as well, including the new high school. it seems that those who enjoy rumor, innuendo and character assassination cannot really respond with hard facts to the central point that has been raised above by other posters and which is difficult to deny by utilizing simple powers of observation – the flatbush community has changed dramatically, just as boro park had. for ex, how is the Young Israel movement in flatbush doing? the YI of Woodmere, on the other hand, has literally thousands of members. thanbo, been to the Kingsway Jewish Center recently? How is that shul faring compared to, say, the Agudah of Ave L? You yourself say that “might be suitable for the demographic that goes to Shulamith – BLOPPY and Flatbush…” Why are there only two schools like that? Could it be because Brooklyn has changed and can’t support them? And is Flatbush really the Yeshiva of Flatbush of twenty years ago, or is something very different today? Facing reality is tough. Casting blame is easy, but intellectually lazy.
to ycbry: The reality is that Brooklyn is changing. So what? Lets say Shulamith Brooklyn has only 400 girls and I say that without agreeing its that few. Why is the school for 400 children being closed? This is a Jewish neighborhood. 400 students is still a viable number to keep a school open. Combine that with the clear fact that there are no other similar options in Brooklyn, isn’t the responsiblity on Shulamith to stay open? True, there is no 9th grade and no preschool. The fact is, and this is not rumor, that was done purposely. No sane parent is going to start a child in a high school in 9th grade with the uncertainty of not knowing the school will be there for 12th grade. The administration of Shulamith was asked to reassure parents about this and refused over and over and over. This eventually resulted in no 9th grade. The bottom line is that Shulamith Brooklyn is not closing because of the change in the community nor because the school does not have enough kids. It is closing because a decision was made to move to Long Island. All the rest is just discussion.
BLOPPY is not suitable for most Shulamith parents. Too right wing–BY in all but name. YOF is coed, which is not acceptable to many Shulamith parents.
Has anyone considered that the demographic problem and school issues are mutually reinforcing and go hand in hand? I won’t move to Brooklyn in part because there are no schools that meet my needs. As long as people like me don’t move there, schools to serve us won’t exist.
yeshiva11230 – OK, it’s “just discussion.” So let’s discuss. Again, though, if you want to discuss something, it’s good to stick to facts that are reasonably verifiable and not conclusions that you cannot prove are tru (“that was done purposely” –what you mean by purposely, as opposed to closing the classes accidentally? Without knowing more facts, it’s hard for one to truly assess what happened with the 9th grade. If you are in possession of those facts, can you please share them?).
Now, you say Brooklyn is closing, but didn’t the letter say that it is NOT CLOSING (as others have pointed out above)? Let’s assume then that the school remains open (unless you have information contrary to what the letter stated?). And you are right that 400 girls can be a successful school. But without knowing more, can you say for certain that the school has to be at 14th street no matter the circumstance, and no matter how many girls there are?
As a parent of a current student, what I am primarily concerned with is the education that my daughter receives (both limudei kodesh and limudei chol as well as hashkafah). Secondary to that is the physical location where she receives that education (so long as it’s in reasonable proximity to the current location – it’s not in Bed Stuy). You admit that Brooklyn has changed but then say “so what.” If this is true, then the school needs to adjust to the new reality. That’s what. If that means moving to a smaller location (the campus, as great as it is, seems bigger than the school may now need), then so be it. This doesn’t directly impact my kid’s education. Or, would it be better for everyone to simply ignore reality?
Hate to beat a dead horse, but a discussion also entails direct answers to questions. I posed the following yesterday – why is it that the Young Israel movement in flatbush is on the decline while it’s thriving in the Five Towns? Why do some neighborhood shuls (such as the Kingsway) hunger for membership while other shuls in the area (R’ Schiffenbauer) are filled? Come to think of it, weren’t some of the Flatbush shuls at one time part of the Conservative movement (e.g., YI of AK before it was a YI)? Why didn’t everyone just say – “the neighborhood is changing. So what?” Yes, so what is quite the action plan.
Yeshiva of Crown Heights is looking to open up a separate Pre-1A class of girls for the upcoming school year.
