By: Rabbi Yossi Zeidman, Cheder Lubavitch of Morristown
I was very shocked and dismayed to read the letter the author wrote on behalf of her friend. We have a chinuch crisis, and the article and its comments pushed me to stand up and say something.
There is a serious problem in our schools, and it is our mentality regarding teachers and their salaries.
A great sefer that every Lubavitcher should own is Shaa’rei Chinuch, which is a compilation of many letters and sichos from the Rebbe about the importance of proper chinuch. In the section about parental obligations, there are a few direct quotes from the Rebbe addressing the financial strain of chinuch al taharas hakodesh. The Rebbe says that tuition must be the very first expense on a household budget!
Can you imagine? Before rent, before food, before health insurance. Before clothing. Thinking your daughter deserves a full education and diploma, without fully paying for it is unacceptable. The author’s friend (and our community as a whole) needs to view tuition as her number one priority. A teacher being two months behind in paychecks cannot be considered acceptable. Four or five months is not when the emergency begins!
The author described the stress and problems behind the closed doors of her friend’s house. Isn’t there a lot of stress that teachers deal with, wondering how they will afford their own necessities? Are we considering that? Our mindsets and perspectives need to change.
We need to realize that teachers are suffering as a result of this mentality. When teachers suffer, the whole school is at risk. If a school cannot provide for its teachers, it cannot provide for its students. The author’s friend who refuses to move tuition to the top of her budget is causing untold stress and despair for the teacher, and subsequently for the rest of the students in the class.
I’ve come to learn that great teachers and great students do not make a viable and financially successful school. Look at my incredible cheder and you’ll see why.
We have award-winning staff, such as R’ Mannis Frankel who won the Menachem Education Foundation’s teacher of the year award.
We have creative and dedicated preschool teachers, who took their students out of Mitzrayim last year and this year brought them into Eretz Yisroel.
The teachers have instilled an amazing set of middos in their students. Last year’s eighth graders worked tirelessly to raise money for a class trip, and then unanimously decided, on their own, to buy a megillah for their beloved rebbie, R’ Tenenbaum, instead.
Our students are also ahead of their peers when it comes to academics. I’m very proud of my talmid for coming in first place in the international Sefer HaMitzvos Chidon. (Link to donate to my school is at the bottom of the article.)
Despite this proven success in education, the teachers here are nevertheless behind in our paychecks. In Morristown there is Baruch Hashem a concerted effort to pay tuition, while in many schools that is not the case. However, we are still in a financial emergency, due in part to the attitude and outlook about the priority of tuition and the importance of teacher salaries. One month behind in pay is one month too many! When will our Chabad community and schools fully understand this? When will we step up our fundraising to ensure teachers are paid on time? When will we stop having rachmanus on parents at the expense of the teachers? Everyone knows you need to have mesirus nefesh for chinuch, but reading what the Rebbe says will reveal that we have it backwards. It’s not the teachers who must have mesirus nefesh to go into debt in order to teach. It’s the parents who must have mesirus nefesh to afford the chinuch they want for their children.
The author stresses that her friend really wants to pay tuition, but her other expenses are higher importance on her budget. If we would all make a concerted effort to follow the Rebbe’s horaos, our schools would be in better conditions. What would this mother do if she paid tuition first, and then needed to pay for her other expenses, like rent and food? Would she go to the store with a sense of entitlement and say: “I’ve been buying your produce the last few years. I don’t have money for you now, but because I want to pay you, you must accept that as good enough, and give me food.”? Of course not. She would borrow money from friends or family if she really needed to. That is what parents must do. That is the mesirus nefesh needed in today’s times for chinuch. Why should teachers have to beg and borrow and rely on handouts from their family, so they can afford to continue teaching?
When teachers are not everyone’s first priority, the school is doomed to fail. When an administration allows a parent to continue sending their child to school with overdue tuition, the school has just placed the parents’ wellbeing ahead of its staff!
Of course we should do everything we can to help families pay for the services teachers provide. We should get more government funding. The community should give more assistance. The parents themselves should be more involved with raising scholarship funds, to help cover costs. Ultimately, though, our mindset needs to change.
I applaud the administration that this author unashamedly rebuked. I wish more schools and parent bodies showed the same dedication to its staff.
