UPDATE: TLS spoke exclusively with the Vaad, who stated that although the system as it was in the past will not exist for this year, the Vaad is determined to work so that every girl has a place for this coming school year.
———————-
The Vaad which opened to assist girls entering high schools in Lakewood, has been closed, TLS has learned.
Multiple schools moments ago sent out notices telling parents to immediately register, as there will be no Vaad assistance this year.
“Attn Parents of Grade 8: We have received notice that the High School Vaad has been closed. There will be no Vaad assistance this year,” was the message sent out by one high school. “Anyone who has not heard from (moderated) should reach out to them immediately as registration is being closed and all remaining slots will be filled.”
Another high school sent out the following: “Please be advised time sensitive registration information has been emailed to you. Please check your emails and respond by 5 pm today, February 14. Looking forward to partnering with you.”
UPDATE: Sources tell TLS the closing down was as a result of a particular administrator who was undermining the Vaad system.
The Vaad, which opened 18 years ago, released the following letter:
”Dear All,
This email is being sent to all Elementary Schools and to all High Schools.
For the last 18 years we have had a system in place, and we had a coordinated approach to high school acceptance.
This has fallen apart this year, and girls are being offered High school acceptance with quick ultimatums (as per the Mesivta system).
For this year, due to these unforeseen circumstances, there is no longer a system. I hope the schools can work together to make sure that every girl has a place. There will be no Vaad assistance.
To the Elementary schools – If you are not aware that this is happening, it is imperative that you immediately work with the high schools to get your girls in.
To the high schools that have been following protocol – schools are currently accepting, and you should do the same.
For many years we have worked together in a harmonious fashion.
I am hopeful that we can work together to rebuild what we had for the September 2024 school year.”
Immediately register what/where? Schools? They mostly haven’t given answers yet
It seems that the Vaad is flexing it’s muscles to get more school owner’s to get on board with it’s policies. It makes no sense otherwise, to shut down a working program because a few administrators are resisting. The Vaad’s clout doesn’t come for free, it empowers them to force students into schools which might otherwise be full among other quid pro quo’s that happen in the running of this town.
The Vaad has been the guiding force behind the politics & planning of this town over the last 25 years.
We don’t know much about this influential group to have an opinion about it.
You do realize the school Vaad is not the same as the Lakewood Vaad, right?
Great. So the Vaad which is supposed to help is now defunct. What are girls to do? Sit home for MONTHS crying? Oh, I forgot, they do this now. There are still girls sitting home now. We need a better system… One that leaves NO Yiddishe neshama behind.
Being forced to attend a school that isn’t the best choice for you is a lot worse than a few months of crying… now girls have to give an answer to a school that wasn’t their first choice or even second before having the chance to explore any other options
Uh, no it isnt worse.
None of the schools are public schools.
Get help, you have issues.
check your yichus, you seem to lack one of the three middos of a Bnei Yisroel.
The schools are all bullying everyone. We need more schools.
Yes! Please open one
As a girl who has been so miserably hurt by this system and was so destroyed by it I have no words. Who’s going to step up? The vaad definitely didn’t help anything in many cases but now will probably be so much worse. I have serious trauma from it, and I really wish something can be done . This is completely not ok .
I’m so sorry. I wish all children inherently knew their value and inner beauty. My daughter was without a school for 2 years. I know the pain. By God’s grace she was just accepted into high school. My heart aches for all the beautiful children who will take this process as a personal rejection. It’s not. The system is broken and I don’t know what the solution is.
It is our responsibility as a society to ensure that our children are supported during this vulnerable journey.
The vaad was, at best, a bandaid solution on a gaping wound that is our education system.
Before talking about all the schools who worked together for 20 years and sent out letters at the same time so this should mit happen ,why don’t you find out why this happened. And which school caused this to happen . Maybe ask the Vaad . Or maybe ask your elementary school principal. You might actually learn the truth.
That would be loshon hora
Craazy system. get out of town before its blows up
This is not a result of all schools. There are a few specific “elite” schools who for some reason only look out for themselves, and will even call families who they want to offer them slots often pulling them away from schools they are currently in. The Roshei Yeshivos in the past have tried to intervene but the heads of these schools don’t even show up to the meetings! I wish someone would publicize the culprits just to put a little pressure on them.
