ב"ה
Wednesday, 26 Adar I, 5784
  |  March 6, 2024

Whose Responsibility is Tuition?

Part II by Rabbi Sholom Ber Schapiro: What is the obligation of school administration, based on the Rebbe's guidelines. Full Story

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Parents unfairly portrayed
August 28, 2018 1:50 pm

The majority of people who are not paying full tuition are not going to the country renovating a new home or taking vacations 3x a year. I think that’s a unfair and broad statement that doesn’t represent most people’s circumstances. Outside funding is critical to any Yeshiva it is the lifeline. Smart administrations and talented fundraisers don’t suggest fundraising from the working poor or placing more pressure on the over taxed families .

To 25
August 27, 2018 4:45 pm

This statement is false and offensive
Further, look at the schools who are lax with tuition and you will find schools that have teacher strikes and salaries owed.
Being lax??? There is a limit as to what families cam afford period. Hashem didn’t make it that everyone has the same income I this world. If this had been his will it would be so. There is a community responsibility in addition to what parents can contribute .

DON'T INCREASE TUITION:
August 26, 2018 12:20 pm

The Rebbe suggests two ways for the bettering finances amd no other options.

He says increase enrollment and increase fundrasing. Nothing about increasing tuition!!!!

Listen to the audio. Its fascinating. 6 and half minutes of pure truth.

Number 25
August 24, 2018 6:31 pm

What you wrote is the opposite of what the Rebbe said. It’s all in his own words. Also don’t count other people’s money. It’s not for third parties to decide what others can and can not afford period. Not everyone who doesn’t pay full tuition is going away to the country taking vacations or renovating a home!yt?

#28
August 24, 2018 5:51 pm

If a parent says they can’t afford a certain amount, why not believe them? Gossip shouldn’t determine how much a family can afford. The solution is obvious but it isn’t being done. Just take a percentage of family income and make that the amount required across all schools for that family – boys and girls, K-12. Stop accusing families of lying and just believe what they’re telling you. Most won’t lie, and for those that do – that’s between them and HKB”H. No family should be harassed into paying a much larger percentage of income than anyone else – or… Read more »

Learn from YU
August 24, 2018 4:12 pm

In YU every board member must give 100k a year to be on the board

Larry
August 24, 2018 3:15 pm

It’s plain and simple the people who are on the board live in this community they know what goes on who is renovating their homes Who goes to the country who is taking three vacations during the year for those that have the means for all that then pay tuition I think that’s pretty simple.People don’t get it education should be the first thing not the last thing you pay

Curious
August 24, 2018 3:08 pm

Are mothers willing to go back to the standards of Gashmiyus in the Yeshivos back to the way before there was high tuition? Maybe we should lower the Gashmiyus standard and see if that helps lower costs. A little less AC in the summer and less heat in the winter and sell off some of the sport equipment/games/toys and area and less field trips etc etc, and then teach our children that they should be Sameiach Bechelkom? Same with overnight camp.

don't blame the school
August 24, 2018 2:06 pm

Your articles criticize the schools a lot. But not the parents who can afford but don’t give what they can.

Look at Tanya from the last 3 weeks. You need to give not what you can afford, but even more!

That’s where the problem starts. If we would educate parents about the holy responsibility they have to sacrifice for their childrens’ schools, instead of what you’re doing – passing the buck – everything else would fall into place.

More comfortable
August 24, 2018 12:53 pm

The hanhalla gashmis has two options regarding paying school bills.
1. Approach wealthy people, extoll the value of the school, make the balabos feel good, keep up the connection, get the donation and thank the balabos.
2. Tell the parents how they are not fulfilling their obligations, how they need to be grateful to the school and every time they see the parent, they can stick their nose in the air.
Which option do you think is more pleasant for our honorable hanala gashmis member.
Which option is more likely to leave the school a will work big bucks?

It all comes back to housing
August 24, 2018 12:37 pm

There seems to be a widely accepted idea that it’s a Mitzvah for us to live in the most expensive neighborhoods in the world, have almost no prospects for employment, and send our kids to schools with 18 principals who all need salaries.

In a sane world, people would move to places they could afford and live within their means. Maybe consider careers that pay more than 40k annually.
But it’s not a sane world, so let’s all complain in the comment section of a website, and hope the problems away /s

Teacher/Parent
August 24, 2018 12:35 pm

I am both a full time teacher and parent. I also have a, full time, second job in order to make ends meet. I am not sure how I feel about your conclusion. On one hand, every Jewish child must be given a Jewish education regardless of their finances. The communities need to come together to assist in this worthy cause. However, you seem to be putting most of the responsibility on the schools. From what I have learnt, the Mitzvah to educate a child is on the parent, not the community or the school. The school system was created… Read more »

Sources please!!
August 24, 2018 11:37 am

Neither source quoted here brought anything as fundraising INSTEAD of tuition!!! The Rebbe says in the beginning of the clip that we should add students which adds Schar Limud!!! Any more material as actual proof?

its very tough
August 24, 2018 11:30 am

We BH make a decent enough salary that we don’t qualify for tuition assistance… but full tuition is $22,000 for our two toddlers! it is crazy.We are BH young and plan on having more kids. And this is not like the modern orthodox schools in the area which are very aesthetically pleasing and sound. This is an older building and kind of run down. where are all these donors at?!

CH Homeowner
August 24, 2018 11:14 am

Thank you, Rabbi Schapiro, for this. May you continue to share the Rebbe’s teachings.

