Brooklyn, NY – New Billboard Urges Importance of Secular Education in Chareidi Community

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    Billboard June 6 2013, on Prospect Street and 4th Ave in Brooklyn, NY reads in Hebrew characters a quote from the Talmud, which says a person must teach his son a trade. Photo: VIN NewsBrooklyn, NY – In an effort to raise awareness for the need to provide yeshiva students with a proper secular education, a Brooklyn based organization is spreading its message in a very public forum – a billboard placed on the Prospect Expressway.

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    The billboard, which proclaims the obligation of parents to provide their sons with a trade, bears the words “It’s your mitzvah. It’s the law,” referencing the Department of Education requirement for private schools to supply students with an education that is “substantially equivalent” to that offered by the public schools. Located on the Prospect Expressway near 4th Avenue, the billboard was paid for by YAFFED, Young Advocates For Fair Education.

    “From the age of fourteen, many yeshiva students are cut off completely from any form of secular education,” Naftuli Moster, founded of YAFFED, told VIN News. “Regardless of how you want to teach it, English, science, math, geography and physical education are all things that need to be taught.”

    Moster, a 27 year old Brooklyn resident who attended the local Belzer high school, found himself woefully unprepared when he enrolled in college.

    “I had no idea what I was doing,” recalled Moster who eventually went to Touro University’s Machon L’Parnassa and just graduated from college with a degree in Psychology. Moster hopes to pursue a masters degree in social work and dreams of becoming a psychologist and serving both members and former members of the chasidic community. He admits that he never envisioned himself as the founder of an organization.

    “Imagine if thirty years ago someone had stood up and taken a stand on this issue,” said Moster. “People like me wouldn’t be facing this struggle and hopefully thirty years from now the problem of young men being completely unprepared to support their families will no longer exist.”

    YAFFED’s goal for now is to raise awareness among community leaders rabbanim and parents.

    “Many of our rabbis are living a pretty comfortable life, being provided for by their chasidim,” explained Moster. “It is hard for them to put themselves in the shoes of someone who needs to provide for a large family. We want people to speak up, to demand better education from their leaders. We want our young men to have a bright future.”

    Moster acknowledged that many in the chasidic community may be concerned that they may face retribution if they ask for yeshivos to provide a secular education.

    “We need to get our leaders together and perhaps devise a curriculum that could be acceptable to all parties,” said Moster. “While some of the yeshivos may be reluctant at first, if they see that large groups of parents are ready to transfer their sons to another yeshiva that is willing to provide a secular education, they may decide to reconsider.”

    Moster hopes that the billboard, which was timed to be in place during a period when many people are traveling in and out of Brooklyn and will be in place until July 4th, will attract attention and become a topic of conversation. The cost of the billboard was sponsored by an private donor and Moster hopes that more individuals will come forward to finance similar signage in the Williamsburg area.

    “Products and candidates are sold on billboards, why not an idea like this?” queried Moster. “There is no doubt that this gets to people. Our message is straight out of the Gemara and so many people fail to realize that giving our children a strong education is something that we should be doing.”


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    65 Comments
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    MarkTwain2
    MarkTwain2
    10 years ago

    Give him credit. He’s also a brave soul. He could team up with Lipa who has been tooting the same horn.

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    10 years ago

    He certainly has guts

    berelw
    berelw
    10 years ago

    no kidding. im chasidish yet i know knowledge is power…if you deny your child this knowledge what are you going to say when the yeshivas come knocking on their door for schar limud and they dont have it…then its too late to say i made a mistake…hashem helps those whom help themselves

    10 years ago

    How innapprpriate.

    I expect all the tummelers who complained about the shmiras einayim billboard to be even more up in arms about this.

    10 years ago

    100% but let’s not forget what the Gemarah says (berachos 35b) although a person needs a parnassah bc any Torah wo melacha in the end he’ll stop learning and worse will lead to averiah still his Torah should be the main and his melacha secondary and that way he’ll have both. So if you quote the first part don’t forget the second!

    Balaboos
    Balaboos
    10 years ago

    The greatest concept since the wheel…..but: we all know it’s gonna fall on deaf ears….sadly.

    FBF37
    FBF37
    10 years ago

    YES!!! Fantastic!! I agree it’s all about the numbers. We need many parents to speak up. A few people will get laughed out of the office. Change is needed for the future doros.

    OyGevald
    OyGevald
    10 years ago

    The Satmar rebbe R’ Yoel is quoted as saying in response to this topic that his chasiddim will own the businesses and the so-called educated non-hasiddim will run the business for them. Well said.

    hershel
    hershel
    10 years ago

    Sad thing is public school doesn’t educate one to work a job, only how to apply for food stamps and other paperwork nonsense.

    10 years ago

    Let’s remember rabbonim are NOT perfect. Time for the average chusid to start THINKING for themselves.