Loshon Hora
Toeles-ask a Rav
If you live in a town that doesn’t have schooling for every child, maybe it’s time to move out?
Can someone please let us know the logic behind this?
Why now? What changed? Why couldn’t they let parents know earlier?
Inside info and facts: All the big schools were being forced to accept 46+ girls per class, which is way too many girls per class. The schools put their foot down and are not allowing the vaad to force them to accept more than 30-36 per class. Thus the vaad falls apart because they cant really do anything.
I think this might be good for everyone, the amount of girls far exceeds the spots in schools, a new high school will have to open. Parents won’t have a choice to blame the vaad and hold out for a spot in one of the established schools. They will have no option except to send to a new school.
If anyone knows any Woman that is capable of running a high school and has the will to, please please reach out to them. There are many people in Lakewood that would fund it in a second, they are just waiting to find that special person!!
Where are the people that would be willing to fund it. ? A close relative of mine ,who is experienced in chinuch and talented, offered to make a girls high school that would be controlled by the town leaders as far as accepting whomever the Rabonim and Rossh yeshiva wanted to accept. He would hire the best talent and do everything as a volunteer. All he asked was the the kehila askonim come up with tge funding shortfall after tuitions. He was laughed at and told we willl give yiu a few dollars for the first year but after that you ate on your own
Hello Mike
Don’t Give up! Keep asking around or I can get your info from the Scoop and I will set up a meeting with the right people.
The funding will not be an issue, it is very hard to find someone to run a high school in lkwd
If this only forces parents and their children to drop this obstinacy of “I need to go to…” then this might have a fringe benefit.
That being said, we need more schools in lakewood!
Too bad that you have to rely on Hashem. Sorry to hear that so many were relying on people.
They got your vote.
They got Murphy in.
Now they don’t need you any more.
Anyone getting it yet?
I’d like to know is why there is so much garbage in these schools these days?
Different Vaad.
No connection between the two.
umm… this isn’t the same Vaad.
It’s time to rely on the ultimate Acceptor for the girls.
At the end of the day…. the One and ONLY Hashem is the one and only source of getting into anywhere. We have BH been zoche to see it so far with schools (yes we got rejected by many many schools over the years) and realized that the places we landed were the right ones and for the best and planned by Hashem.
All the protexia, all the pushing in, etc is all a facade.
So worry not… take a deep breath and look Heavenward and He will be there alongside the school process. It may not be the script you write. But it will be the script He writes.
And thank you to the school Vaad for all the hishtadlus they have done til now.
Thank you for a nice and wise comment.
Thank you for your hashfafa talk, but for those of us who have had children at home for MONTHS it does not work to tell our high school aged child that it’s Hashems will that they should be in pain that they were not accepted to ANY school while others received acceptance to more than one. This is a problem that needs to be addressed in a concrete and real way, not just to ask for Hashems help but the schools need to help too.
It’s still all the ribono shel olam. He uses messengers to disguise….. we have to believe that. (Trust me, I’m trying hard but its who we are)
What a long-winded way to say, “I don’t have a child suffering”.
A man-made problem cannot be passed onto Hashem. That’s not how He runs His world.
This high-school girl mentality is against the entire Torah. Bava Kama teaches us that when someone damages you, you don’t say, “it’s bashert, Hashem will help”. You call them to Beis Din and get what you deserve.
This is not a Jewish way of thinking.
You’re right. Currently I am not trying to get a kid into school. We’ve been there though not so long ago.
What you don’t know though, is that we are currently dealing with other crises, financially and medically, and both of which seem to need man-made solutions that we are hitting brick walls with, and ultimately we know that there is only ONE provider and ONE solution for the crises we are dealing with. And only He can send us our yeshuos. And He is the same ONE that will send the yeshuos to the High school girls.
To reply to Laya – my heart goes out to the children still at home. As my heart goes out to older singles (I had to wait for that as well).
It is the beat for the children to know that Hashem does have a plan and a place for them. It doesn’t mean hishtadlus should stop. Hishtadlus MUST go on. Tefila must continue. But we need to know that it isn’t the Hishtadlus that will bring the results. It’s Hashem that will. And people still need to do their part and help and hopefully Hashem will choose these hishtadlim to be the shaliach.