The Rebbe says that Hashem does not chas v’shalom let financial burdens get in the way of Chinuch. Hashem surely sends extra brachos to those who give themselves over to chinuch al taharas hakoidesh. I give everyone a bracha for parnasa and that מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות את האהבה- the טרדות הפרנסה should not chas v’shalom extinguish or even dampen our love and connection to Hashem. I give everyone a bracha to have the understanding to follow in the ways our Rebbe directed.
A Gezunte Zummer!
You can donate to Cheder Lubavitch of Morristown here. Thank you for your support. Any donations are very much appreciated.
(Photos are from my Kita Daled class: Making rain sticks for Zayin/Yud Zayin Cheshvan. Decorating masks for Purim, and making a video about Sefer Yehoshua.)
How have I trivialized ” the circumstances of all the innocent, responsible, hard working parents, who are bursting from the impossible financial burdens they have to cope with in today’s day & age with unbelievably limited resources”?? I AM one of those parents living under those circumstances struggling to make it from one paycheck to the next! What is your point? IF someone legitimately qualifies for benefits, no problem. You stated, “The reality is that most people even the ones that on the surface seem to be earning nicely and have a profession that normally pays well that means very… Read more »
THE RESPONSE FROM RABBI ZEIDMAN AND OTHERS IS MISGUIDED. FIRSTLY THE LEVEL OF FEES CHARGED BY SCHOOLS YESHIVAS SEMINARIES ARE TOTALLY DISPROPORTIONATE. SECOND, INSTEAD OF PURSUING YOUNG COUPLES TO PAY THE MORTAGE SIZE FEES PERHAPS THE BURDEN CAN BE SHARED BY THE OLD “GEZHER” GENERATION WHO USED “iMMIGRANT FROM NEVEL CARD” TO CRY POVERTY WHEN SEEMLINGLY EFFORTLESSLY WERE ABLE TO FLY BACK AND FORTH FOR TISHRE TO THE REBBE, PAY THEIR MORTGAGES, RAISE 10 12 15 CHILDREN WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SWEAT. THEY PAID NOTHING FOR THEIR CHILDRENS CHINUCH, I KNOW AS I SAT ON FEES COMMITTEES IN THE… Read more »
To #101 your assertions and observations are highly exaggerated and if there are people living and behaving in the manner in which you describe then please know that percentage wise that number is so small that it cannot be added or included in any statistic. The reality is that most people even the ones that on the surface seem to be earning nicely and have a profession that normally pays well that means very little when you consider the average size frum family, Shabbos expense every week, Yom Tov expenses, clothes uniforms and shoes for growing children and too often… Read more »
You sound really mixed up and confused your comment seems to be making a point for and against the article.
#22 finally brought it up – let’s face it, the bigger problem isn’t that this poor family is having a financial crisis and can’t pay tuition, much less put food on the table. the system is corrupt with politics and favoritism….how many families pay deeply discounted tuition because they earn ‘off the books’ and walk into registration claiming poverty?! and why is it that the administration gets paid before the teachers, and seem to live quite well? the reason teachers aren’t getting paid isn’t due to families that are truly in dire straits and can’t afford tuition – I know… Read more »
These are the three types of parents who are behind in tuition. Some are like this for years.
Parents who can pay more and don’t should realize they are merachek people from Lubavitch. I witnessed three full paying, decent size families transfer their kids to non-Lubavitch schools because the school’s finances were going down the toilet, tuitions were not getting paid and teachers were therefore paid late. These three families leaving cost the school
almost $200,000.
Someone that doesn’t pay his workers on time is oiver 6 aveiros d’orasyaa. I struggle keeping my children in a moised that does this openly and conflicted on whether to keep sending my children to Lubavitch next year.
When we have achdus IY”H and unite behind communal leadership, we can have free yeshivas paid for by a communal tax system like the old days but adapted to present circumstances.
No one said the teachers should not be paid. No one said the parents shouldn’t pay! Many said this: Administrators need to know that threats and crass communication indicates inferior leadership and inadequate values! And if that’s how they deal with this situation, then I take my children OUT of there! I want Jewish values that show knowledge of human decency before I entrust my children to a school. I have my priorities straight, and if the leadership doesn’t know how to deal with people with wisdom and kindness, then he/she should be the ones to go, not the child… Read more »
Put yourself in her shoes. Think how this mother feels. She has a large family, just like the Rebbe wanted. She puts them in a Jewish day school (which tends to be quite pricey), just like the Rebbe wanted. Believe me, i acknowledge that teachers should be getting paid, in the full amount, ON TIME. But think of the embarrassment this child would go through if she knew that she was the only girl in her class not getting a diploma, do to her parents dire financial situation. What if the parents decide they really cant afford Jewish Day school… Read more »
When you are an employer that running a business you must pay the pay check to the employee regardless your net profit ( if no one buying your tomatoes – you are taking loans or claiming a bankruptcy but you are paying salaries ….)
