After a meeting which took place between local Mosdos, the message to Bais Yaakov Elemantary School parents was clear. They should either re-open the current school, or open a new school, with a new name and in a new location. “The bottom line is, these girls which are already out of school for 3 weeks and nobody wants to take them” a parent of the school who wishes to remain anonymous told TLS. “Some of the parents have hired teachers for their children, but the First Grader’s have not had anything for 3 weeks” he said. He added, “There are Askonim working with us, but the schools do not want to accept these children at this point”.
TLS spoke with another parent, a mother, who had this message. “Its getting to be really sad that no school wants to make the first step”. “The girls themselves are starting to feel that too”. “They feel like nobody wants them”. “It’s just terrible”.
TLS will continue to keep you updated with any new developments.
Comment deleted
Where are the rabonim. Lakewood should stop making parler meetings till these kids are in school.
Enough already with “Lakewood polotics” what did these kids do wrong we have a chiuv to help them
You are right! How dare we wear black all the time and cover our hair!
You obviously don’t know ALL of us!
Why are you offended by the way I dress? Does your kids school allow YOU to be on the internet? I think NOT. So who’s fooling who??
In a town where school seats are in such short supply,it is totally unreasonable to expect that an entire school can close down and just be absorbed into another school or schools . Whover was responsible for closing this school down should be required to help the parents and teachers find another building where they can continue the school .
these are young girls not women
Can we imagine the feelings of these children and their parents when they will barely know anything at this years Pesach Seder???
TLS please remove Num 1 responce.
People like him should be allowed to voice there opinion until his daughter is in the same place these girls are in.
your all nuts!!
Why don’t you all open a school yourself. Then afterwards we’ll see what you smart comments are.
If only you could spend 1 DAY in the shoes of a school owner.
Its the worst gehinom. End of story. No one here has a right to talk.
My child’s school never asked anything about the internet(I happen to not be the same person as the previous commenter). Although I think it is horrible what is going on,I care VERY MUCH how you dress. I walk the streets of Lakewood,I shop in Lakewood and don’t need to be faced with your provocative dress. And no,I am not trying to say that all parents from other schools do dress iin the proper manner. But to ask “why I am offended”???? Because we are Orthodox Jews and the Torah requires us to dress modestly!! And I know for a fact that some of you do not dress in such a manner. Do you know what you will face when you go to heaven and see how many men you caused to stumble and what the consequences will be?? And believe me, I’m not some “frummy”, I’m just another guy that has watched the level of tznius PLUMMET in the past 5 or so years.
It is with tears in my eyes that I pen this comment. It has been three weeks since my daughter’s school closed and no school has taken in any of the close of 70 children. Every school that has been called has either said that we do not take transfers or we are full. There are people who are working to get the schools to take the children to whom we are very grateful but why has it taken so long? Why do our children have to feel that they are not wanted? It was not their fault that their school closed down. I understand that all b”h all Lakewood Schools have full classes but if every school agreed to take in one or two children per grade it would accommodate the whole school. These are Bais Yaakov girls with good midos and strong hashgofos– at least let the schools interview the children and see which ones would be a good fit for their school. With everyone coming together in achdus and accepting these children into their mosdos hopefully it will bring us one step closer to the coming of mashiach
If they had the money to open a new school, they wouldn’t have been in Bais Yaakov …… They would have been accepted into one of the ”other schools” to begin with !
TLS -you CAN post the truth not only when it’s about Inzelbuch…….Every Rov or gadol I have spoken to has said that whatever details they know behind the school closure and court case….. sicken them to no end. It’s not just little me saying this.
why is this any worse than any other kiruv org? why shouldnt we support our own?lets get together and stop every single parlor meeting in this town untill these girls have a school. this is sick..
Lets be very clear, the facts are the facts, and the fact is believe it or not that, most families that sent to this Bais Yaakov do not keep up to the same standards that the rest of the schools expect from their parent body. So now please explain to me why someone that sends a child to school be forced to let their child be influenced by someone who the parents feel will have a negative impact on their child.
There are surely scores ofcapable young women in town who are capable of teaching elementary school girls and could use the money. Schools are finding substitute teachers so qualified women do exist. Why not have them teach the girls, in homes if need be, for the rest of the year?
I cannot believe this. These parents obviously do not have the financial means to open a new school (even if they did I’m not sure it would at all be possible to open in middle of the year).
Even assuming these girls do not come from as frum as a backgrounds as our children do, are we supposed to leave yiddishe neshomas out on the street???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If there are 70 girls in all, it averages out to about 9 per class. Let each school take only one per grade and the problem can be solved. One girl per grade will not do much harm (if at all) and there is no alternative. These are yiddishe kiderlach who are too young to have made any choices on their own which shuld prevent us from taking them in.