I think the girls should be homeschooled. Their mother’s & grandmother’s are in a position to teach them so much more.
What happened this year is a major shame. There is so much pain inflicted on some 8th graders each year. The system is also hard on the schools who just don’t have the place for everyone. How could anyone do anything to increase that pain and that hardship? Whoever undermined the system doesn’t sound like he/she should be in chinuch in the first place! I only daven that no girls (or boys in the mesivta “system”) should suffer any pain.
If I remember correctly a number of yrs back R Matisyahu made that non school could start until everyone was accepted. Why can that be employed again with a major name Rosh yeshiva or similar making a similar takana. Undoubtedly no menahel would have the chutzpah to publicly resist and the negotiations would have to happen quickly
the Erev Rav stopped listening to him as soon as he lost the strength to fight them and just did their own thing.
It’s a little too late to demand from those responsible for the influx of people into this town to foot the bill for the schools these families need. Other than the chassidishe developers, they didn’t contribute enough to the building of additional schools! not to mention that a school needs strong stewardship in order to succeed. And today there is a serious shortage of competent teachers.
are you serious? BMG families with KA”H 12 kids are 99% of the students.
The school system was growing at around the right pace to accommodate the BMG influxes.
The newer influxes are too rapid to accommodate for.
That being said, this isn’t an appropriate time to cast blame, rather it is a time to act (open new schools)
that is false. the birthrate of Lakewood families is FAR higher than the influx of people into the surrounding communities.
Your a sick individual there is no reason that a jewish girl should not have a school just 70 years after the nazis wiped out yidishkeit. Anti semitism is raging all around the wrold jewish blood is spilled dialy in Israel and the haters here will justify why a certain family doesn’t deserve to send their children to school. I am disgusted.
kol ha kavod! this problem boils down to one simple thing – geivah.
Amazing news. The whole system is not working hopefully things can be revamped and start from scratch .
BTW The chasidim that came into lakewood all opened their own schools so don’t blame this on chasidim.
Not high schools. They opened up from primary.
Thats what he wrote- that the chassidim did NOT contribute to the issue. It’s us misnagdim that did
That isn’t true. My daughters classes are full of chassidim
THAT is where you’re 100% wrong. your daughter’s class is full of Bnos Yisroel!!!
No one said not bnos Yisroel. But they are still chassidim. One does not negate the other
Starting from primary. Not for high school girls! They took many spaces in our high schools
There were 2 new schools that opened last year. Problem is, some older schools like bais Kayla for example, told me that they didn’t feel an obligation to accept more than 22 kids per class and maybe just have two classes instead of three because there were other schools that opened.
This effectively canceled part of the gain from the new schools.
Lakewood has become the Yerushalayim of America. In Yerushalayim they have 50+ girls in a class. Enough said.
im sure the girls that got in right away and were called to be accepted, didnt go to florida for midwinter.
here comes the “well do what we want and go where we want” and then come kicking and screaming
Sorry to break your bubble but I know plenty of people that are doing all the right things and still having a very hard time with our messes up system. I wonder if you would he singing a different tone if your child didn’t have a high school.
I am sure that you have two heads and three arms, and you drink paint before you go to sleep.
SHeesh!
two heads three arm yes, the paint…no
Finally someone said it
What do you mean? Do you really think that the girls who don’t get into high school right away did something wrong?? Going to Florida is a separate debate, but it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with this! I can assure you that there are 8th-grade girls in a high school that went to Florida for vacation. Their mid-winter plans are not at all predicated on their high school acceptance. Please think about the feelings of the girls not accepted in schools yet before commenting such a blanket statement. You don’t realize how hurtful this can be to them and their parents.
“think a little” i was just using one example as to why one girl would get in and not another. for every girl that gets in ahead of her friend there is a reason for it. whether it pertexia, pull, money or yes even a better girl whose family does not go to florida for vacation. it sometimes doesnt make it right and more deserving girls should get in to schools based on grades or frumkiet, but dont pull your toes out of the sand and wonder why your having a hard time….
What else are you sure of, Mayo?
im sure that 6:45 am is to early in the morning to be trolled on TLS
I highly doubt it, Mayo, at any hour. Have a blessed week.
the girls who went to Florida donated enough to the school to be patur from the gzeira.