If the Jewish school administrator /manger/director can’t pay the salary to the teachers – its two ways –
Take loans or claim the bankruptcy –
Don’t blame the parents and don’t put them to be responsible of the school managing – it’s your business , parents they are only consumers …….
Why are schools forbidden to hire full time fundraisers? Who forbids it? It makes no sense.
Every successful Lubavitch school will tell you that majority of the budget comes from donations and not from tuition.
Here is the solution for a city like Montreal. 1.Most of the Chabad houses, camps, organizations, would not exist if the boys and girls school did not anchor the community. Without schools people would not move here or not stay here. 2. The number of organization has expanded greatly and yet the pool of donors has diminished. Often the same persons are approached multiple times. In the past a lot of the money went to the central organizations – the schools. 3. A tax 1%? 2%? ..based on the money the collect .. Should be paid by all mosids to… Read more »
Hundreds and hundreds of Jewish schools across the country face tremendous financial burdens.
There is no easy solution to this problem.
One thing is certain- not paying the teachers is NOT that solution.
I therefore agree 100% with this author.
Its unreal how people will write in the rebbe’s name things
i had a school say that they spoke to rabbanim and mashpiim and they said the rebbe is ok with kids being kicked out
its a shame how most of the people nowadays have to clue about yiddishkeit
..I some parents told me that they were paying full tuition and could not understand why I was not being paid. I told them, that just two students tuition fees would have covered my whole years pay!!! The most ey was going into a “big black hole”. I would go so far as to say that parents should stop paying a penny until the admin open their books. Watch how quickly the problems will disappear!!!!!
Why are they not allowed to hire a full time fundraiser?
To all those who think that fundraising is the answer:
Name a lubavitch educational institution that actually positions its alumni to be great donors.
If parents cannot afford to clothe, feed, or educate thier children – once they are working full time they should fundraise the balance required for tuition. Of course we should should care for our poor families – but it a high percentage of parents are poor with large families – how is a school supposed to manage? For those who say Lubavitch schools are expensive – that is so far from the truth. Most Jewish Day Schools and yeshivos in the USA charge anywhere from 15G to 40G tuition per year per child. Pru U’revu. First mitzvah. Big mitzvah. But… Read more »
for all those school administrates who are very proud of their geshz background, and for those administrates that are new to lubavitch, listen up:
tomchei temimim lubavitch (the original one not all these new spin-offs) COSTED ZERO!!!! that was something the rebbe rashab had insisted on!!!!!
yes they had fundraisers who would travel to America Europe and Eretz Yisroel!!
They would love to hire a full time fundraiser, but they are not allowed to, unfortunately….
Honestly I find this whole situation to be quite sad and hard to believe, B”H in the state of New Jersey they many successful chabad houses and shluchim there are many well off people all around the state who are supporting our shluchim and their chabad houses and functions, so how is it that these same shluchim who are collecting money for their outreach don’t have money to pay tuition? and their supporters can’t be approached to donate to the cheder?, How do we ever expect our children to succeed and go in the ways of the rebbe by setting… Read more »
My husband and I are both involved in chinuch full time, and I know the pain and stress of late pay from the schools. However, I completely disagree with this article. My late pay is not the fault of the poor families of the students I teach. Never for a moment did I feel resentment toward the parents for not paying proper tuition. Youre right that people have to make tuition a higher priority, but you took your point to an unacceptable extreme. Its the school administration that has to figure out how to keep pay the expenses with only… Read more »
If you cannot afford tuition or are unhappy with your child’s education, there are BH many options these days – homeschooling or start your own School with some other concerned parents. All of the new schools that you see popping up every day, are being started by small groups of parenys. If you would rather have an institution educate your child, you must pay according to your agreement with the School. No excuses. You can give your child a better costumized education. If you are “choosing” to outsource then you must pay onetime.
A school that does not employ full time fundraisers is not fulfilling their responsibility.
