Lakewood - anyone still school-less?

↑ amother ↓

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 6:26 am

amother wrote:

Proud Lakewood amother in Monsey it is not as bad. I have tons of family in Monsey and there has never been a story of a child home until Chanukah and no school caring.

Yes there has been. Thirty years ago, my sister was not accepted in school in Monsey, and she spent the whole year at home. The next year, a new school opened, it was not a good fit for us but we went there for a while...eventually she went to high school and younger siblings switched to another school.

↑ sky ↓

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 6:58 pm

amother wrote:

If you would have insiders info like I do u would know that
1. Many people would love to join the vaad it's exclusive so if its as hard a job as you describe it to be no one would want to join
2. No vaad members would ever send their own child to a new school
3. The rabonims own grandchildren don't go to the new schools
4. Only Bais faiga has 8 parallel classes and no other school comes close to that
5. There are some good new schools that open and some that open for the leftovers is it really fair that just because someone doesn't have pull they have to go to the new school that is lot so good?

I believe they have 11 classes [or more]. I know of one school that has 6 and I believe another has 5. and I think some of the new schools are growing too fast. It would make me very nervous if I was a parent there. Fast growth is not always good. I wouldn't want a newish school to open a class to fit my daughter if they weren't ready for it, that would make me nervous.

Why does a school not have the right to choose who they want? As long as there are mores schools then kids they have the upper hand. A school has the right to pick and choose who they want. It might be unfair and mean and demeaning, but that is the reality of the situation.

As I said before I just got in - but looking at it from the from the schools perspective I really get it. If only it could be done in more of a painless way. (I know why a school didn't want me and trust me it hurt a lot and opened my eyes in many ways)

↑ sky ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 5:42 am

naturalmom5 wrote:

Sky .... You make it sound like a ruthless cutthroat corporate merger:(
Were talking about heiliger yiddishe kinderlach

So we need more schools. Not more slots in schools that cannot handle it. I'm not sure what people are expecting the schools to do (Besides treat people better).
Schools have morgages to pay, teachers to pay. Many schools have large loans. They are corporate companies in many ways and watching their bottom line while charging small tuitions compared to the rest of the Jewish world. They want a certain type of student and family and image and have 100s of kids to choose 10 kids from. Do you really blame them (even if you don't agree with them)?
I think they could act nicer. I don't think people should be treated the way that they are. But I also feel bad for people who own schools who are hounded day and night and also know no peace.
I think things should change. But I think I'm also realistic that until there are more schools they may not.
With 100s of new kids in this town every year you NEED new schools.

Last edited by sky on Tue, Aug 26 2014, 6:27 am; edited 3 times in total

LiLIsraeli ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 8:39 am

amother wrote:

Oh and that poster who said that the Rabbonim and Askonim are not involved in opening new school have zero idea of what is going on.
Well then please enlighten me. My child is not in school yet and all the rabbanim and askanim have told me is I must learn to compromise, it's a very important thing for your children to see that you're willing to be flexible.
They are implying that the school they'd like my daughter to attend is not up to par, yet the responsibility lies with me. What am I missing? And where we the above mentioned rabbanim in November when we all got rejected to school? Why are they superficially waking up in the end of August when this issue has escalated into a crisis?

I can't believe this is the argument they're using! There are plenty of other places to be flexible about. It's a very BAD idea to show your child that you're being flexible about their education and Torah learning. The lesson that kids should learn about Torah learning is that it is the most important thing in the world and that their parents will beat down doors and never give up until they get the best and most fitting education for them. It's actually way more important for kids to see that their parents are NOT compromising on this issue!!

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 8:42 am

My daughter is in a school that has a number of primaries, no it's not bais Faiga, and is really expanding quickly.

To quick in my opinion.

One of the reason's I sent my daughter there is precisley because I did not want a school where each grade was basically the size of the whole school I went to as a child.

However my daughter's school is becoming that and I know that I am not the only one that's unhappy about it.

However what are we to do?

And for that matter what is the administration of theschool to do?

The only solution is to keep opening new school's year after year and that is exactly what the Vaad is trying to make happen in a responsible way.

I am really graeteful for their effort's as well as the effort's of many administrator's of other
school's that give all type's of resources to other to help the "beginner's" get off the ground and solidify themselves.
And while of course there are thing's in this town I don't like, and there are issue's I firmly disagree with the Vaad over (including politic's for a start) I still have tremendous Hakoras HaTov to them.

Whenever I step back and look at the amazing amount of infrastructure they either built themselve's or arranged and helped other's build in this town to try and keep up with the amazing growth B"h I am amazaed.

In the last decade they have literally helped build hundred's of shuls, dozen's of school's, dozen's of Shabbos mikvaos and now they are close to completeing an entire new mikva, batei dinim, a huge and complex chesed network, and last but not least Batei Midrashim to accomodate hundred's of new youngeleit a year.

Everything we have has cost these men million's upon million's of dollars, thousands of hour's of time. In many case's it has meant their Neshei Chayil giving up having a "normal" family life so thier DH's can work for the klal, and untold agmas nefesh.

So again while I may disgree with certain thing's they do and perhaps I would go about certain technicalities differently. I certainly will not bash or insult those to whom I personally along with virtually every family in lakewood owe's so much to.

↑ monseychick ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 8:49 am

LiLIsraeli wrote:

If that is in fact the case.....

What do you do if one school is a bunch of cruel heartless savages ...

