By COLlive reporter
Jewish community leaders in Brooklyn issued a public call to frum residents of the state of New York to oppose an effort that will alter the identity of private Jewish schools.
The PEARLS advocacy group (parents for educational and religious liberty in schools) said that new regulations proposed by the New York State Department of Education will be affecting all private schools including Yeshivos for boys and girls.
Specifically, the regulations will dictate the curriculum that Yeshivos must teach and will give local public school districts the authority to approve our teachers, advocates of PEARLS warned during a press conference on Monday.
“It’s about who sets the agenda, parents or the state,” PEARLS attorney Avi Schick explained. “It isn’t only whether or not there will be secular education in yeshivos, but also other things such as schedule, who will be allowed to teach, and how the subjects will be presented.”
Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Executive Vice-President of Agudath Israel of America, said the new guidelines present “the most serious challenge in the history of our country” for Jewish education.
Furthermore, Rabbi Zwiebel said, there is no frum educational institutions from Chassidish to Modern Orthodox who are immune from this threat. “We’re all in this together,” he stressed.
He emphasized the need for the public to voice their opposition on the matter. “When they see real numbers behind the people working on this, it makes a difference,” he said. “We need to make sure that in the end, we have 100,000 letters over whatever number the other side gets.”
The proposed regulations are opposed by the vast majority of private schools and parents across the state, PEARLS leadership explained, and asked for frum Jews to take action.
They suggested submitting a letter to the State Education Department and Board of Regents to express opposition to their plan.
Submit a Letter – Make your voice heard.
It started with vaccinations and continued with this. Get the governments out of our lives.
I have to disagree with you regarding vaccines.
I do not agree with the government interfering in citizens’ lives, except in cases where the citizen(s) poses a potential harm to others. Vaccines, by most medical professionals, are considered a necessary deterrent to prevent people from contracting illnesses or other harmful effects. Someone’s decision not to vaccinate themselves or their children is based on the false belief that the consequences attached to not vaccinating is contained within themselves, and does not affect the people they come into contact with.
If your kid was G-d forbid in danger, and right next to them was your neighbor’s child, who would you save first? Be HONEST. People do for their own 1st, then comes other people. stop telling people to vaccinate for YOUR child’s sake. they don’t vaccinate because they feel that it is harmful to their children. asking them to harm their child so yours won’t catch the flu is so far from practical it’s never going to happen. let’s start with getting adults to stop smoking around others…never going to happen because people put themselves before others. but when you… Read more »
This same nysed forced Shulamith HS to accept non vaxxed students even though it waa against the school’s wishes and during a meaales outbreak!
AGREE!!! Yeshivos brought this on themselves. They kicked Jewish children out of school even before the DOH did it. They denied these children their rightful Jewish education. Now they will have to stand by and watch 1000s of Jewish children not get the proper education they deserve. It’s a sticky net and the yeshivas fell right into the BOE’s trap. Shame on them. Now the chickens have come home to roost.
I agree with you!
Children were kicked out of the Chidon . This order did not come from the DOH! It was an unjust internal decision ! The People responsible for this are the same one complaining about the infringement of THEIR parental rights being compromised !
is the best thing to happen in Jewish education, just saying
…is not teaching what to think, but rather how to think. This is accomplished with PROFESSIONAL teachers and meticulously planned curriculum. Chassidic yeshivos have the objective of creating chassidish graduates, but many don’t have trained teachers or thorough curriculum, and they rely on restricting exposure to things they consider undesirable and an overwhelming challenge to being or staying chassidish. Rather than trying to stop a tidal wave, use its force and direct it to your desired destination and reap the benefits of its force. Use the current attention on the lack of certain necessary educational standards, to better your schooling.… Read more »
Once we let the authorities have some influence, they won’t stop at that. Once you let them in, they will continue to push for more power and influence. This is America. People can do whatever they want as long as they’re not having a negative impact on others. And besides, I fail to see how they can train our rebbeim to teach our kids how to live like jews. Just look at how public students are turning out. Statistics show that yeshiva students score higher on standardized tests than their public school counterparts. It goes without mention that there’s also… Read more »
To Optimal Education: Not a popular viewpoint, I’m sure, but very true. You’re not going to be able to block the rest of the world out of your life forever. Best to utilize what’s available to your advantage.
Remember this is not just about yeshivas. If you don’t believe in ‘teaching to the test’, or are for montessori or any other kind of non standardized education then you will be negatively affected by this
The people that are trying to make these laws are claiming that not teaching general studies is harming people. In a free society the government shouldn’t be telling people what to do.
Please write a letter it takes a minute and is so helpful!!
We asked for this. First the schools in NY take and depend on government funding to exist so the government has the right to demand anything they want. There is a huge difference between vaccination and an education. One comes from ignorant people who have been brainwashed by Dr Google. The other doesn’t want their kids to get a decent education. One affects everyone, the other their own children. If the yeshivas didn’t allow unvaccinated kids in school and taught basic skills we wouldn’t have them breathing down our necks. So keep your unvaccinated kids home and homeschool them. Problem… Read more »
Please post a link to the text of the proposed law so people’s letters can address the actual proposal, which will have a much greater effect.