Why the need to pit one struggling party (fabulous, dedicated mechanchim) against another struggling party (hard working, dedicated parents)? Is it either / or?! This seems to be a relatively new problem. Our schools stopped serious fund-raising efforts and now rely almost entirely on parents. Why? Its gotten so hard that in some parts of the country, some yungerlait are apprehensive to have children, because they don’t see (with their gashmiyisdike eyes) how they can afford the exorbitant (in relation to their income) tuition In some parts of the country. Ad mosay?! Chinuch must again take up the most important… Read more »
well summarized and solid conclusions.
you are basically saying “it is better to be an educated homeless starving person then live a happy healthy life without an education” !?
don’t twist the rebbe’s words for your benefit!
How can you expect to get something for free? Especially your child’s education?
This article was written without Rachmonis. A poor family who desperately wants to send their children to school is crying out in pain because of a nasty hastily written letter. Perhaps offering kind suggestions for raising tuition is in order.
The schools need to be offering fundraising programs which involve the parents. This is their responsibility. Other wise they will sink. Seems like they cannot see the forest through the trees and this mistake is affecting teachers and students and pitting tghem against eachother.
You think tuition should be paid after mortgage utilities and food.
If they aren’t being paid, HOW ARE TEACHERS SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THOSE THINGS?
the point of this article is that we don’t care enough about the teachers and what they go through.
One of the problems is that for the schools to thrive and be able to pay their teachers, they need parents who are thriving plus some decent donations. For the parents to thrive and be able to pay bills (apart from the few who have natural talent as entrepenuers), they need the types of education that will enable them to get good jobs and/or have the foundations that will enable them to be ready for further school/training. That means first rate English oral and written skills. Foster strong math, computer and science skills and a love of math and science.… Read more »
agree with you
The Chinuch of our children is and always has been a Community Responsibility and to trumpet and take example of a select few who don’t think Chinuch is a priority and will instead use the money for vacations and other obvious luxuries is completely wrong. MOST people the vast majority of people do not expect a free ride and simply are having to cope with a severe inflated cost of living a challenge experienced even by relatively small families and the notion that Tuition should be prioritized before rent and keeping a roof over your family’s head and trying to… Read more »
It’s hard for people who are comfortable and have never had to worry about paying the most basic necessities to truly view how the other half lives, and easy to tell them to pay tuition before all the other bills, when the other bills are rent, electricity and food. The family in the OP are probably very much like mine: we don’t own a car or go on vacation, our clothes are from gemachs or sales racks at Target, when the food stamps run out we stretch the contents of our cabinets to last another week, we don’t go to… Read more »
We have seen time and time again, that while the parents payment may be consistent, but not up to date, the only resource that the hanholo can think of is to punish the parents through the child. This is done by not helping the child to get into his next yeshivah or, in the summer, by not accepting him as a camp councillor because his parents may still have outstanding tuition from another child’s tuition. I wonder if a relationship and track record of consistent, but incomplete payments means anything to the hanholo? And I wonder, in the end, what… Read more »
I DO NOT PAY ANY TUITION !!! My kids are all grown up. However, if I had to pay tuition today, I can honestly say that I would not be able to afford it. I did pay tuition for many years. We did without a lot in order to pay tuition. it was right up there with food and Mortgage/rent. What would I do? I have B”H over 11 children. I do not know the answer but can anyone say that administrators are raking it in? Does anyone know that for a fact? Tuition should be paid but every parent… Read more »
Tuition can’t be paid before a mortgage utilities and basic food. It should be paid right after shelter and food. I can’t imagine a school would expect that! – you want the family in the street and tuition paid ?? How insensitive and callous! Doesn’t sound like behaviour the Rebbe would endorse. My family us going through an extremely tough time financially & I can’t describe the hakoras hatov we have that the schools don’t harass us for past due bills. It is a #1 priority to pay tuition but not at the risk that our family should go homeless… Read more »
What if you are shluchim in a small town? Which community isobligated to teach your children? What does Online School do if shluchim don’t pay.
not too long ago was raised a question of whether money should be spent on writing so many sifrei Torahs, or building multi million dollar buildings when all that money could help this situation.
There is a difference between can’t, won’t and don’t when it comes to tuition.
I will repeat what a few pple said already… The administration in our schools are woefully mismanaged! They refuse to open the books to show where the money is going! I personally pay tuition every year yet the hanahallah is out of date! The same ancient principals have been there for way too long! Time to refresh!! Another school did that and I c a huge difference! I’m happy to pay tuition there. At the other school I feel like my $ is going down the drain! Nobody gives a darn to improve our girls education. If these pple tried… Read more »
I understand that tuition is a dauntingly huge sum but the longer parents dont make any effort to pay the bigger it becomes. Every parent should make it their responsibility to go to the school administration and work out a direct debit of a $ figure they can afford even if it is as little as $50 a month, it makes the school feel like u care and are trying rather than ignoring them and not trying to take any responsibility.