Another school doesnt have the white shirts and black hats , but they are a million times more compassionate and menslic...

You need to be "baiyshonim, rachmonim and gomlei chasidim" because we can even discuss if it is "Torah learning "......

↑ LiLIsraeli ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 9:00 am

monseychick wrote:

On a personal level I agree with you. A school turned us down in a very nasty manner this year and we said forget it, if this is the administration then we are not interested. They obviously don't have a child's best interest at heart. BH we are sending our child to another school who accepted us with open arms and we are very happy. Another school turned us away in a very apologetic manner, saying that they would love to accept my child but unfortunately there is no space and if a space becomes available they would be happy to take us in. We felt that a school like that is worth fighting for.

On the other hand, I have to go through the same process again IYH with a child of the opposite gender. Of course I want my child to be educated by people who are learned and knowledgeable as well as compassionate and understanding. But if no school is willing to take us in (c"v)? I will fight for my child to get into the best school available for them, whose administration is well-versed in Torah learning and middos tovos.

↑ Chayalle ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 9:04 am

amother wrote:

I remember when my oldest DD was in 8th grade, we applied to 3 high schools (this was mandated by the Vaad; presently I believe non-siblings must apply to 4 high schools.)

One of the high schools she applied to interviewed DH and me in addition to DD. We went down and they asked us why we chose their school. (It was actually our 3rd choice, and) I gave as my answer that their (then) smaller size attracted us.

The administrator told me, very bluntly and honestly (which I appreciated) that they would not be small for long. He said consider this: There are currently approximately 650 8th grade graduates that need high school spaces. There are currently approximately 2400 girls in Primary. So in 8 years, we need to have quadrupled the high schools.

He said there is pressure to add another class every year.....

This was high school, but extrapolate this to elementary schools....look at the number of preschool slots available, vs. the birthrate. And this is why the schools are pressured to expand, or new schools must be opened.

It's sheer numbers.

↑ Chayalle ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 9:05 am

LiLIsraeli wrote:

Just another point - your child will have much more day to day contact with their teachers and classmates than the school administration.

↑ LiLIsraeli

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 9:26 am

Chayalle wrote:

Just another point - your child will have much more day to day contact with their teachers and classmates than the school administration.

That's true. But as parents I feel that I would have more contact with the administration. Also the administration tends to set the tone and the attitude... I don't know, BH my child got in this year and I was spared the terrible anguish that parents feel when they can't get their child into school, but maybe I'll feel differently next year (I hope not).

↑ amother ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 9:50 am

monseychick wrote:

Well when you consider the fact that in Chassidish circle's a member of a chassidus is automatically given a place in school no matter what.

And Lakewood is the only litvishe town that I am aware of that has set up a Vaad who's exclusive job is to ensure every child get's into school and do their utmost to ensure that the town's infrastructure keep's up with the breakneck pace of growth.

Then when you add that when parent's r"l are faced with fertility issue's they turn to org. like Bonei Olam and A-Time that were set up by "black hatter's-chassidim".

When they urgent need of medical advice or refferal's they turn to orginizations like Refuah or Echo started by "black-hatter's chassidim".

When they need food or a place to relax they turn to Bikur Chloim org. and room pioneered. started, and in many case's still run by "black hat-chassidish" people.

When people lose thier job's or have something else come up and need food to eat they turn to Tomchei Shabbos another "black-hat-chassidish" concept.

When sick children need to be cheered up in the hospital they turn to Misameach and other's like it "black-hat, Chassidish" org.

In fact I would venture to say that over 90% of the huge array of Chesed orgiziation that service all of Klal Yisroel without any quastion's asked have been started or pioneered by either Chassdim or black hatter's.

And in fact the majority of the thousand's of volunteer's to this day remain from that community.

I would challenge any poster to come up with say 5 org. just 5 that are there to service all of Klal Yisroel that were thought f, pioneered, or run by Black Hat or Chassidish.

So it seem's to me the Chassidish and Yeshivish crowd is doing quite well on the rachmonus front.
Where it count's that is ,actually helping other's.

Other's however seem to be much better at bashing them and screaming what they should be doing.

And that is actually one of the thing's I think the "RW" should be most proud of.

How they remain silent even as those who turn to them for help every time that there is an issue bash them at every turn.

↑ Maya ↓

Tue, Aug 26 2014, 10:35 am

amother wrote:

Well when you consider the fact that in Chassidish circle's a member of a chassidus is automatically given a place in school no matter what.

So it seem's to me the Chassidish and Yeshivish crowd is doing quite well on the rachmonus front.
Where it count's that is ,actually helping other's.

Other's however seem to be much better at bashing them and screaming what they should be doing.

And that is actually one of the thing's I think the "RW" should be most proud of.

How they remain silent even as those who turn to them for help every time that there is an issue bash them at every turn.

The bolded is not true anymore. It was true twenty years ago, but now, even members of a kehillah have difficulty getting into schools, and some are even outright rejected.

Also, you think it "counts" more for people to form chessed organizations than to allow their own precious innocent children a Jewish education? That's where the priorities of Chassidim lie? How very wonderful.

You're proving what I am claiming all along, that all these chessed organizations are only for PR. We don't care about our kids getting an education; we only care about the whole world knowing that we do chessed. For others. Let's torture and abuse our own community and reject them for the most inane, stupid reasons, but look, we do chessed.

What a hypocritical post.