Can you explain Chasdei Lev?

amother

Eggshell ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 5:37 pm

amother Cerulean wrote:

Chasdei lev is not free

The school you work in has to participate in the program , which costs them money so not all school does

The teacher gets an order form and with prices , limits on quantities and a budget. The teacher pays a small portion.

Pesach winds up being about $2000 worth of groceries for the teacher. Which is amazing.

Bearing in mind this is if the school participates , ect.

Also bear in mind this is the bonus. For example, most business provide their staff a New Years bonus (if it pertains to staff) or a Pesach bonus.

This is in instead of a Pesach bonus for some teachers/Rebbes.

My son's yeshiva gives the rebbeim a generous pesach bonus in addition to chasdei lev

Also, we are always told that our chanukah and purim tips are comparable to a bonus that people in other professions get. So bonuses 3 times a year plus chasdei lev is pretty decent as extras in addition to salary

amother

↑ Cerulean

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 5:41 pm

Sure
Some schools give $500 bonus for Pesach
Key word is some

Just as some parents give more tips then others

At the end of the day it doesn’t add up to what business's give,
Especially when you keep in mind the base salary, no retirement, no money to save, no money to invest, no insurance ect..

It’s a wonderful thing Chasdei Lev , and it’s wonderful because it’s needed - not because it’s a luxury

I always wonder if Rebbes and teachers are so rich , how come there is a shortage?

amother

↑ Eggshell

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 5:59 pm

amother Cerulean wrote:

There is no shortage of rebbeim

amother

Oak

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 6:00 pm

amother Opal wrote:

In my community chasdei lev gives free meat and lots of other foods before yuntif to chinuch families and just had a really really good two days sale on wigs for morahs and wives of rabbeim. There is fundraising for chasdei lev throughout the year here.

Don’t believe they give free food, just heavily subsidized. And the sheitel sale was the same price that Irene was selling for the past year, I have a family member who is a sheitel macher and told me about this sale a year ago.

amother

Lightcoral

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 7:30 pm

amother Oak wrote:

the sheitels from chasdei lev were gorgeous wigs for literally 600 dollars. that is not irene prices.

amother

Cream

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 7:48 pm

amother Cerulean wrote:

and even then they have to allow it...
my principal thought I could get it and then was told by higher-uppers it was only for kodosh teachers (I teach secular studies)

amother

Hibiscus

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 7:52 pm

amother Cerulean wrote:

Where is there a shortage of rebbeim?

seeker ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 8:56 pm

amother Lightpink wrote:

So the rebbi pays? I am correct that everyone gets the same package right? So what if some of the stuff is things you have no need for? Is it still worth it

I think they tell you most of what will be in it so you can decide if it's worth it. If you'll use half the things and it costs a quarter of what the supermarket would charge, it may be worth it if you can give away the excess and not waste it.

Customizing orders would be a much, much more complicated operation.

gottago

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:06 pm

Just saying that between my husband and me we teach in 3 schools. None do chassei lev, none do bonuses. We love our jobs and are passionate about teaching, but it's rough.
Chasdei lev covers a third of the cost, and the rebbi or teacher pays a third, but the schools we teach in are not willing or able to cover a third so we don't get chasdei lev.

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:14 pm

We got Chasdei Lev up until my husband switched schools this year to a school that doesn't participate. It's not free and you order through a form months before the actual distribution. It is heavily subsidized and they occasionally run other programs like renting out an amusement park chol hamoed sukkos.

My husband makes a good living between his job as a Rebbe and two significant side hustles and I also have a good job. We didn't need Chasdei Lev and I felt uncomfortable taking it when we didn't need. We asked CL about it and they said every rebbe in the school is entitled to it whether or not they "need" it. We never used the full amount -- mostly bought tins. The CL volunteers are great people providing a great service.

amother

Seagreen

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:05 pm

seeker wrote:

This is inaccurate.
The orders are customized.
In dh's school our chasdei lev benefits are amazing and so appreciated.
We get an order form twice a year for pesach and succos
for pesach we are allowed to order up to a maximum of $325 worth, its so hard to choose! chasdei lev pays some of the cost, the school pays some of the cost, and the rebbi pays the rest. Think $25 for a case of chicken, $35 for two briskets. Its a huge savings. It makes such a differnce ot our life.