Those who advocate for a piecemeal solution might mean well but you will be destroying some kids . Even if you get some schools to squeeze in some or even most of these kids ,it is almost a certainty that a good number will end uo being left with no school for various reasons . If however everybody sticks together ,then somehow a solution for the entire school body as a whole will have to be found So think long and hard before you decide to parecel kids out in a piecemeal fashion . This problem needs to be solved in a unified fashion not piecemeal
To say that the reason they are not being accepted is because the parents are not dressing appropiately. This is pure Motzi Shem Ra.
#! 12
Lets be very clear, the facts are that in my daughters school I am embarresed by the way a lot of the parents dress and by the middos of the girls. My kids school is one of the very much sought after schools, and let me tell you, the girls and the parents from BYE are on a much higher level in their middos. I know a lot of them personally and I would fight for them to join our school. However and unfortunatly I have no say in the matter.
My heart goes out to the girls and their family.
To: Ah Shande
And blaming everyone besides yourselves, what is that called?
I pay over $300 in tuition a month. Why dont each of these classes get together, each parent pay $300 per month, and for $2700 per mo (approx $300×9) I am SURE you can find someone to teach them. It doesnt have to be in a school building, for now do it in someone’s dining room. At least your kids wont be HOME.
To # 12,
12 years of yeshiva, 2 years learning in Eretz Yisroel, 2 years learning in yeshiva in Boro park.
My wife 12 years in Bais Yaakov 2 years in EY.
My wife has never owned a short skirt in her life, so now what were you saying about her dress. I sent my daughter to BYE because the education that she was getting war far better than any other school in this town.
I would love to meet you so we can discuss this further.
Send the TLS editor a time and place & will do the same.
Lets talk about your comment face to face.
We are talking about 70 neshomos. Rav Kotler A”H must be rolling in his grave!! There is so much Torah and Chesed in this town, but where’s the achdus and Ahavas Yisroel?? EVERYONE will answer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu at 120. And what will Lakewood answer? I know I won’t be amongst those that rejected 70 of Hashem’s children.
To: JMH
I wrote MOST families……. and I stand by what I said, you may be an exception. That being said someone who sends their child to a school strictly for the education, and doesn’t take into account who their child will be hanging out with, scares me, so I’m sorry to say that I’m scared to meet you.
Number 24, very well said. I would like to see all the big talkers stand up at 120, raise thier hand and say to Hashem “yes i rejected 70 of your children”. Think about it….
hey number 10 . what willl you tell hashem after 120 about your time spent on the internet which your rabbunim assered
hey number 10 . what willl you tell hashem after 120 about your time spent on the internet which your rabbunim assered.
I have never wrote a comment yet to TLS but what I have been reading here is appalling. If anyone has a solution to the issue or words of chizuk for the parnts or students then Kol Hakovod to voice your opinion and thoughts. But if such negativity and belittling of other members of our community come about through this forum then I question if comments should be allowed on the Lakewwod Scoop. Imagine the tzar these parents are going through never mind the children, do they have to be belittled and degraded as well? The children in the school are yiddishe neshamos and need the communities support and empathy. I wonder if any of the people who had such negative comments about the parent body would take achrayus for any family and parent in the school that got turned off from the Lakewood kehilla due to these comments and chose a kehilla that’s more wlcoming and accepting of them yet are not on the same level of yiddishkeit as we are? Let’s remember veahavta lereicha komoichah are not just for people in our schools, shuls or in our shiur it goes for every yiddishe neshama
#28 Very well said. A++
To: TLS Editor
I agree 100% with what leah wrote, please delete my previous comments. Thanks.
shame!shame on those of you who judge these families.don’t you dare brand their mothers as immodest women!
u took the words right out of my mouth . especially now that there are so many of the bye teachers unemployed, you could probably take your pick . also I thought there were 40 girls left .
This is when lkwd kids start going off the derech, they get rejected and the rest is history! You wonder why there are so many kids hanging out!?!?
This article is misstating the facts. The parent body was told quite clearly that everything is being done to place the girls ASAP, and that there was some talk about opening a school as a temporary measure only while the placement efforts were taking place. The process just takes time. Sure, there was a mention of opening up a new school permanently, but only as an unlikely theoretical option. Kudos to the Lakewood Askanim and Rabbonim who are going over and beyond to get this crisis resolved. TLS, please verify your facts before printing articles that only serve to incite the community for no reason. I am becoming very disillusioned with the ability of the TLS to report news fairly and accurately.
The article is not misstating the fact that the parent body was not informed about this decision made by the OTHER mosdos, and didn’t even consult the parent body, because this is news to all of us. THEY want BYE to reopen so THEY don’t have to deal with them. The askanim are doing their best, but at the end of the day, no one wants “branded” girls in with their precious ones. C”V they might rub off some of the good midos that they learned in BYE on the rest of them.
