“Rejection from school, Yeshiva, or Seminar ” series posted in the Lakewood Scoop recently triggered a lot of parents to reach out to me asking for my help in getting them into a Mosad, some as young as 5 years old with no place to go to comeSeptember. This is an escalating crisis, and whilst this is not my specific profession, I am trying the best I can to fill this bridge and highlight the ever-growing crisis parents are facing. Hence, I am sharing the below correspondence I just received on this topic.
I live in NY and want to move to Lakewood. My son is 5 and so far we don’t have a yeshiva. One rejected us based on doing some research they said. The second didn’t like that I was a Baal teshuva and now we are waiting and praying that we get in somewhere. Any advice? Thank you! Mrs. K
My reply
I am really saddened to hear this.
I spoke this morning to a big mechanech in Lakewood and he apologetically said that Lakewood is more geared towards FFB’s and even they have tremendous issues getting into schools as you can see from my blogs.
Just this morning I got a call from a mother whose 9-year-old cannot get into the school where her other older current son is learning. It is crazy!
I know you are looking to live in Lakewood as it is a Makom Torah but perhaps would you reconsider your move there? He suggested Passaic NY which is more open-minded, and Cherry Hill, ( a little more modern but has many BTs. I apologize if it appears I refer to BTs as secondary ( I myself have close family members who are BT’s).
If you would like help to find contacts to connect to these suggested places, please let me know. And please let me know the outcome.
Wishing you Hatzlacha raba.
Mrs. K reply
Hi my husband is FFB so we don’t want Cherry Hill
Etc but thank you for your advice
My reply
Dear Mrs. K
If you still wanted to move to Lakewood, I would be able to speak with any Mosad in Lakewood on your behalf.
They must read my enclosed book before I speak with them.
If you would like, I can send you a hardcover to give them.
Hatzlacha
My reply
Dear Mrs. K
I am enclosing my latest article called to accept them with love. It should be enough to get your son reaccepted. The Menahal will realize that he made a big mistake by rejecting your 5-year-old son into his Mosad. If that approach does not work, as mentioned in my previous email, please get the Menahal to call me after he has read the book I sent you first. If this approach does not work, then there’s no point in going further. Apply for another Mosad in Lakewood.
Waiting to hear from you
Dovid Abenson
Conclusion
This global crisis is crippling our future protegees. If our Mosdos would truly follow our Mesorah, the word “ rejection” would never be in our vernacular ever again.
We must do everything in our power to keep Jewish kids in Jewish schools and give them a proper Jewish education so that no child will be left behind.
As mentioned in my previous articles Rejection from school, Yeshiva or Seminar that the gemara states clearly states in(Sanhedrin 91b)אמר רב יהודה אמר רב כל
המונע הלכה מפי תלמיד כאילו גוזלו מנחלת אבותיו שנאמר (דברים לג, ד) תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהילת יעקב מורשה היא לכל ישראל מששת ימיבראשית
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Concerning anyone who withholds halacha from being studied by the mouth of a student who seeks to study Torah, it is as though he robs him of the inheritance of his ancestors, as it is stated: “Moses commanded us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob” (Devarim 33:4), indicating that the Torah is an inheritance for all of the Jewish people from the six days of Creation.
We have just finished the 3 weeks of aveilius. Again this year we sat on the floor and fasted all day reading Kinos, being reminded as to why we still do not have the Bais HaMikdash!
Rosh HaYeshivas or Menahelim, as our leading Mechanchim and role models of today, must take the responsibility not to reject students applying to their Mosdos, thus making the child feel rejected for life and chalila, not wanting to remain part of Klal Yisroel.
Baseless hatred and hearsay and rejecting children from schools will keep us sitting on the floor yearning for the Bais HaMikdash!
This crisis of ”Rejection from school, Yeshiva, or Seminar” must stop once and for all.
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Rabbi Abenson is the founder and director of ShaarHatalmud, a unique yeshivah-based online program, which incorporates learning all Kodesh subjects, from Kriah up to learning Gemara, Rishonim, and Shulchan Aruch. He also conducts evaluations, remediation, and training, and consults with school principals to improve students’ underdeveloped skills.
THIS is why we don’t have a Bais Ha Mikdash!
It’s not because the secular are not keeping kosher, or because ladies are wearing denim skirts…
It’s not because of LA or Brooklyn, it’s because of BASELESS HATRED in the mosdos of Lakewood, NJ.
It has been said that the Eirev Rav has taken control of the schools, and I find it harder and harder to argue against this shocking statement.
DO NOT GIVE UP AND DO NOT GIVE IN! DO NOT CONSIDER OTHER CITIES, good genuine Yidden need to flood Lakewood with Leiv Tov and AHAVAS CHINAM!
SAVE LAKEWOOD, BRING THE GEULA!!!
At the end of the day there really is no room in Lakewood.
I understand there is great job opportunities and quality of life, but if it doesn’t work for you why force it your way. I myself grew up in Lakewood and I don’t feel comfortable with the overcrowdedness, so I left.
I understand you may want to live there and I hope the best for you, but complaining about it doesn’t help.
Its not the schools fault that there are full to capacity.
Good luck!
As someone from OOT can someone explain what’s going on? I live in a major Frum community. The largest school by far puts out videos of what’s going on. You see Modern Orthodox, Yeshivish and even a few but growing number of Chasidim (long Peyos & all). You see in the Bais Medrash boys in Black & White & boys in colored shirts. The Bar Mitzvah video shows boys at Davening with a healthy mix of no hat or jacket, jacket no hat, and hat and jacket.
Who created this concept that every child in a school needs to look the same, dress the same, think the same, Daven at the same type of shul, go to the same camps, etc.
It’s not just that the kids learn to tolerate differences (which is a good thing) but they gain tremendously by learning how to get along and respect those different from themselves.
p.s. I’m speechless about the fact that schools don’t accept BT’s.
Let me guess – your major Jewish community (which we can probably guess where it is, within 3 hours of Lakewood) also has smaller schools that opened for parents that wanted an educational standard more targeted towards their needs and values. Multicultural diversity is not the panacea it appears life, particularly when it requires watering down the curriculum to conform with the level of the lowest common denominator. Some parents have different chinuch objectives and philosophies. It’s hard to say that they are categorically wrong.
Regardless, the issue in Lakewood is that there’s no room. Plain and simple. For the same reason you can’t find an apartment or house, you can’t find a school. Explosive population growth, the likes of which your community is not experiencing (because the people unhappy with the educational options moved to Lakewood), causes demand for school slots to outstrip supply. Yes, this is a huge crisis which needs community wide work.
There are so many reasons why Lakewood mosdos cannot find room in their classrooms for our children, EVEN when there is space. Of course, everyone knows it’s not so simple.
The problem is not overcrowding or lack of money. It’s a glaring lack of leadership.
At a Torah U’mesora convention in 1968… YES 1968, Rabbi Pichus Teitz presented The Jewish Childs’ “Bill Of Rights”. Number 1 – The Right to a Jewish Education.
My question: Which Mosad will take the lead and BREAK the stranglehold denying Jewish children an education in Lakewood? Is there a principled Principal, man or woman, who will stand and say OUR DOORS ARE OPEN!
Marty Furst
Toms River