In light of the issues with Shulamith, myself and a few other parents have been working with CHY to make it a viable option.
We need 10 girls for the class, and tuition has been considerably reduced. They offered us our own program, classroom, and teachers, while we still have the amazing resources of the school.
So there is another option right now. We need 7 more girls to make it official.
I can post more info if anyone is interested.
ok you want facts, here we go. Its a fact that the past several years, there either was no open house for the high school or if there was one, it was done last minute with no advertising.
Fact: Rabbi Zwick was asked over and over by various parents to simply tell them if the high school would be there if they enrolled their daughters in 9th grade. He refused to do so.
Fact: When the LI school opened, the Brooklyn preschool director was moved there to run it. She was never replaced in Brooklyn. Mrs. Nekritz is not the warm and caring person who can be a preschool director in addition to being the ES LK principal.
Fact: When Dr. Katz retired from the HS, there was never a seach of any type to find a replacement. Mrs. Karp is not able to really pull it off and it shows.
Fact: No maintennace was done on the Brooklyn building resulting in the ‘explanation’ that the building is in such bad shape that it must be sold.
These are just several FACTS that have affected the situation in MAJOR ways. As to your question about the current campus, there is some truth to what you say. They currently dont need such a large campus. On the other hand, its already paid for. The real question is: why do the Long Island parents expect to get a free new building from the sale of the Brooklyn building?
Lastly, with 400+ girls in Shulamith and 400+ boys in Derech Hatorah, talking about shul memberships is besides the point. 800 students is larger than most other schools here, so why should Shulamith be closing? Even by itself, its larger than many other schools in the area but no one is talking about closing them. This is simply a money grab.
True, the letter says that Brooklyn is not closing. The reality is that the Shulamith the parents have been fighting for is dead. If not for the parents’ lawsuit, there wouldn’t be anything left at all.
yeshiva11230 – see CAPS below
Fact: Rabbi Zwick was asked over and over by various parents to simply tell them if the high school would be there if they enrolled their daughters in 9th grade. He refused to do so. HOW MANY PARENTS ARE “VARIOUS”?
Fact: When the LI school opened, the Brooklyn preschool director was moved there to run it. She was never replaced in Brooklyn. Mrs. Nekritz is not the warm and caring person who can be a preschool director in addition to being the ES LK principal. MRS. YARMACK LIVES IN 5TOWNS, SO HER MOVING WAS HER CHOICE (AT LEAST THAT’S THE UNDERSTANDING).
Fact: When Dr. Katz retired from the HS, there was never a seach of any type to find a replacement. Mrs. Karp is not able to really pull it off and it shows. UH…RABBI LEIBERMAN REPLACED DR KATZ. HE LEFT FOR A LUCRATIVE POSITION. GET YOUR *FACTS* STRAIGHT.
Fact: No maintennace was done on the Brooklyn building resulting in the ‘explanation’ that the building is in such bad shape that it must be sold. YES, THE BUILDING NEEDS MAJOR WORK. I HAVE COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE BLDG. DOESN’T IT MAKE SENSE, THOUGH, THAT AN OLDER BLDG NEEDS REPAIRS? DOESN’T THAT TAKE $$? ARE YOU OFFERING TO FUND THOSE REPAIRS? I KNOW I AM NOT. AND THE BLLDG FUND $ IS FUNGIBLE – IT PROBABLY GOES TO PAY TEACHERS. SAME STORY IN MY OTHER KIDS’ SCHOOLS.
