Update on Ateres Tziporah school

With school starting this week, many have been contacting TLS inquiring as to the status of the closed Ateres Tzipora school.

Since its closure, a group of dedicated Askonim have been working around the clock to ensure the children are not left behind.

Askonim tell TLS there are a number of different plans being formulated, and more information will be released once a final plan is agreed upon.

“The girls have not been forgotten,” one Askan intimately involved in the plans told TLS.

We will continue to provide updates as they are officially released.

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46 COMMENTS

  1. No school has any right to open. This is lakewood machla.while some are clothing shopping and over the top with clothing.. (never mind the prices) some girl is getting destroyed. Shame on all of us. Lakewood,as long as you have your duplex your happy?

  2. While I appreciate the dedicated askanim, the lack of communication is incredibly frustrating. Us parents are alone with no one to turn to. Some people provide a phone number, which we call and either get a voicemail or a harried individual on the other end who says they “are working on it.” Some provided an email address which never responded.
    Every time I walk in my door, my daughter asks hopefully “Any news?” And I put on a brave face and I smile and I say “Not just yet shaifela”. I’m broken inside. I can handle pretty much anything you can throw at me, but I can’t handle my daughter’s anxiety of being without a school.
    How hard would it be to hire someone for a few weeks to reach out to everyone without a school. To let us know they are working on it, and to provide updates. It would cost a few thousand dollars probably, but isn’t that worth it? I’m sitting in my car now because I don’t want to walk in my house and tell my daughter again that I have no news. School starts in a day and a half. Shame.

  3. To Yisroel

    It’s very brave of you to bash other schools. My question to you is what exactly YOU are doing to help? Are you going around to your friends and neighbors to collect money to keep this and other schools open ? Are you contributing yourself ? Are you working with others to try and start new schools for the major shortage in schools that we have ? Or is it just your responsibility to sit behind your keyboard and tell other people what to do or not to do ?

  4. @AT Parent I feel for you, but why don’t YOU volunteer to be the spokesman! I love how everyone feels that others should spend the money, but are unable to even provide time. BTW, if you volunteer, I can assure you that you will resign very quickly, as you will be harassed even more than the Sarah Hucakabee Sanders!

  5. Shame on all of us. Where is our heart in not providing comfort and personal hope to these parents. I thought the hanhala of ateres tzipora would provide that. I understand they had to close but cant they at least be with all the patents emotionaly until all is worked out? Not one student in this town should show up to school until every one of these girls have a school. Not one of the parents should send their children until a solution is found. Isnt it all for one and bond for all? Where is our feeling for their pain? Where are the leaders of this town? Are they crying or are they to busy preparing shiur? No shiur until a school is found for every child! Dont stand idly by while some of our children are being left out!

  6. this is one of the great causes of girls going OTD.
    Girls High Schools asking girls to leave or making them feel unwelcome and unwanted is the biggest cause. As long as there are no viable alternatives for these girls which number well over 100, it is a terrible sin that school owners, principals, and school rabbinical boards are doing. When they get up to Shomayim after 120, they will beheld accountable. They all give drashos how every Neshama is part of 1 unified unit, Achdus, Kol Yisrael Areivim …, but when it comes to practice, it’s a different story. that alone makes girls wonder about the truth.. Until there are other real alternatives in place, anyone in such a position is partially responsible for each one of these girls and the snowball effect that it has on families, friends, and future generations. There are valid points to their side, but until there are real alternatives it’s shfichas domim and many other serious transgressions aside from a great Chillul Hashem that Lakewood is looked at in such a light (even if some of it is due to jealousy). Asidim Litein Es Hadin

    • Well that is very judgemental of you. It is very east to identify a problem, finding a solution is an entirely different story. The fact is existing schools are bursting at the seams. I remember when 20 students per class were the norm, then 24, 26, and now 30.

      How many students per class do you want each school t have 40, 50. 80? At what point does it become untenable (an argument can be made that class sizes are already too large).

      I can relate to an extent with these families, I have gone through my own personal drama in getting children into schools (and have friends and family members that have dealt with this as well). I feel horrible for them and hope their is a quick resolution. But the fact is, recognizing a problem is a lot easier than finding a solution.

      People try to compare this to out of town schools where they don’t have this issue, but there are significant differences.

      1) No other place has experienced the rapid growth that Lakewood has

      2) Most out of town Mosdos are communal mosdos, with local askanim providing financial support and actually being in charge of the school via it’s board. That being the case, these askanim actually have authority to insure that the schools function as communal Mosdos

      That ship has long sailed in Lakewood, and it is partially due to the massive growth that occurred. The schools rely primarily on tuition and multiple donors for funding. In the vast majority of schools, there are no wealthy askanim who take the financial burden of the schools upon their own shoulders. As a result, askanim including the Vaad, have limited influence on the schools.

      At the same time, you can’t blame the school owners, as they don’t want to be the next school that closes down.

      Problems are easy to identify, solutions, not so easy.