The succos order is different, its way more expensive for the rebbi. The order maximum is way higher, but even though the prices are good, they are not all so amazing, and I cant afford to spend so much at once although they do let you spread it over 4 payments, so we never spend more than about $500. prices are much closer to normal store prices, maybe its cost price, I dont know. not subsidized by the school but th succos order is subsidized by chasdei lev I assume.

I agree that I feel bombarded on this website by jealousy and resentment Sad

mig100 ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:13 pm

[quote="amother Cerulean"]Sure
Some schools give $500 bonus for Pesach
Key word is some

Just as some parents give more tips then others

At the end of the day it doesn’t add up to what business's give,
Especially when you keep in mind the base salary, no retirement, no money to save, no money to invest, no insurance ect..

It’s a wonderful thing Chasdei Lev , and it’s wonderful because it’s needed - not because it’s a luxury

I always wonder if Rebbes and teachers are so rich , how come there is a shortage?[field.]

Im.not against chasdei lev.

Where did u get that info from?
Where is there a shortage of rebbeim?

It's by FAR the hardest job to get in lakewood. Many start off teaching English or traveling into Brooklyn to get an in Into the feild.

Last edited by mig100 on Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:13 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Amethyst ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:13 pm

seeker wrote:

I wonder why people are responding who have no clue.
This is 100% not the case.
It is completely customized orders. You fill out an order form and when the distribution day comes, you go an pick it up in a very smoothly done production. Loads of volunteers working before and during.

amother

Peru

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:22 pm

We receive chasdei Lev and it's exactly what the poster above said... The savings are great for the sukkos order but you are limited to only spend 325$. So you get around 1000$ worth of groceries. And it is custom to what you choose. It is very organized by letter so when you see people picking up boxes, they have a system of what letter box you get based on what you ordered. Everything is by the case.
The pesach one is limited to spending 1000$ but the cost per case is much higher so it is more similar to buying bingo prices by the case I would say.
I am very thankful for this beautiful initiative!! but it definitely doesn't make being a rebbe easy now. It's a help definitely, but b"h with the price of food and big families, we are spending a ton on food, regardless of this.

amother

↑ Amethyst

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:30 pm

amother Nutmeg wrote:

Where is there NOT??

?? What kind of answer is that?

If you know where theres a shortage why can't you just state the location instead of "where is there NOT?" People have already said there is NOT a shortage in Lakewood. Tons of kollel men are dying for a Rebbe job. Brooklyn is a bit easier but definitely not a shortage .

amother

Cerise

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:30 pm

I don't think people "hate Rebbes" or are against the school staff. Non chinuch families in many communities keep hearing about supporting chinuch families, how poor they are, how needy....
who end up living on a higher standard of living than the non chinuch. You get meat for YT at such cheap prices? We can't afford store prices! So we just don't have meat!
"It's only 350" - but that would have a "street value" of closer to a 1000 if I had to buy in a store (based on the 1/3-1/3-1/3 model listed above). So you get a 750 bonus on Pesach! Untaxed! Maybe more as they are giving bulk pricing.
Tips- untaxed benefits. Same with fancy MM on Purim (imagine not having to buy wine for Pesach with all the bottles the Rebbe gets each year! That's a few hundred bonus as well!)
Subsidized or cheap sheitels, linen, amusement parks???
Plus if it isn't taxed, many can get government benefits because part of their pay isn't taxable (not an accountant, just guessing).

Yes I know that not everyone gets any or all of these. But many of us never can even dream of it!
(And any bonus I get ends up taxed. No cash bonuses here).

I have great respect for the teachers. I do. My son's Rebbe is amazing. But if I hear another request to support the chinuch families I am going to scream. Because I just don't see the poverty. I work like a dog and barely make ends meet and don't get the sheitel, subsidized food, automatic tuition discounts, cash tips, or untaxed gifts of any kind. My kids don't get discounted tickets to any chol hamoed activity. hikes are free.

And no, my kids school has zero openings for employment. There is no shortage here...