There will be a meeting for fathers of 8th grade girls in the next few days, signs will be posted. working out the details…
The bright side may be that this whole process will be done with quicker…. instead of girls finding out in the summer they have no school to go to… There’s more time to open new classes/schools etc.. if registration finishes earlier hopefully everyone will be in a school before the school years over.
I know this is a painful and difficult moment for many. It is easy to accuse, point fingers, and place blame and fault on schools, the Va’ad, the “system” the “town”, the “new people who should have built their own schools before moving in”, and the “old people who should have fixed the system before the new people moved in”… BUT, it is wise to remember that the city of Lakewood is a phenomenon of the likes that klal Yisroel has never seen. For better or worse, the thousands of families (ka”h) hundreds of small developments, and tens of “neighborhoods” compromise – uniquely in Lakewood – one large, cohesive community. Although this provides us with many benefits and conveniences, it also comes along with some inevitable price tags.
Let us all keep this in mind as together we seek viable solutions.
The best comment so far.
someone with brains
Many other communities (even large ones) are much more cohesive than Lakewood. In Lakewood the father needs to wear the right yarmulke, color shirt, hat, etc. to be part of a community or neighborhood. Where I live (a large community) Modern Orthodox, Yeshivish and Chasidish go to school together. I saw a pic from the school I attended. A Yeshivish boy with Peyos behind his ears, a Modern Orthodox boy with a Kippah Serugah, & a Chasidish boy with long curled Peyos are sharing a Siddur. That’s cohesiveness & more importantly that’s Achdus.
This has nothing to do with cohesiveness. There are just not enough slots for the amount of girls there are! And there is no community growing at the rate that Lakewood is so trying compare makes zero sense. This is a problem unique to Lakewood. It’s terrible but it’s not because Lakewood is not cohesive (I’m not discussing if they are or aren’t…)
Exactly 100% correct we have to increase our ahavas yisroel towards every jew this will solve all our problemsas we will become one cohesive community. I think we should follow chabds ahavas Yisrael towards each jew.
Well said
Girls, you are responsible for the future. You are important enough to support your husband while he is learning, after putting your trust in HaShem to find that husband, raise and educate your children, nerot, all while being modest and proper.
But no one will be responsible to find you a proper high school to make sure your neshama isn’t destroyed before that. Good luck.
if you’re not already in school, you won’t have to worry about supporting a kolel learner, because the girls they deemed appropriate matches are already accepted in the best schools for the “right” families.
The solution might be to open up girls schools in Florida. If/when those schools fill up, Biezrat Hashem, open up more schools or go the homeschooling route.
I think every development should have its own schools. They can build the building when they build the developments.
Good dream as every person believes that he is better than his neighbor and cant send to the same school as his neighbor.
Suggestion
Maybe the rabbanim can get together and convince /require each elementary school to have a high school and each must take their own graduates first
If an elementary school does not have a high school and it’s hard to start one maybe they can partner with other high schools
There can always be some individual high schools and whoever wants to go can apply
Like this everyone graduating is guaranteed a spot and there are some options for those that want a change
And whoever wants to change schools can apply and possibly get in if a slot opens or of class is not completely full
I live here in Lakewood. It really really boils down to numbers. We do not have enough high schools to accommodate the 8th grade graduates.
Girls do not get the attention they deserve when you put 40 plus girls into a high school class. I am a high school teacher. It is impossible to reach your students when you have so many girls in a class. Every elementary school needs to have a high school. You can not expect an existing high school with two or three parallel classes to absorb hundreds of girls.
The main issue with girls high schools in this town is that there is a lack of space. There is enough room in our elementary schools and in our boys high schools but not by the girls. They’re close to 50 girls in a class in some schools with multiple parallel classes. We also have a teacher shortage. The only answer is that anybody who cares enough needs to open a school, help a school, teach, work… that’s the only way this problem will get solved. We are a huge town that is falling short in our schools.
There is not really such a lack of space. There are several high schools that have space and could accommodate several more classes per grade. You just have to find parents willing to be open minded to enrolling their daughters. If parents were totally open to any school , I eas told that a few schools have a total of 5 to 6 available classes . That’s between 150 to 200 slots available on a few schools that usually see less demand. Let’s see if this year their demand will increase
Frankly as well meaning as the vaad was they were part of the problem. This Year would probably be the year which girls will be placed quicker than with the help of the vaad since both the schools and parents have to make quick decisions and not wait around to get their ideal school.And schools might feel obligated to take in students they don’t want since they can’t rely on the vaad to take care of those isssues. The fact that every parent had a fall back and had the option go to the vaad To get help for reconsideration When they didn’t get exactly what they wanted only gummed up the system slowed the process down.
