By COLlive reporter
Bais Rivkah, the flagship Chabad girls school in Crown Heights, has officially and legally installed a new board of directors, ending months of negotiations between the new and previous board and administration.
Members of the new board and the school’s administrators have met at a lawyer’s office in Manhattan to sign the agreement, and they have now been “formally instated with full legal powers and will begin functioning immediately.”
Members of the new board are Mr. Mendy Gansburg, Rabbi Ephraim Goldfein, Mr. Yerachmeal Jacobson, Mr. Dovid Junik, Mr. Yoseph Kazarnovsky, Mr. Itchik Orimland, Mr. Yigal Niasoff and Mr. Dovid Sputz.
Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, appointed by the Rebbe in 1988 to oversee the institution, remains Chairman of the Board.
The signing of the agreement will end a teachers strike at the school, which has been in place for nearly a month.
The new board stated that funds will be wired into the school accounts immediately so that the teacher’s paychecks will be secure going forward, COLlive was told.
After the signing of the agreement, the board released a statement, along with the school principals, that “after several long and frustrating weeks, our beloved Bais Rivkah will reopen tomorrow on a regular full schedule, for all classes.”
The statement also announced the “activating and broadening” of the Vaad Hachinuch, which will oversee the educational and spiritual aspects of the school.
A major change in the school’s operations is the replacement of Rabbis Leima Minkowicz and Benji Stock, who have resigned from the school board. Stock will retain an administrative position, they said.
The new board reiterated to principals, teachers and parents of the school’s 1,800 students that they are committing to turning the school around for good, and ensuring transparency of legal and financial affairs.
“It is our sincere hope that our teachers and staff will be paid from now on in a timely fashion, and our daughters will never again experience what took place over these past months,” they wrote. “We are confident that through improved tuition collection systems coupled with a new approach to fundraising we will succeed in this effort.”
The also vowed to work harder to keep parents better informed of changes and updates in the school’s programming and finances, and “look forward to engaging with you on the many areas where we can invest our energy into the Chinuch of our daughters,” they said.
“In the coming days, an open communication system will be set up enabling parents to get involved and share their ideas. Good things are coming,” they said.
the smaller more stable schools, im sure some parents would opt for the smaller stable schools than the larger BR that seems to be in perpetual financial chaos.
No they’re not the only game in town but most of these smaller girls girls are far more expensive than BR and seem to always go up , additionally they have waiting lists if a girl is already there and can’t afford the increase she can be kicked out all together.
I’m sure enrollment will increase elsewhere, quickly, if the only “plan” is to beat up parents for tuition they probably dont have. If they do, shame on them for not paying.
its about time they should now make sure that the teachers get paid each time so this doesn’t have to happen again
G-d forbid to have any women on the board for an all-girls’ school. It’s OK not to pay the teachers because anyways the husband is the bread winner. They can rely on the men to do the thinking. #BaisRivkahLogic #FeminismIsForGoyim
Regarding tuition, I think the correct approach is: טוט אלעס וואס איר קענט, rather than טוט אלעס וואס איר ווילט. Parents should pay what they CAN, not what they WANT. After that is in order, and everyone does their fair share, donors can be approached and legitimately asked to do what THEY can. How can I ask of them to do what they CAN, if I am only willing to do what I WANT?
The people who decided to team together and build a better organization are fine men along with great women alongside them–Things will brighten up for this potentially wonderful institution.
Agree with # 53
I have many pushkas in my home none say Bais Rivkah when are they going to get real and actually raise money for the school, Hello NEW vAAD WAKE UP.RAISE MONEY MAKE AN APPEAL AND NOT JUST CROWN HEIGHTS IS LUBVITCH A WORLD WIDE ORGANIZAION?
AN ALL GIRL SCHOOL AND THERE IS NO QUALIFIED WOMEN TO BE ON THE BOARD?
There’s no mention of any payment to the teachers, but they have no problem in announcing tuition collection. When will they get it? My girls are all out of BR system, BH, but I hear from their friends the pressure and insensitivity they go through. When one of my kids lost his job, BR was harassing him for back tuition – they even called ME. At that time we were paying their bills & buying food & we couldn’t do more. But try telling that to these people, they don’t have an ounce of compassion. Personally, I think the teachers… Read more »
I am happy yet concerned at the same time. Half the problem remains on a large salary at the school, despite doing a horrible job.
Additionally, when I met the tuition comittee this year, there is one individual who was very rude and mean spirited. I later found out that he owns a real estate management company. Wealthy people should not be making assumptions of what everyone could afford to pay. And there is a way to talk to people, especially a mother.