Lastly, with 400+ girls in Shulamith and 400+ boys in Derech Hatorah, talking about shul memberships is besides the point. 800 students is larger than most other schools here, so why should Shulamith be closing? Even by itself, its larger than many other schools in the area but no one is talking about closing them. This is simply a money grab. SO AGAIN, YOU REFUSE TO ANSWER THE BASIC QUESTION. FOLLOW THE LOGIC – THE SCHOOL SAYS THEY CAN’T ATTRACT ENOUGH GIRLS TO FILL THE CURRENT LOCATION. THEY SAY THE REASON IS THAT FLATBUSH CHANGED AND THE CLIENTELE FOR THE SCHOOL IS LOCATED ELSEWHERE. ALL I AM SAYING IS MAYBE THIS IS TRUE, EVIDENCED BY THE CHANGING SHUL DYNAMIC. YOU SAY THIS IS ALL BESIDES THE POINT (NO, IT IS THE POINT, BUT YOU REFUSE TO ADDRESS IT) AND SEEEM TO BE ADVOCATING THAT DERECH HATORAH AND SHULAMITH SHARE EAST 14TH STREET. YOU DON’T REALLY MEAN THAT DO YOU?
This is simply a money grab. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHO IS GRABBING? WHAT IS THE MONEY BEING GRABBED FOR? SOME OF MY FRIENDS ARE LI PARENTS – I DON’T THINK THEY WANT A *FREE* BLDG, THEY SIMPLY WANT *A* BLDG (WHICH THEY CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE AT ALL).
SHABBAT SHALOM
To YCBRY: You truly must be one of those people who beleive the US Government destroyed the world trade center.
Ok, once again.
#1: How many parents asked Rabbi Zwick? At least 35 that I know of.
#2: Yes, Mrs. Yarmak lives in the Five towns, but the point is that NO ONE WAS HIRED TO REPLACE HER AS THE PRESCHOOL DIRECTOR IN BROOKLYN.
#3: No, Rabbi Lieberman, never replaced Dr. Katz, he was never, ever made the overall principal of Shulamith High School AND even if he was, he was never properly replaced. Rabbi Chill, who replaced him, is only the LK principal.
#4: The point is not that an old building needs repairs. The point is that the repairs were never made and should have been. This isnt a question of building funds. Why didn’t the board make repairs that they clearly should have?
#5: Once again you seem not to want to face the fact that even if Shulamith has only 400 girls right now, that is more than enough for a school especially a school that already has its own building. Answer one very simply question honestly if you can: HAD THERE NEVER BEEN A SHULAMITH IN LONG ISLAND WITH THE ATTACHED UPHEAVAL IN BROOKLYN, WOULD THE ENROLLMENT BE AS LOW AS IT IS TODAY IN BROOKLYN? THE ANSWER IS NO! Over 25 girls applied to the high school last year and were not accepted, not a single one, resulting in no 9th grade.
#6: A money grab in this case is to promise the parents in LI something they did not have to pay for, work for, save for or do anything for except enroll in Shulamith LI. The LI parent want a building? Great. Start fundraising. Start a capital campaign. No? Why not? Because the lure of a building without effort is a great way to increase your enrollment.
Just as an aside, what do you make of the fact that Shulamith has not had a school dinner and in fact returned to parents these funds? Its another example of the explicit mismanagement by the administration and board of Shulamith. The dinner was part of parents’ contracts. Any type of dinner would have done. Instead they returned a fortune of money, they didn’t have. Shrewd.
#4: The point is not that an old building needs repairs. The point is that the repairs were never made and should have been. This isnt a question of building funds. Why didn’t the board make repairs that they clearly should have? “SHOULD HAVE” IS A JUDGEMENT, NOT A STATEMENT OF FACT. REPAIRS REQUIRE $$ – THAT IS A FACT. LOTS OF INSTITUIONS HAVE THIS ISSUE; THEY JUST DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO INVEST IN THEIR EXISTING CAPITAL ASSETS. I AGAIN POINT YOU TO, ONLY AS AN EXAMPLE, THE KINSGWAY JC. WHY DON’T THEY MAKE THE REPAIRS THAT THEY “SHOULD?”