Adminstrators
August 24, 2018 10:50 am

Unfortunately the people that should read and listen to the Rebbe (which are clearly stated in your articles) are too busy making parents sick and miserable now that school are about to start so unless names are mentioned nothing will change

Larry
August 24, 2018 10:14 am

There was one or two years that I think they have someone who actually on the board cared and gave a lot of his money( and personal time)to make a difference if the story I heard was true but today there was one or two years that I think you have someone who actually on the board cared and gave a lot of his money to make a difference if the story I heard was true.but for the most part and for the ones who are on the board today I don’t think they have a clue to what’s going… Read more »

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO
August 24, 2018 10:00 am

The Rebbe:

No firing melamed because of finances!!

(Obviously at the time the had reasons why they picked a certain melamed over others, but if the main reason is finances its unacceptable!!)

halevai!
August 24, 2018 9:30 am

This needs to come from Merkos, clear directives on how to help families. I’ve heard painful conversations about how tuition is the first place for funds, and that sets the fundraising goals for the school. Over and over again I hear frum families struggling to give kosher chinuch to their kids. Enough! Set a 10% expectation from families, or a $1000/mo, something reasonable, for Heaven’s sake. And if HaShem blessed you, tov alov brocho.

Leiblich
August 24, 2018 8:34 am

Whatever happened to Leiblich’s $1B tuition fund? If anyone has updated info, please post.

VR world
August 24, 2018 7:31 am

I like no.7 suggestion.

To #3
August 24, 2018 7:22 am

Where do you see R. Schapiro saying anything about not charging tuition?

One week to school, please help get our kids into school
August 24, 2018 7:04 am
Chossid
August 24, 2018 7:00 am

We need professionals running the Mosdos , the ones we have simply are incapable , we need lots of help , Hashem save us

Beautful
August 24, 2018 1:58 am

well said. Moshiach now

A sad reality
August 23, 2018 11:13 pm

I think it’s sad that chasidish yeshivas don’t care about what the Rebbe said. Anyone Who’s nitpicking about whether the Rebbe is or is not talking about tuition, or would tolerate a child being turned away for lack of paying, let me ask you this: WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING LATELY?!? You obviously are clueless about who the Rebbe was and is!!!

So true!
August 23, 2018 11:03 pm

Thank you Rabbi Shapiro for writing the truth of the Rebbe! But how can we enforce it?? Can you rally all Rabbonim to come out with an open psak din against any yeshiva not allowing children to learn Torah cause they can’t afford tuition?? Our family has been put to shame for having a large family with low income and our good kids were banned several times in the passed and even now are not allowed to send till we could pay thousands of dollars in owed tuition! Oy how much we miss the Rebbe! Nobody cares anymore what pained… Read more »

Enough already!!
August 23, 2018 10:57 pm

Wake up and see the facts. There is rapidly growing inequality in our communities. Not saying right or wrong but just stating a fact. Some can afford any tuition. Most people struggle to get through the month. Yet we all live in the same neighborhood. What is the answer? I don’t believe anyone has the answer. Schools need real money to function. Parents are at a breaking point. Enough already!!!!! The wealthy say they are over tapped to help more. Everyone else ( not the few who take advantage) spend over 50% of their income on housing. What is left… Read more »

My opinion
August 23, 2018 10:44 pm

Rabbi Shapiro has access to lots of addresses of people that received letters from the Rebbe, many from outside our fundraising pool. Let him hire people to track down those people and their children and take up the wonderful Zchus of being a fundraiser for the Chinuch of our Kinderlach.

Suggestion
August 23, 2018 10:27 pm

Set up an affordable, full-time online school for Crown Heightsers and out of towners who are not full time shluchim

We need this quickly
August 23, 2018 10:27 pm

The takeover of our mosdos by financial boards who are ignorant or apathetic to chinuch is growing.

We need to follow these simple and basic guidelines to bring back stability and trust to our schools.

A Martyr
August 23, 2018 10:07 pm

As long as it isn’t my responsibility, I’m game.
It’s not so important who it is, just not me.
I’m a martyr, I have a large family because that’s what the Rebbe asked of me, so it’s enough that I have to work so hard to pay the family bills.

It takes a village
August 23, 2018 10:05 pm

My wife is a teacher. Is she supposed to work for free?

Misleading
August 23, 2018 9:51 pm

Not addressing whether Rabbi Schapiro is right or wrong, but in the Sicha he attaches here the Rebbe does NOT refer or say anything about not charging tuition!

The Rebbe I. Fact says you can cover the Yeshiva deficit by bringing in more students and tuitions!

If you are saying these are the Rebbes Horaos, please tell us where they are, not that we just should trust you.

Halevi the Rebbe's ZY"A's Guidelines should be followed!
August 23, 2018 8:31 pm

Insulting honest, hard-working parents by telling them that they pay “little” tuition (I am not using the exact insulting term-the insult still rings in my ears decades later..) when they try their best, volunteer in whatever capacity they can in order to show good will, this was not sufficient? Painfully, the situation appears to have gotten worse in the intervening years… Where are the proper Torah values here? Where does it say that it is appropriate to insult parents who are raising their large families, BH, with the right values? Does the Almighty dollar truly supersede proper Torahadik and Chassidic… Read more »

Rabbi Shapiro please help us
August 23, 2018 8:30 pm

That’s not the situation in Montreal. Neither at the boy’s or girls school. For the whole week now and projected that be longer Yeshiva TTL Montreal is closed. The following is a oublic document sent by the yeshiva to all parents. Dear Parents, On behalf of the Hanhola, we would like to apologize for the delay in getting this letter to the parent body. It’s been a challenging summer and there have been many time-consuming issues that we have had to deal with. Firstly, the Hanhola would like to thank our devoted Rebbis/Morahs for all the hard work they have… Read more »

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