Whose responsibility is it to find a payment plan – the parents or the schools? It’s the parents, of course!
People commenting about darkei Sholom, menshlickeit, leadership, fundraising, awareness, chilul Hashem are the same ones probably who refuse to answer the shools phone calls and spend zero time or effort working with the school at the end of the month, and then just happily send their kids back after shabbos, thinking that the school mustn’t do anything. Then they are appaled at being made to pay? How ridiculous
Like in any argument, we need to define what we’re talking about. We aren’t talking about trying to shame kids or about bringing down tuition, although both of those need to be addressed too. We are just talking about whether a school is allowed to take steps to ensure that they are able to pay the teachers. No doubts about it: not only may they, but they MUST. People commenting about how tuition is too high, or tuition would be high if they had many kids are missing the point. At the beginning of the year, you agreed on a… Read more »
If you think your kid has a good rebbi because he has a good reputation, know that as soon as he stops getting paid, his motivation and concentration plummet. Your kid is the one losing out.
The author is 100 percent correct, no buts. If you don’t like the amount you are asked to pay, go to a different school. There are plenty schools that charge less. But if yoiu agree to tuition, there is NO excuse to simply not pay. And if you find that you cannot pay one month, IT SHOULD BE YOU who calls up the school and asks for a way to handle it. IT SHOULDNT BE UP TO THE SCHOOL to figure out whether and how they are going to get the money you promised to pay to give to the… Read more »
There has to be a different expectation from those who truly can’t afford and those that can.
There are ways to save money like buying used (good condition) clothing. I live out of town and buy beautiful used clothing that no-one can tell the difference. Look into used furniture, Gemach’s, and other ways to save and improvise.. I’m sure many of you are doing this already!
Schools must hire more fundraisers!
There has to be solutions, we need all the Neshamos to come down before Moshiach comes!
If only our community would have only listend to the rebbe ,to buy(or take) tons of property we would have loads of $ and this would b so not a prob. Now
Free tuition for your children?! That’s going too far!! Parents have a responsibility to pay for their children’s needs!! Sure there should be help for families that need it, but having an attitude that your children’s tuition should be completely paid by someone else reflects a feeling of entitlement and total lack of responsibility!! If we could get the government to provide vouchers for private school education, that would be wonderful, so that tax paying citizens could enjoy free education as do the rest of American families!! But to expect Gvirim to donate enough so that you have to pay… Read more »
There seem to be two recurring themes here: 1) The Administrators/Rebbeim(?)/Parents are really flush with cash for redecorating/shaitels/vacations. 2) The school should not embarrass the children. 1) This argument – coming from both sides against the other – is based on one ugly middah – KINAH! Sorry for revealing that the emperor has no clothes, but anyone who is judging anyone else and is clearly green with envy that they (seem to be) enjoying oilam hazeh more – with vacations, shaitels, renovations, and Lexuses – is displaying the most slimy character traits! Stop judging others! Fargin the parents their “vacation”,… Read more »
Yossi, your article is courages and important. Teachers should not only be paid on time, but also paid enough to live without constant worry.
Where should the money come from? Parents, but most importantly, fundraising. This is the way it was forever.
Wishing get you continued hatlzacha in your holy and essential work.
The author is correct except for one point–government assistance. To the extent that government grants are available, it is a source to be considered, but cautiously, as the government always attaches strings, many of which are inimical to Yiddishkeit. Also, to those who assumed that the parent whose child was refused graduation over tuition was treated rudely, I doubt it. When a parent is having trouble paying tuition, the proper thing is to tell the school and ask for help early. Unless there was some sudden emergency at graduation time, what the earlier writer probably failed to tell us, or… Read more »
The problem is that the money doesn’t go to better the schools or assist the teachers; the money goes into the pockets of the administrators – enabling them to purchase more bungalows and buy designer labeled clothing. A school’s finances should b opened for a board for members to see so money goes where it belongs to better the school as a whole. Another point I wanted to state: when my parents came to discuss tuition for their daughter and requested a tuition reduction since they had many kids in school at the them, the administrator responded: “who asked you… Read more »
How will kicking kids out of school when their parents can’t afford tuition help to pay teachers’ salaries? Does embarrassing them help pay teachers’ salaries? How about giving parents a hard time because they have no money, will that help the teachers get paid? Perhaps you would like to see schools only admit students whose parents can afford to pay full tuition. Then the schools would have a lot fewer students and they could fire most of their current teachers. The lucky few teachers that remained would get paid on time though. Unfortunately that would leave most of the kids… Read more »
The question what should be my annual income for the family with 3 kids ? Or 6 kids ? ….I want to pay rent and feed my kids healthy food , I will cut on after school programs , tutors , vacations , Simhas and fancy clothes ….
