Brooklyn, NY – Dozens of yeshiva graduates and parents of yeshiva students gathered outside of the Satmar Girls School in Williamsburg today to speak out against the unrelenting attacks against their schools by anti-yeshiva activists and declare their right to choose the best education for their children.
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“We have made the choice to send our children to yeshivas and value the education they receive. We refuse to be intimidated by a small group of graduates who want to deny us that right. Enough is enough. This misinformation campaign must stop once and for all,” said Levi Oberland, a licensed social worker, yeshiva graduate, and parent.
“For nearly two years, we have watched a small group of disgruntled ex-students wage a public campaign of misinformation about yeshivas. They claim that the education yeshivas provide is inferior to that of public schools, and that our students are unprepared for success. These claims are outrageous,” added Oberlander.
“We’re tired of being harassed by critics who don’t understand what takes place in our classrooms and who refuse to respect the choices that generations of parents have made — and continue to make. We are concerned that the continued disparagement of our schools will poison public perception of these extraordinary institutions,” said Ari Greenberg, a parent, yeshiva graduate, former web designer at B&H Photo and manager of a workforce development program at the United Jewish Organizations.
The press conference was held in response to a continuing campaign of attacks by YAFFED, a group calling for intensified government intervention into yeshivas, which serve tens of thousands of children every year.
I personally feel that I was denied a proper education.
These idiots up there care if hasidic kids are educated or not?? Such nice special people! Bunch of bums!
I grew up in the satmar Williamsburg yeshiva system and I don’t feel that education failed me. That system is strong enough for anyone to succeed and if needed many still complete schooling later on. The bigger problem i feel is them not addressing the sexual abuse and drug issues. That is the problem that leaves so many of us crippled for life
As long as the boys can get a proper religious education there is no impediment to their rights. But the state is right to insist that children learn to be employable with at least basic skills. These schools seem to be in need of reform.
Yeshiva “parents” are speaking out against Yaffed? All Yeshiva parents are men??
The Satmar response demonstrates that Yaffed’s pressure is working. Yaffed! Keep up the good work!
It’s true that there are many young kids today coming out of chassidish schools without being able to find a job that will support btheor families but it doesn’t have to be that way and not much has to change to solve the problem.
For those that don’t end up in business or in a good job the problem is compounded by getting married and starting families young. Having the financial burden of a family limits the ability for someone to take the time necessary to learn a profitable trade at that point.
I went to a chassidish yeshiva in Boro Park. It didn’t hold me back nor the other successful businessmen that I went to school with.
It may have held back some others to some extent.
The way I see it, our education guided those of us that had the “spark” into business vs working for someone else. It guided others into non-professional jobs. Most did well for themselves.
For those that didn’t have the spark some got pushed into business as well but others may have been held back by the limited secular education.
Looking back at all my classmates, over all they have been quite successful.
Some are not big earners but support their families, some are uber-successful, most are somewhere in the middle. I don’t know of any of my classmates being unable to support their families.
A great solution to help make our children and the students of our yeahivas workforce ready would be, to have vocational training brought right into our schools, starting at 7th grade.
By the time our students graduate, they will be ready to support their families. They can still sit and learn at first, if that is what they want. When they are ready they can either work part time at first and work their way into the workforce or go straight to working full time or a variation of the above.
Kimcha D’pischa campaigns are a beautiful display of the amazing kindness our community is made up of, but let’s lower the percentage of our community that needs to rely on handouts, even for the yomim-tovim.
A gitten Zimmer and good luck working off those extra few pounds.
Note this message was Posted Motzei Shabbos/Pesach from Eretz Yisroel, so that is why the time stamp shows it was posted on Acharon Shel Pesach in the US. Now I gotta go get ready for my flight home.
I’m may not comfortable with Yaffed but the fact is that no one from within the community is advocating for our children. If we don’t take the initiative and provide our kids with a kosher, basic education, we’re gonna end up being forced to give them a treif education.
Parents are to be blamed not the Yeshivas.