    Tamim
    Tamim
    10 years ago

    First of all, “אומנות” could include for instance being a shoe maker or diamond dealer, which would not require any secular education.

    Secondly, wasn’t this the “innocent” claim of the Haskallah movement many years ago?

    Secular
    Secular
    10 years ago

    Better late than never

    10 years ago

    It’s time that parents realized that if they got together about important issues regarding their children, they would have power over the schools. Parents are afraid of complaining and demanding change. They are afraid of being unpopular and ostracized. They are afraid to demand that the schools provide secular education, or to demand that the schools report abuse. It’s time for parents to stop being so afraid! They need to realize that if they organize and threaten to take their children to another school, the schools will have to take them seriously. No school wants to see parents taking their children out. Parents, your children come first. You love your children, but you are too scared to say what you think. You need to care less about what institutions and administrators want, and more about what is good for your children.

    RebKlemson
    RebKlemson
    10 years ago

    bloomberg himself said consider plumbing if you arent book smart, it pays well and doesnt need college

    kolemes
    kolemes
    10 years ago

    I finnished a chasidesh yeshiva with a Regents Diploma. When it came to get a job it it didn’t help me one iota! It was a total waste of time!! For 95% of todays jobs Math Biology and Chemistry won’t help you one bit. However I do think learning a trade or getting a degree after you get married is extremely important but not secular studies in yeshivha that’s just a waste of time.

    Barryfrombrooklyn
    Barryfrombrooklyn
    10 years ago

    Unless its the shalosh shvuos, Gemara doesn’t matter to some, sadly.

    10 years ago

    I remember Moster as a student of mine in Machon Leparnasa.When he first came he could barely read and write more than at a 5th grade level. I remember him telling me that he told his youngers brothers to take serious the little English that they did teach in yeshiva.
    Over the years I have met a number of Chassidim from England who are just as chasssidish as their American counterparts but they speak a perfect English . That is because the English government doesn’t let the yeshivas get away with raising kids to be illiterate.

    Balaboos
    Balaboos
    10 years ago

    Just a quick word to all those pushing a “trade” vs a college eduction. Indeed, a trade works well but most accredited trade schools will NOT accept a student who doesn’t have a high school diploma.

    Still think you’ll become a tradesman? Not likely. Better chance to end up working for someone else – which limits you to being an employee and leaves no room for growth and expansion.

    Food for thought!

    10 years ago

    I know young men who went to college and work in grocery stores or wait tables. Education is definitely important but it does not guarantee wealth.
    These people have an agenda which has nothing to do with making life better; their goal is to change as many frum young men/women into “secular jews” as they can. this is just another approach.

    10 years ago

    You cannot be an auto mechanic today without a high level of education in electronics and computers. It is not like trading lumber back in Poland.

    An American rabbi was invited to the chassena of the Brisker Rov’s daughter, and was provided with a ride to the wedding. The cab driver was dressed in a suit and was evidently also a guest. Before the American had a chance to ask, the driver said, “This is what happens to a Soloveitchik who doesn’t know how to learn!”

    BarryLS1
    BarryLS1
    10 years ago

    We’re talking about basic knowledge that our Gedolim had in science, math, etc. Without it, the next generation is in big trouble. Ask the leaders of any Kashrus organization and they will tell you the knowledge base that’s needed. That’s a basic necessity for the Frum world. We can’t be ignorant and illiterate.

    10 years ago

    Much of this discussion ignores the fact that everyone has specific potential. And the individual chiyuv of every Yid is to develop that potential so that they can fulfill ratzon Hashem. This translates into doing their best at something to improve the lives of other Yidden and making Hashem’s world a better place. For some, it means learning, and becoming a Rosh Yeshiva, Rov, Dayan, Shochet, Mohel, Sofer, etc. For others it means becoming a doctor, a lawyer, plumber, electrician, pizza store owner, and the spectrum of white and blue collar workers. None of these occupations diminishes the permanent obligation to be koveya ittim laTorah or to fulfill all mitzvos. HKB”H wants to dwell in the physical world, and gave us a Torah full of mitzvos that involve the mundane physical world to sanctify all of this. One of our struggles has been identifying the individual potentials in each talmid to properly guide them who should develop their proficiency to be klai kodesh and which should bring kedusha to other aspects of the physical world. Being too lazy to know talmidim leaves us with the default of learning, and it doesn’t work too well.

    10 years ago

    Umnus is not relevant nowadays until the child reaches 18. They can take a GED with minimal effort, and then learn an umnus. There should be no Science or history in any frum school, as their books are Assur to have in ones possession.

    MyNachas
    MyNachas
    10 years ago

    They’re right. But I also think there should be 612 more signs up so that I can tell that they only have Hashem in mind instead of their own agenda.