Rent 2 bedroom for 3 kids or 3 bedroom for 6 kids ….
No way I can afford big family for now ….. What I need to go the public school ?
No one is saying that tuition is not important. A person has to have a sensitivity to the plight of poor families. That is what is missing. Instead of threating people, go visit their houses and see the situation. I assure it, it was never done. Anyone who threatens should be dismissed from their job. I got a email from office of yeshiva that they want to talk with me because I wanted to delay a payment one week. I emailed back, email what you want to say. He never emailed me back because he was afraid to put his… Read more »
The schools should be required to publicize their books. We live in a community where the administrators and whole extended family have a pretty cushy standard of living: nice houses, vacations, etc. For sure teachers should be getting paid. Our school is getting a lot of tuition from families. The funds are being MISAPPROPRIATED into the pockets of the administrators
There needs to be a fund to help Anash in an emergency, discreetly and efficiently. Iy”H I’m trying to do one as it’s desparately needed…
Yes, the Rebbe’s need to be paid on time, but ever since yeshivas were founded they have raised very large percentages of that money through fundraising, I have nine children in school right now, and indeed, tuition is my 1st priority, Nevertheless, if I paid full tuition, I would be paying over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS! If I did that I–and most of the parents–would have long ago died of starvation, rendering the yeshiva non-existant. So, yes, Rebbe’s need to get paid, but the yeshiva;s need to do more to raise the money. Might I add that a Rebbe’s priority… Read more »
tons of families in crown heights all in the same situation. get together with a couple friends and homeschool your kids! once your kids learn how to read, they can basically teach themselves. prices are so high partly because of excess demand, so look for other solutions. if you can’t afford beis rivkah or olei torah, thats ok! You don’t have to go there!
If I had a nickel for every time someone said that, I would be able to cover tuition for everyone in CH! Your argument has been proven time and again to be nonsense. Housing and rent is cheaper outside CH, but everything else is more expensive. Furthermore, the job market in NYC is one of the best in the world right now. Good luck finding a job in Alabama or Louisiana. For the record, in safe, good areas, no matter where, housing and rent will always come at a premium. If you don’t like CH, feel free to move out,… Read more »
Why Lubavitch doing so many good to all the Jews around the world but can’t make free tuition schools for their own kids ?
Why ? …..
Free tuition -no heiterim – more kids- bigger community – more homeowners -more local busnesses …..
If the school can’t pay salary to the teacher – it’s a time to do some school reforms to seek help from Gvirim or from the Government …..
I think most school adminstrators and teachers will stand up to defend the schools. I perfectly understand that teachers need to be paid. that is obvious. Everyone needs parnassa. But if a parent truly has difficulty, the school needs to display more sensitivity and more chesed. Not all parents have to be treated the same way. It is different to send a threatening sounding letter to an obstinate parent who simply does not believe in paying high tuition, compared to a family that mamash is struggling and suffering shame and other emotional situations. All families cannot be lumped together. And… Read more »
what about if u don’t have food to put on the table. should paying tuition still be top priority??
while I do not agree with everything the writer says, I am impressed that he can stand behind his words and put his name on it. Anonymous Op-eds mean that you do not stand behind what you are saying enough to put your name on it. Thank you for standing up and being brave.
I knew the author when he was a child, and his parents kept the preschool and day school open in our extremely small community. They did everything humanly possible as administrators and board members to ensure our teachers were paid first and other expenses that the school had came second. At the same time, no one was turned away for inability to pay. This author saw the countless hours his parents devoted to making chinuch a reality in our small outpost. School boards need to heed his words and ensure that th. Board’s priorities are straight as to howthe bills… Read more »
There seems to be plenty of money to pay the administration salaries, I’ve never heard or seen an administrator that is hurting. It is no secret that some administrators seem to be doing just fine, they think the parents are stupid and blind. They teachers should should confront the school administration and find out what the heck is going on. All the school employees closer to the top of the pyramid are getting paid nice salaries with health benefits and on time. I am a small business owner, before I cut myself a paycheck, I make sure that my 8… Read more »
Another problem is schools are giving “shluchim” discounts. But where is the money coming from? They are getting discounts on our backs.