Chana R.
Rabbi Moshe Pinson is the full time fundraiser. He will reportedly be paid a nice salary to do so. The board members aren’t criminals looking to pillage Beis Rivka and they aren’t fools. If they are paying the director of development that figure it is because they believe that his net monetary benefit to the school will justify it. He’s a known quantity who has established connections with the wealthiest young men in our community. I am cautiously optimistic. The school will certainly be more careful about tuition. But you that pays 300-600 per kid a month in tuition and… Read more »
communism now, aye?
Kol Hakovod to each member of the new Vaad. May Hashem give you the wisdom and strength to be successful for the sake of our next generation. May the Rebbe have true nachas from your efforts! Yasher Koach!!
This notice was sent out before they received any pay.
Unfair to the teachers.
when all staff are payed the outstanding monies owed to them within the very near future as per this weeks chitas regarding withholding payment. then i will express gratitude and shower thanks and brochos. As for know only Gd knows what you have achieved and let him repay you according to your efforts and kindness.
Teachers need to see pay now .
Why are their no female board members ?
it seems so odd? its a girls school, with predominately woman teachers.
(for tznius reasons they dont need to serve alongside the all male cast ) but wouldn’t that be great role modeling for all daughters to see their mothers /grandmothers volunteering to help lead the school fwd.
Bais Rivkah needs a full time fundraiser!! this school cannot be supported by tuitions alone.
I meant it’s easier for upper middle class or wealthy people to make the bare minimum of what BR will accept to for your child to be able to attend. The middle class, people who don’t have vouchers and who have fixed income bear the brunt when an admin decides to be more “aggressive in tuition reminbursement” .
just like you would do to gain
the Zechus or Merit of helping any other of the Rebbe’s organizations and institutions. Especially if the quality of your own child’s education is at stake here.What’s the question? If you can’t manage your share of tuition, offer your services in some other way. There must be something realistically useful all of us are capable of contributing to help out here. The question is do you CARE??
I think the board is saying that there are many parents who havnt paid ANY tuition for the past couple of years and that they plan to collect it
get real so what is the point of having a new board anybody can higher the tuition
“the upper middle class and wealthy can pay”
please don’t make financial ability cheshbonos for others
tuition is enormous
bs”d people have several kids
people have other expenses too
and no, i’m not referring to luxuries
The rich yidden should finance the yeshivas and schools . How much more can you squeeze out of the poor? Big families BH and just the basic food and cloths is a struggle , it’s time that the rich people take charge and finance the school system just like the Satmars do.
Thank G-d it’s over.
How could the board ask for any sort of increase after all the time off we had to take from work and all the days off school. two weeks at the beginning of the year and 1 month now. in my opinion that is my raise and let anybody dare ask me for a penny more
The entire community should give a HUGE THANK YOU! To this board for they’re amazing devotion and countless hours of non stop work in stepping up to the plate to save the rebbes Moised!! They did this respectively and worked excruciatingly hard behind the scenes for many months to achieve this huge accomplishment ! Of helping to save bais Rivkah’s financial crisis!!! May the new board be blessed with much hatzlocha on taking on bais rivkah and working hard for a better and brighter future !!! Thank you and thank you for all your selfless work !!
Missed day!= I want a partial tuition refund!
1. Are you mad? Do these individuals on the board look like people who got involved in order to pilfer Beis Rivkah’s great “riches”? If you don’t want to give them a chance and help out, you can leave.
2. Yes, there are many who are not paying their fair share of tuition, and we all know it. If you think a group of people just came in to pay the bills for you while dozens of families aren’t paying what they fairly should in tuition, get real. We all need to take part in this.
BS”D To # 11-some answers. When the Rebbe stated that I cannot take responsibility for the safety of the girls continuing in Church Ave, not one CH resident stepped up to make the new building, only one person stepped up and a non resident at that, that person was Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov and he did it for one reason as he did not have children in BR, he did it bc he took to heart the anguish of the Rebbe, something not one CH resident with children in BR could do
If the board is going to fundraise funds for the school than we all wish them hazlocho if it’s only to improve tuition collection I don’t mind joining the board I will collect full tuition from everybody I am familiar with the language already nobody asked you to have 8 kids please don’t have any kids any more we as a board we don’t owe you anything ecc ecc the rebbe spoke only for before 3 tamuz it’s a new area
this is be not politically right but it u cant afford the school maybe find a cheaper place.