#3, if you are writing about the importance of a basic education and you say that is what you received going through the Yeshivah system,, it would be better if what you wrote was understandable without a mistake on every line. Also, if what you are saying is that you are property developers, did you achieve that with no outside financial help? Not everyone is suited to be a teacher, and those will be moving boxes in a factory without an education.
I have yet to hear a reason what’s wrong with a secular education? Why won’t Satmar or the yeshvish offer it ? Years ago even satmar head ?
Can someone enlighten me as to what’s wrong ??
Many commentators will respond, we have so many yingerleit who are succeeding in real estate and other businesses. Which brings me to ask, what about the 1000s that aren’t successful and are struggling? What if they would of received a full secular education and that would of given them other opportunities like becoming accountants, Drs, lawyers and or other jobs that require an education. Stop knocking education and the chassidish yeshiva system does not teach enough secular education to give opportunities to the majority of those who are struggling. Playing with fire while claiming its gods will is plain wrong. Your playing with people’s lives. Doesn’t it say you must teach your children a trade? That means education is of utmost importance.
I support yaffed, and oppose these neturei karta folks.
Let them look what’s going on in the public schools! Shootings drugs and what not.
Yaffed is just a bunch of losers and they all know it!! No one stopped them from paying attention in school but did they?? No one stopped them from continuing their education after Yeshiva but did they?? There is a vast array of courses being given for men who choose to further their education in a Jewish orthodox environment. Stop pushing the blame on everyone else for your failures!
I taught English at Beis Ruchel & I can honestly say teaching there was a pleasure. Yes, I had some unruly students & many didn’t want to learn, but overall it was the best school I ever taught at. The staff is amazing & the girls get an excellent education: the secular department is very strong on English, Math, science & current issues. The Yiddish dept teaches according to Satmar mesorah (I am not Satmar) and they are extremely bright & capable.
As for bochurim… have you detractors seen how these “uneducated” men have huge, successful businesses? How many people they employ? Many work in hi-tech & hold great jobs. What’s more, they give millions in tzedaka every year. My sons only went to Yeshiva… all have semicha, one has a BA & they all have excellent jobs.
Why does it bother you so much that they don’t get degrees or even high school diplomas? You think they are all leeching off you? If someone is determined to succeed, he/she will find a way. I know 2 brothers, both only had Yeshiva educations, who are top notch lawyers. Nobody is forcing you to send your children to such a Yeshiva. Mind your own business, & stop interfering in a way of life that you don’t like.
I leaned in public school and got a college degree and I learned afterwards in yeshiva. I saw that yeshiva learning is much deeper. Public school you memorize what the teacher says and write it on the test. Yeshiva teaches you to analyze and think on your own.
I sent my kids to a frum cheder and yeshiva; no secular learning. They knew English from the house and each decided to go into a different venue: one into computers, one into electrical repair and the other into finances. They are successful with out going to public school and they lead a much finer life than those in public schools.
#18 . Nothing at all. Is it wrong to expect high school graduates meet some minimal standard?
The Mishnah in Kidddushin obligates every father to teach his child an Omnus – a trade or an education. The Gemorrah suggests that who doesn’t so teach his son, is as if he taught him highway robbery. Now really, are Satmar Chassidim thieves? Furthermore, if they can read and write, how will Satmar retain its control of them?
This article focuses on Satmar, the venue of this event. The activities of YAFFED expend over the spectrum of the frum schools. While the motives of YAFFED and its thugs are filled with hate and revenge, there is a silver lining that needs to be hijacked away from these goons and implemented. The chassidishe education is sorely deficient in many aspects. But there is a bigger problem.
No individual, institution, or organization is perfect. But it is a grave sin to believe that my flaws in matters that I can control are holy or G-d’s choice. No. I was just given a challenge to overcome. To claim that there is holiness in insuring that our children emerge from their education years, which get extended by seminaries for girls and kollel for boys, with zero preparation for employment is absurd.
Not everyone is cut out for advanced college study, and not everyone belongs in kollel. Stop blaming G-d for this. It is a human foible, and the culture has a serious deficiency here.
No, YAFFED is not the way to go. But we do need to implement proper, needed education to all, al taharas hakodesh.
Sure, there are talented people with no schooling, but that’s not reliable.