There is a difference between making a quick decision and having to make a decision within hours , and not being allowed to wait a few days or a week to get your interview in another school and then make your decision
All these comments totally ignore the issue . Nobody is denying that there is a shortage of space. This problem is totally different. Even with a shortage of space , the schools worked together to send out letters at the same tine and not force people to give answers before they even had a chance to know if they would be accepted to another school. The girls interview process takes a long time due to the large number of applicants per school . So the least you can do is wait and allow everybody a fair chance to get interviewed and then make a decision after they know which school or schools will accept them . But for one school to come and force girls to panic and take their acceptance immediately after theur interviews to that school under threats of losing their slots, and not even giving those girls the opportunity to find out if they could get into another school ,that is what this is all about. If a school ends up breaking the system just do they can force people to make panicky decisions , then all the trust between schools is irreparably broken and the new system will be that whoever cheats and interviews first ,will be able to force girls to panic and accept slots in their school.
I’m from out of town, but I did speak to a few principals, the problem is simply that there is not enough room for all. They can build bigger schools if they have donations . I have donated to help build schools, both boys and girls schools and everyone reading this should do their utmost to help the support them. I don’t see any other way to solve this issue.
sorry, but this problem has nothing to do with money and everything to do with sinas chinam and snobbery. girls are treated like useless cattle that are graded on their mother’s sheitels and how much their father can pay a son in law to learn. this is 100% about filtering out girls from families who don’t fit what the parents want for future matches. you have to speak to the shadchanim to get the real emes. the last time a big donor spoke up about the crisis, they literally ran him out of Lakewood and now he’s back in Los Angeles and won’t give a dime because of the corruption and baseless hatred.
wow, you seem to be full of ahavas yisroel yourself, just impugn an entire city
Finally! Lakewood is waking up and deciding that the school system is the biggest problem by far. From that one heartbreaking letter of a mother a few months ago which was treated with sympathy by some and APATHY by others suddenly people have realized that this problem can actually touch their lives. Parents don’t for a second think that this issue may not affect you. The economic law of supply and demand has definitely hit Lakewood and it just means your child is another number. Who needs your child with a few faults perhaps or family background shakiness when they can cherry pick the best children and end up with a stellar reputation? That’s not a school. That’s not education. That’s just a firm with a business model. And to solve this clearly non competitive market monopoly, I propose a solution. Neighborhood schools. That’s it. Education is one of those things that should not be allowed to run as a business within a capitalist system of rules. It’s non negotiable for children to have routine and normalcy as well as learn life skills and most importantly our Torah values. You have an area and designate a school to it and the monopoly system fails. This isn’t my idea. It was thought of by many others as well. There will be much opposition as expected of people unused to change and for schools unused to letting go of control. But then teachers will be able to teach and students able to learn. And the hidden crookedness of it all will finally dissolve. Hashem please help all hidden understand how beneficial it would be for all and implement this change permanently.
The reason why takanos from Rabonim and Rosh Yeshivas won’t work is simple. Unfortunately none of them ever spent the time figuring out that it costs huge amounts of money to run girls high schools . They never helped raise money for tg6e schools to succeed, to grow or to deal with the problem children that they forced the schools to take. . Its not a 1 way street. If you have the power to force schools to take weaker kids who need extra help , you certainly have the responsibility to raise the funds for those schools to hire teachers ,guidance counselors and whatever else is needed so these girls can thrive. This never happened. It was always just a one way street of forcing schools to take more kids, and hire more teachers without them providing any financial help whatsoever. Many of these kids had issues ,or dysfunction etc and the schools needed a lot of funding to properly service them. That funding was never offered.
Don’t worry about those schools. In many cases they force the parents to pay the highest tuition rate, give a very large entry donation; more like a bribe ,and hold the parent’s emotions hostage claiming they did the biggest favor the entire year and good luck we may kick them out at any point in time.Trust me. I know.