After all said and done the achrayus on the chinuch of ones children falls squarely on the shoulders of the father. Of course “ein odom roieh nigehi azmoi”…. The parents of these children are going through enough pain…
But for everyone els out there PLEASE plan ahead realize that in Lakewood obviously (for good or for bad, its irrelevant) not every type of family will have an opportunity to be mechanech their children properly. You can all make choices now whether Lakewood is for you, whether you will go the extra mile in ruchnius in kedusha, in levush etc. Its YOUR children!!
had the same internet restrictions as any other school in Lakewood. There are 70 wonderful girls that need a school, not Mussar. Those that feel that they are holier than thou, Hashem will judge you on that level.
maybe the Levovitz bros. want to try their hand at opening a girls school– I know 60+ fresh applicants!!
I am just so fed up with this whole thing, this morning I called the BOE to see how to get my girls in to public school. I moved to lakewood to bring up my yidishkite and all you people do is step on me. I have had it.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
STOP this preaching already! Lakewood is not the same as it was 5 or 10 years ago. Maybe people came here to better themselves for the sake of their children. Now they should be suffering for it? That is not what an IR HATORAH should be, I’m sorry! This is not what the Roshei Yeshiva are preaching BMG.
Sorry the way it says.
Your words were already said and read by all.
Think before you write.
I’m still willing to meet you if you want.
who’s this Kim lady . Seems like ya don’t stop kvetching
If there would be a publicly funded system of Mosdod in Lakewood then you would all be right . The kehila as a whole has no right not to educate these 70 girkls . But since we live in a city without a kehila and we have chosen not to fulfill our communal achrayus to finance the entire community education system ,then it is not a tayno on any one private school owner as why he or she is not doing more . The blame only falls on the kehila as a whole
I’m not preaching, open your eyes 70 girls are on the street nebach, the FACT is like I said. What should or shouldn’t be is not the issue and is not gonna change so fa$t! They are your kids ….
Agav. if someone moved here honestly to better himself (not for cheap real estate and low tuition) he is a true ben aliya and I’m sure he will find a school..
Chinuch is not a communal achrayus, Its a mitzva on the parents.. see comment 37
I moved to Lakewood for the prices of houses. I couldn’t find a house for an affordable price in flatbush. This is a public town, just like Monsey, Brooklyn 5 Towns. Get over the whole “i’m better then you”. When you grew up in Brooklyn, did your parents tell their neighbors to move away because they don’t dress to their standards. Everyone would have their own din vcheshbon, it’s non of your business.
stop looking at me if you think Im immodest…control yourself!!!
To#12 and all u new cry babies.U started smelling the coffee?now u have tannis “where is everyone running to help u?where were you a whole year fighting for my child who still isn’t in a school.did it bother you? besides for a very few askonim no one cares.we r just being used for coffee room talk.its more exciting to tummel & help drug smuggelers in Japan & murderers in FL. let me give u a heads up “minee kolaich m’bechei v’eaiynayich m’dimah kee “AYIN” sochor lepeulasaych. u will be treated like road kill ,everyone will stop to look but no one is going to touch it.our childrens blood is being spilled and its given less intrest then an Egla Arufa .Im passed caring
Your all wecome to move to this public town, il even ask my wife to bake you cookies… Feel free to bring with your plasma TV, go to the movies after all it’s a public town like the five towns or Flatbush.. But remamber you are responsable for your childs chinuch! Not me!
Everyone please stop the nasty talk, how is Moshiach supposed to come with all tis hatred. Secondly to all the parents of BYE, your kids will be placed in local Mosdos, I know for a fact that most of the Mosdos will take all of your children in. It might take some time, but Lakewood is blessed to have such dedicated askonim, who work day and night for the klal.
Part of comment 51 was edited
I don’t know who goes to Bais Yaakov, but it is only 70 children. I do know there are 100’s more children in all the other schools in Lakewood. I do know that most people dress with proper clothes and some do not. I not believe that only those who do not dress properly only send their children to Bais Yaakov. I think it is terrible for the girls who were doing so well to have their school closed in mid year with no other options. I know of a school that this this several years ago and it was much smaller, but it was also bad for the girls. I hope the school can reopen and flourish for the sake of the girls and Lakewood. I have no girls in any school in Lakewood so I am not nogeia b’dovor.
I think in general people in Lakewood care. But you need to understand that Lakewood was not founded to be a town like Flatbush or the 5 Towns or Monsey. Lakewood was founded on the Yeshiva, and people like me who moved here close to 30 years ago did so because of a connection to the Yeshiva and what it stood for. It is for that reason we didn’t move to Flatbush or Monsey. Fast forward 30 years and Lakewood today is a town. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is for another discussion. But as the town has grown so has the diversity grown. It is difficult to place the responsibility of providing schooling on the “town” for every diverse need. Look at the growth of Chasidim in Lakewood today. You would be hard pressed to find a Shtrimul on the streets of Lakewood 20 years ago. Today you would be hard pressed to miss one… The Chassidic groups that came to Lakewood didn’t put the onus on the town to provide education for their children. Their children either conformed to the general population or they built schools that conformed to their Chinuch needs and Hashkafa. I think the diversity in Lakewood is here to stay, but each group needs to either conform or build and support their own schools, the “town” can’t do that for you. Either way, welcome and you have my support… Eyin Ponim LaTorah.