I am a teacher but let me say this: You wrote an excellent PR piece for your school. Secondly, the original author did not say teachers should not be paid. But when a family can barely survive & they get this insensitive, blunt missive….of course it hurts! Couldn’t the school (& we all know which one sent it out) have been more sensitive? Offer the parents to come in & talk & see how the two parties can work it out? As a teacher, there have been many months when we haven’t been paid. Do you think we work only… Read more »
Yehoshua ben Gamla was a Kohein Gadol during the Chashmonaen era. As the leader of the community he realized the disaster which was developing from the inability of fathers to link their sons to the Mesorah. He saw that although there is a biblical mitzvah for every father to educate their children due to travel and parnasah issues it simply wasn’t happening. Yehoshua enacted an innovation which was revolutionary at the time – he established a school system – predating the public school system by about 1900 years. The Chachmei Yisroel supported him on this initiative and it became a… Read more »
There is no question that the Rebbes need to be paid ON TIME, however it is unconscionable that innocent students, should be scapegoated/embarrassed! THAT is the point of the original article!
I too am a teacher, and have been, baruch hashem for 12 years now. My husband teaches as well, and our salaries cover for part of our living expenses. There is much written by the Rebbe about the devotion that Rebbeim and Morahs must have for their post. There are many brochos that are promised to those who teach Torah. There are very high expectations of dedication to the job. The Rebbe says that teachers are responsible for their children’s behavior and chinuch both inside and outside of school. And the Rebbe derides those teachers who are distracted from their… Read more »
… by living somewhere less expensive. If you choose to live in CH (and yes, it is a choice), then don’t complain about the cost of living. Do something about it, move somewhere less expensive!
This article makes an important point. The previous article made a different one: no child should be treated differently in school based on the parents’ financial arrears. No child should be called to the office, sent home, or be singled out in any way due to finances. The money is an adult responsibility and cheshbon.
Rabbi your article is well written, but It seems you failed to address a focal point. Why the threats? WE WILL EMBARRASSED YOU! Is there letters about that you can display here?
This comment goes against darkei noam and vision of the Rebbe!
who is there to give advice!!!!!!!!
To # 20 how can you say that????? Please! Never judge anyone even If the outside of them (their financial status looks “crystal clear”). Ok?
#16 well said.
To Mr. author the problem is the way the school handles things that’s what the letter was about second I love how everybody loves to quote the Rebbe the Rebbe also spoke about the responsibilities that the schools have to the children that at any cost children should remain in school P.S BTW A lot of people that are in the system don’t belong in the schools
Let’s stop and think for a while! What kind of priorities do we want to stand for!? How do we want to be portrayed in the end? How would the Rebbe suggest we conduct such “business”? How should we be communicating to each other? And how should leaders in these cheders be speaking to parents? I don’t believe any of these answers would fall into the category of “talk to parents in rude, nasty, ignorant, cruel, crass, uneducated, mean, degrading, disrespectful ways “. Leaders are supposed to be leaders with character and good judgment, which should be used in both… Read more »
Schools should also do a better job of fundraising so that the burden the parents and teachers have will be minimized.
Beis Rivkah pays their teachers half a year late at times, there are no excuses for that…
teachers do not have to be rich
but they should definitely not be poor
do you want your sons rebbe to teach or worry?
There is unfortunately a big problem with tuition these days
I’m Lubavitch because when my grandfather came out of concentration camp the only school that excepted him with pay was Lubavitch
I don’t think the Rebbe would not want a helika neshama of a boy or girl not to have the full education in Lubavitch just because her or his parents don’t have money
most people plea poverty and put tuition on the bottom of theri list.they go to the country,go to florida for peasach or even make over their housr.shame of themselves.tuition is first so teachers can get paid.very appropiate artice
Why do parents financial situation take pecidence over a teacher?! Teachers need to be paid.
As a husband of a school teacher. When you have a school in CH that is behind 4-6. months to the teachers, and the top administrators are getting their checks on time. Thats when there is a problem. When these people claim that they keep the school together and they deserve a check on time THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG. Yes they work overtime, yes they’ve been there 40 years. These same people should be the last ones to get paid when there are teachers that cant put food on the table. The same school makes sure that the parents… Read more »
Fundraise from who?
Who should fundraise?