brooklyn is expensive and maybe it not for working class anymore
people dont live on the UES or UWS – if u cant afford it then, be practical and move
How could the board ask for any sort of increase after all the time off we had to take from work and all the days off school. two weeks at the beginning of the year and 1 month now. in my opinion that is my raise and let anybody dare ask me for a penny more
One of the wealthiest self made man who was born and raised in CH was one of a large family who’s parents had limited means . He’s in his early 30’s now.this child can many business and was able to place close family members with jobs. It’s our job just to have the children and let Hashem take care of the finances ! Thankfully his parents were willing to have a large family and not allow their limited resources to dictate this to them and hence they have this son and not themselves or their other children will ever have… Read more »
meshana board meshane mazal LITOVA
The poor have the vouchers the upper middle class and wealthy can pay but the middle class e.g. people with a fixed income maybe who work for the city/state or are educators themselves can’t make the money BR is now aggressively demanding just to come out of a hat b/c they want it! If they don’t own a home they can’t borrow against it and homeowners can only take out so much in second third mortgages the bank does allow this endlessly. Gemachs. Can’t also keep lending indefinitely either if the ppl have balances with them already. Maybe they don’t… Read more »
And it will be good. Anything worthwhile takes effort. Bais Rivka will succeed and be as great as it should be, if everyone helps by doing their part fairly.
So, the new board hasn’t brought a SINGLE PENNY to the school. They LENT money at 12% INTEREST, and just took control of a massive collection of Real Estate.
Their solution is to hike up tuition. For that we don’t need a new board. To squeeze the parents more, means each family will have less kids now, against the Rebbe’s directives.
A child is a blessing. Hashemi has all the money in entire world. The Rebbe once said that to receive the brocha we need the vessel! The children he goes on to say are the VESSEL! There are always opporntiites in life to aquire more money but a woman has a limited time to bring these neshomas down who come with the brocha for the entire family and it’s a connection that the parents have in this world and the next . Never allow your fininical or living situation to dictate your family size much less tuition collectors. If family… Read more »
If your a parent and have any questions speak to the board through their communication system if your not you have no say in the matter so don’t even comment if you have a good wish then post it here….
Thank you Thank you and best wishes of hatzlacha!
The language of this concerns me. I’m not confident that parents can contribute anymore than they are already committed to! Putting additional pressure on them will not solve anything in fact be only detrimental in the long run to their emotional and spiritual health! This isn’t the upper east side or park slope pal, 2.2 children double income high earning salaries ! I think most of the effort to improve the BR is broading and creative fundraising efforts . It might be best to consider a professional consultant for this
Please have in Mind the middle class when using a tuition collecting system ! What it says on our tax return is not what we get in our pocket ! We suffer more than the people who actually get government assistance. I hate having to explain it every year to school and they just don’t care !
BR does enforce tznius, no reason to say public lashan hara!
Not sure why he wasn’t mentioned in the article, but a big yasher koach to rabbi Leizer Shemtov for being a crucial element in this taking place.
Thank you, thank you! And good luck to the new board and staff!
The language of this concerns me. I’m not confident that parents can contribute anymore than they are already committed to! Putting additional pressure on them will not solve anything in fact be only detrimental in the long run to their emotional and spiritual health! This isn’t the upper east side or park slope pal, 2.2 children double income high earning salaries ! I think most of the effort to improve the BR is broading and creative fundraising efforts . It might be best to consider a professional consultant for this
New board are great!
Much hatzlocho may the Rebbe bless you all and give you the strength to continue.
I think Trump should join the administration
I hope that the new board knows that they have to clean up a BIG mess
What about the paychecks for the previous months for the teachers?
as rent goes higher and higher the MIDDLE CLASS families can not pay 8k or more for tuition. ! PLEASE HAVE US IS MIND. I am SCARED to have my next child because we just cant pay anymore. We got not one cent from the government
It’s a legal vaad not a tzniut vaad.
Would like to know how soon the Agreement can be posted so we call see what achievements were made
The statement also announced the “activating and broadening” of the Vaad Hachinuch, which will oversee the educational and spiritual aspects of the school.
Who are the members of this new Vaad?
Mazal Tov!!
thank gd about time
Thank you board members!
Thank you Benji!
THANK YOU TEACHERS!!!!!!
Sounds very nice but what about all the money that the teachers are already owed from this year and last year?
Nothing is being said about that.
No mention of that. That was the condition that the teachers would return.
They’re the only ones that can end the strike.
At dismissal just an hour ago, the principals and teachers were saying that things will continue as is.
Mazeltov!!
Way to go new vaad!!!!
Let’s hope that turning around the school includes in forcing proper tznius.
Let’s make the Rebbe proud of BR