I think it would be cool if u open your own website . maybe call it kim’s rants and raves .
it is very true. people have to be as resonsble for their share and their needs as muich as they can. askonim should only have to get involved for people who are in a tzorah that regular people cannot handle , or to help a tzibbur get on the same page and do something together.
i just want to add a differnt point. forget about all the issues of hashfaka. where is the responsibility of the BYE parants? for $10000 and child they would have $700000 and could easily save the school. it is a school that is mainly people who are not in kollel or rabbiem .
So you expect to close down your school because you dont want to pay, and the yeshiva yungeliet should bail you out????????????
This school seems to have great teachers, Rebbaiim, and principals, what they are missing is a building. anyone have any ideas?
Everybody welcomes every othern Yid to live here . But if you move here for cxheaper housing or whatever reason ,yiu are responsible to educate your children or find them a school . You must know tjat there is no kehila system in Lakewood and there are no schools that are kehila funded . So you are on your own . when Chasidim moved to Lakewood they realized they have to make their own schools . Whover moves here has to know that therev are is no entitlement here to automatically get space for your kids in a school like in the public school system . Our system of volunteers opening up private school means that you are on your own .
I dont get it.
We have money for everthing but for this we have excuses.
I am happy to come up with money and invite others to join me.
The school closed because of financial difficulities they inherited from th eprevious Betzalel school. Since it was Bais Yaakov, the parent body pulled its share of the burden as far as they could. It’s still not fair to have the innocent kids suffer like this. All the schools say the same thing– “I’d love to take you, but…I won’t be the first to do so”.
What is wrong with that picture???
And by the way, kollel families could probably afford a little more for tuition being as they live off the govt programs, but that was covered in the Jersey care segment. Us working folk get the raw end of all the deals.
Don’t we have hundreds of comments from all the know-it-all people saying how much money the school owners make? So why not open a new school and make some$$$ ??
I moved from ny a few years ago and want to thank the community for accepting us for who we are. I don’t agree with some peoples standard of tznius. I think its too closedminded. I think I dress fine. And why don’t you want my daughter. What does my dress have to do with accepting my daughter to school?
To H. Chanie:
Not commenting on whether I agree or not but as a parent and grandparent I would say that the level of Tznius of parents have a great impact on my children. Tznius is a very complex issue because we live in a society that is so alluring to us and our children. There is no area more difficult for a parent than Tznius. Children and in particular girls use dress to express their individuality and as a way of building their perception of their self-esteem. If a mother of a girl dresses in a way that some may find provocative, whether you agree with it or not will influence her child to want to emulate that dress and the child other children in her class. When it comes to a style of dress that some feel is suggestive but conforms to the letter of the law it becomes even more difficult. It is very hard to explain to a child why something that is “technically” permissible (it covers all the requires areas) but is designed to draw attention in ways that are incompatible with the Torah. So while I don’t agree with some of the Tzius Chumros, I certainly understand why a parent wants girls and a parent body (no pun intended) that adhere to their standards.
I run a boys school in town and want to tell you that most people do not realize what it cost to run a school. Insurance and taxes and supplies are endless! It really costs atleast 2-3 thousand more than tuition to run a school beside for needing constant building donations
Trust Me it is no picinic!
Rabosai . The fun hasnt started yet . in a few years we are going to have an additional 6 or 7000 kids entering the Mosdos and nowhere near enough schools . Maybe we will have to use some of the new Steak Houses to teach the kids in .
If people dont realize the cost it is because they DONT WANT TO KNOW . If the public school costs are 15,000 per kid just for secular studies ,even if you factor in a lot of waste and fat ,it is obvious that it takes a lot more than 3 or 4,000 to give a good education for both KODESH and Chol
WHY DON’T you JUST TAKE MY COMMENT OUT
Its a free country I can dress how I want and it gives no right to reject by wonderful daughter from having a jewish education.
I would edit all of Kim’s comments, if you have to post any.
Could you please explain to me what was offensive about a statement that we dont have a Kehila school tax and therefore nobody can be assured of a school like they are in European kehilos . Why was that posted and then deleted ?
this is an emergency. Lets stop bickering and start working. Would everyone who kvetches here volunteer to help start a new school for these girls????
To H. Chanie:
You are correct, it is a free country and you can dress how you like… but the same free country give a school the right to accept who they want as well…
If I’m within halacha you have no right to tell me what to do