It sounds great but practically – tell me the name of the yungerman who says when I grow up I want to fundraise for a Cheder.
And the 10 rich people in CH are so bombarded – they can’t keep up!
This is not about tuition or salaries – the real issue is a that our education system is going to fall apart because we don’t earn enough to sustain it, or have enough supporters who want to support it or care about it.
The problem isn’t from the parents that can’t afford to pay the problem is the higher ups paying them selfs first and very well (like buying houses around CH, going on Vacations ect) that’s the reason the teachers don’t get paid.
Thank you
The Torah gives responsibility of educating your to the parents. As it says “vshinantam levanecha”, it is not the schools responsibility. The parent makes the teacher a shaliach to fulfil his obligation. If you can’t pay for the service don’t make it the schools problem.
Hopefully this will help take us in the right direction regarding all of our community’s problems.
Yes, it is the in thing to try to get away with paying as little tuition as possible. This is wrong. I know people who fight to pay less but own country homes(paid for), go on vacation and buy. Designer cloths. However, there has to be major fundraising efforts by the s hool to raise funds. A school can not exist on tuition alone. So both are right.
Thank you for bringing to light something that is all too often ignored in our community! Bh I work in a place that pays on time but I could not imagine what other teachers in that situation have to go through.
I FEEL THE SAME WAY. I REMEMBER MY FRIEND SAYING THAT “TEACHERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE POOR” BECAUSE OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN’T TEACH. THAT IS THE UNFORTUNATE ATTITUDE THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE.
“In regard to you having huge families, that shouldn’t become the teachers problem. You can speak to a Rov and if you really can’t cope there are Heterim. ”
The same Rebbe you follow who says to pay tuition, also said to not make a financial cheshbon in regard to family size…I am truly shocked by this comment.
And any school who relies on PARENTS TUITION to pay teachers is in serious trouble.
That money is nowhere near enough…fund raise.
Will look into that book. Before rent and food — I doubt it …(though everything else is likely and if the says before rent and food then that’s that). Wasn’t that way in Europe, and it makes no sense. The standard for most of the time was that who could afford it did, and who couldn’t did not and had children who remained ignorant r’l. When there were hard times, Chabad went above and beyond and had bochurim teach cheder for Jewish children. How much do you think those russian kids or their parents paid in tution? Did the underground… Read more »
This article brings to light a very important point in this debate. A large part of life is about prioritizing
The reason why parents would pay for food rent etc. is because tuition is put at extremely high prices so the parents think if I can’t pay it anyway why pay anything if schools would speak with parents and put tuition at a reasonable price they would pay a lot more.
I’m sorry you are missing the point the author clearly says that there should be financial support for those types of families but why is it that the first place we turn to and say they should give them a break, is the school, which in turn by doing so it’s making another family I.e. the teachers not be able to afford the basics! If the community would focus inward and support first and foremost our schools, which in turn would allow the parents/supporters to demand a higher standard of education, our chinuch system would be in a much better… Read more »
They are broke. Not adequate food on table.
Could have done with out the ” we are the best attitude” the article drives home a point well needed to be vocalized
You are 100% right!!!!
I’m so shocked at this letter…. I have no words……. How cruel can one be to not only ignore the plight of the poor family who are in dire straits, but to admonish them with this? No words…!!!t All I can say is that I am a teacher and I am owed thousands but I wouldn’t dream of taking money from this family or anyone in a similar situation.
It’s not the message, it’s the messenger! I doubt many people believe that teachers should not get paid. However, there is an air of insensitivity and callousness within some authoritative figures in the community (and some nonauthoratative figures). This crass manner of communicating in unacceptable. It does not represent the Rebbe, the original nature of our message, nor does it send an honorable message to those both within AND outside of our community. As a leader of quality and (hopefully) wisdom, it is that leader’s duty to first be a mensch and then be an organizer/planner/tuition collector, etc. If said… Read more »
I read many of the comments in the last article with a great deal of dismay. I stopped teaching because I was owed tens of thousands of dollars. People thought that I was wrong to have stopped and that I didn’t have mesiras nefesh. What hurt me most was the expectant behaviour of the non paying parents. Reading some of the comments in the last article, it was mentioned time and time again, that both parents are going out to work and trying to raise money to support their family, but there is just not enough money. I don’t understand… Read more »
I agree
I believe the point was the way it was handled! Noone is measuring whos ffinancial situation is greater. Your blood is no reder than mine. It must be done in a respectful manner