#5: Once again you seem not to want to face the fact that even if Shulamith has only 400 girls right now, that is more than enough for a school especially a school that already has its own building. Answer one very simply question honestly if you can: HAD THERE NEVER BEEN A SHULAMITH IN LONG ISLAND WITH THE ATTACHED UPHEAVAL IN BROOKLYN, WOULD THE ENROLLMENT BE AS LOW AS IT IS TODAY IN BROOKLYN? THE ANSWER IS NO! Over 25 girls applied to the high school last year and were not accepted, not a single one, resulting in no 9th grade. YES, 400 IS ENOUGH FOR A SCHOOL. IF IT WEREN’T, WE’D PULL OUR DAUGHTER OUT. AGAIN YOU SKIRT THE ISSUE, BUT ONLY BY POSING OTHER QUESTIONS TO ME. THE SCHOOL’S CLIENTELE IS NOW IN LONG ISLAND – SO THEY FOLLOWED THE DEMAND. YES, IF THEIR CORE CUSTOMERS DID NOT MOVE TO THE SUBARBS, THE SCHOOL’S ENROLLMENT WOULD NOT BE AS LOW AS IT IS NOW.
MY SON GOES TO SCHOOL IN THE 5 TOWN, AS OTHER BOYS FROM BROOKLYN DO. WE KNOW GIRLS THAT GET BUSSED TO SKA. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU KNOW THAT GET BUSSED TO SCHOOL FROM LI TO BRKLYN? GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POINT – MY KID IS STILL GETTING AN EDUCATION AT SHULAMITH THAT WE VALUE. IF SHE HAS TO DO IT IN A SMALLER BUILDING IN, SAY, THE MARINE PARK AREA, SO BE IT. EITHER WAY, YOU CAN’T DENY THE CHANGE IN THIS 11230 AND 11210 HAS IMPACTED THE SCHOOL’S ENROLLMENT – YOU HAVE IT THE WRONG WAY AROUND.
#6: A money grab in this case is to promise the parents in LI something they did not have to pay for, work for, save for or do anything for except enroll in Shulamith LI. The LI parent want a building? Great. Start fundraising. Start a capital campaign. No? Why not? Because the lure of a building without effort is a great way to increase your enrollment. BY THE SAME TOKEN, RESIDENTS OF BORO PARK SHOULD SCREAM – “THE FLATBUSH PARENTS WANT A BUILDING? GREAT. START A CAMPAIGN.” AGAIN, GO BACK TO THE LETTER – IT SAYS “the Brooklyn building will be sold, and the proceeds will be divided and used for a continued presence in Brooklyn.” AS LONG AS MY KID HAS A PLACE TO GO, WHAT DO I CARE IF LI ALSO HAS A BUILDING.
Just as an aside, what do you make of the fact that Shulamith has not had a school dinner and in fact returned to parents these funds? MY SON’S SCHOOL DID NOT HAVE A DINNER AND KEPT THE FUNDS. SHREWD? YES. HONEST? NO. WHICH DO YOU PREFER?
Oh, one more thing, yeshiva1130 – those that believe that the Government was behind 9/11 are those that refuse to subscribe to the most reasonable conclusion based on available evidence. Instead, they choose to assign blame to the Government – sometimes because of a general mistrust of the Government, and other times due to the theorist’s own feeling of powerlessness (which can also manifest itself as anti-Semitism, thus, the theory that it Israel was in on the consipracy). In this case too, it is far more convenient to assign blame for the low enrollment to the school’s administration. Maybe they are to blame in part, but someone that refuses to acknowledge that the dramatic shift in demographics is at least an equal cause of the problem is as much in denial of the truth as the 9/11 conspiracy theorists.
Let’s simply agree to disagree or to withhold judgement – at least until this supposed parent meeting takes place and more is known about the settlement.
I just find it extremely interesting that the entire demographics issue was never an issue until Shulamith LI was opened and then it was the reason for the opening of LI. At the time LI was first opened, Shulamith Brooklyn has over 900 students. This is way before any reasonable explanation of demographics etc. could be used. The explanation of the move from BP to Midwood is not the same. At the time almost none of the parents in Shulamith were still living in BP and were living in Midwood. Also, the increased and larger campus was a major bonus. However, no student who lived in BP was unable to attend Midwood. Lets get real, how far was the move? 2 miles? 3 miles at most? But it was a great success, provided a place for the HS as well and Rabbi Zwick got the credit. I think he was trying to do the same thing here but just could not see the difference between 1980 and 2001, when Shulamith LI was started.