    Monseyer
    Monseyer
    10 years ago

    Nowhere in this article is it mentioned that this guy is OTH(of the derech) and he publicly pronounces that he doesn’t believe in God etc. And that’s why there is no picture of him.

    I happen to agree with him, that the secular education in our yeshivos need to be taken more seriously.

    Moster proclaims that “We need to get our leaders together!”, while he knows none of our leaders would consider talking to him on this topic. He wanted to leave our community, that’s his choice. But why do these people always live in the past?

    I don’t know who funds this organization, but it sounds like it’s out to make more trouble than solving issues.

    10 years ago

    Th ultra orthodox wouldn’t teach you to breathe if they couldn’t tie it into their curiosity for only religious based education.

    Yidaleh
    Yidaleh
    10 years ago

    In the words of the hayleger bal HaTanya

    Likewise, he who occupies himself with the sciences of the nations of the world is included among those who waste their time in profane matters, insofar as the sin of neglecting the Torah is concerned, as is explained in the Laws Concerning Study of the Torah. Moreover, the uncleanness of the science of the nations is greater than that of profane speech, for the latter informs and defiles only the middot which emanate from the element of the holy ruach within his divine soul with the contamination of the kelipat nogah that is contained in profane speech which is derived from the element of the evil ruach of this kelipah in his animal soul, as mentioned above; yet he does not defile the [intellectual] faculties of ChaBaD in his soul, for they are but words of foolishness and ignorance, since even fools and ignoramuses can speak that way. Not so in the case of the nations’ science whereby he clothes and defiles the intellectual faculties of ChaBaD in his divine soul with the contamination of the kelipat nogah contained in those sciences, whither they have fallen through the “shattering of the vessels” out of the so-called “hinder part” of

    Yidaleh
    Yidaleh
    10 years ago

    Here is the punchline :

    Unless he employs [these sciences] as a useful instrument, viz., as a means of a more affluent livelihood to be able to serve G-d, or knows how to apply them in the service of G-d and His Torah. This is the reason why Maimonides and Nachmanides, of blessed memory, and their adherents, engaged in them.

    10 years ago

    The Vilna Goan warned at the time about this movement called “Chassidus”. Do your research!
    Two words: “Social Control”

    Rabbi_CS
    Rabbi_CS
    10 years ago

    Here is the real punchline….

    On the same day that there are headlines that the amount of Frum families living in poverty has DOUBLED….

    There are still people who say “teach your son to be a shoemaker”

    shalomp
    shalomp
    10 years ago

    Whether they are right or wrong, YAFFED is the current Haskalah movement. Check out their website and google the names of their officers. They are all a bunch of off the derech people, trying to get others to follow.

    Look up the articles they have written. They are also against kashrus too. And some of them are also toivanicks, and proud of it. One of them wrote an article titled “An Education in Education”, where she admits that many chasidim do fine in the business world. She is only pushing education so they wont be so insular anymore.

    Read their articles, do some research, and you will see what YAFFED is all about.

    Again, I am not even addressing the issue of education (which I happen to not have), I am just wondering why VIN is giving attention to them. Would they post articles from the Reformed Jews, if by mistake they have a goo point?

    MonseyLuke
    MonseyLuke
    10 years ago

    Education allows one to participate in society instead of depending on society.

    Luke.

    Aryeh
    Aryeh
    10 years ago

    There is a very bleak future for the community if we cannot accept that our children need formal education. There are not enough working religious people to support those who learn.

    bewhiskered
    bewhiskered
    10 years ago

    The billboard should have at least quoted accurately from ברכות ס”ג ע”א, and from קידושין פ”ב ע”א:

    לעולם ילמד אדם את בנו אומנות נקיה וקלה

    DocMo
    DocMo
    10 years ago

    I agree with the billboard. I just want to say that until this reaches our chassidish yeshivas and goes into effect ( if it ever does) we as parents have to take matters in our own hands.
    I went to a chassidish yeshiva and my education stopped at the 6th grade. I am graduating now from my graduate program at the top of the class with honors. I would never have made it, if not for my father’s support and all the years that he spent extra time teaching me secular and yiddish studies. I remember waiting at my doctor’s office as a child for hours and my father studying with me math, spelling and more. In addition, my parents made me do handwriting and math during the summer and when I completed the books, we went somewhere on vacation or some other kind of reward.
    My point is that we have to teach our children and stop blaming the school system.
    Parents take matters into your own hands and educate your children so when the time comes and your child is debating about going to college or not, he should not be worried about failing because of his poor secular education.

    ohaiv-yisroel
    ohaiv-yisroel
    10 years ago

    So sad that a lesson that could make a difference is being promoted by people who publically deny Hakadosh Baruch Hu even exists …. Let it be known publically that the founder of this organization espouses keferidik tendancies and regardless of the kashrus of his message. he had traifed up the pot.

    Mr. Moster, if you want to effect change in the community, come home !