  7. I share your pain. I cannot even say I am waiting for a call. I am aggressively pleading with schools for my daughter (primary). I just cry and cry not in front of her because I am a wreck that every door is closed. Applied to 7 schools only 4 gave me an interview, all 7 INSIST they are maxed out with no room. For weeks now I have every person I know (including Roshei Yeshivos, Rabbonim, Ashirim and askonim) making calls for me. DEAD END. I have gone down to the schools in person to beg and told nobody is available to meet with me. I am on the Vaad list (whatever that means and who is really on this vaad other then 1 person) and still nothing. I went and bought uniforms to a few schools so my adorable 5 year old at least thinks she is in a school just her parents didnt choose the best one yet, hoping that I will get into a school and at least have the uniform so my daughter doesn’t miss a day

    I am desperate, feel all alone, knowing others say they are trying but in the end it is me who is suffering. No idea what to do. It’s horrible

  8. I would like to make a peaceful demonstration in front of the leaders of this communities homes. At least put out a statement that you feel the pain. Total silence? Contat TLS with a kol korah giving some chizuk to these parents! Speak up! I hear the Navi cry out when the nation is in pain! There are a 100 girls crying now in this town! The shechinah is crying! We should all be crying! No school should open until the rest of this town has a school for every one of their children! Principals and teachers! put out a statement that you are with the parents and will not open until all have a school! What else can I do or say to get through to your hearts??

  9. To all the victim bashers,

    Why don’t you outline what we can do because I have tried calling and e-mailing everyone I know who I thought could help get someone in a school and once they realized why I contacted them, there’s no response other than “we’re working on it” and then ignored.
    I admit I am not capable of opening my own school nor can I fund one. Does that mean whoever cannot do so has to sit and be quiet?
    Don’t sit behind your keyboard and blame the victim.

  10. Really we are discussing two very different problems and issues in the comments here. My heart breaks for the mother in the comment above who has applied to SEVEN (omg!) schools and still has nowhere to send her daughter on the eve of school opening. This is a real problem in our town without an easy answer. It is a monster and no one knows how to tame it. Schools are bursting at the seams as we all know, but people are being destroyed in the rejection process here. Who decides who and what is rejected? Absolutely horrible.
    But then there is another problem. The problem which I believe the school we are dealing with falls into. I have been living in this town for many years and I keep seeing the same thing play out over and over. Whether it is right or wrong is debatable, but schools that open to cater to a “different” parent body, family or clientele than the regular Lakewood Yeshivish system DO NOT succeed here. Some of the schools last a year or two. Some a bit longer. But they just go out of business. It’s a fact. Elementary school. High school. It does not matter. They don’t last. Oh yes, it would be wonderful to be idealistic and have it the way we were when we were kids. Where everyone in the class was different, we didn’t insist on this dumb cookie cutter attitude and we didn’t judge everyone, size them up and snob them out. But guess what? That is not happening anymore. Image has become more important than the student, their needs and frankly being a mentsch. But it just is. If you open a school for all the parents who want to dress the way they want to, act the way they want to, vacation where and how they want to, we will end up exactly where we are today with this last school to crash and burn. Every single time. So as much as this hurts, and it really should hurt every caring person, a reality check is in order. And until people in one of the surrounding towns maybe realize and build a school “out there” for that clientele and stop leaning on Lakewood, we will be cleaning up the same mess a dozen more times. My heart goes out to everyone left stranded. But the sooner everyone wakes up, the better off this will be in the future.

    • Your first comment was a blanket complaint to every resident of Lakewood, so this is quite a walkback. My advice to you, stop while you’re still not so far behind and get off your computer.

  11. The pain. The heartache. The depression. It’s tangible. As a feisty mother who has been tirelessly pushing and trying, I can attest to the fact that zero has been accomplished and school starts tomorrow. No school of over 100 schools has come forward to accept any girls. No school owner is willing to administrate this school as an aon to his own. Even money is offered to schoolowners to reestablish Ateres Tziporah. Yet no one has taken the plunge. These are 150 Jewish mothers.

  12. following up on previous comment about girls going OTD. This past several months alone have seen over 50 girls told that they are no longer welcome in their Lakewood High School.
    Where do you think this all ends up.
    More Chillul Shabbos
    More boy-girls hanging out
    Very low Tznius levels around town.
    over 50 percent of these girls end out Mechalel Shabbos

    it also brings about a lot more Frum lifestyle bashing which is an unfortunate phenomenon that is gaining hold in Lakewood.

    • Are you sure? 50 girls were expelled from high school at the beginning of the school year?

      Idk why you would mention the other problems, just the fact that they are out of school is already the problem.

      There is nothing I can feasibly do, except a kapittel of tehillim, but let’s hope that will be what we need. Maybe TLS should have people be mekabel kapitlach, just like they do for a sick person or another tragedy

  13. I feel absolutely terrible for families without schools. I can’t offer money but as a therapist, I’m wondering if would be helpful if I offer a free session to those families?
    Not sure if is tangibly helpful, the girls need schools, they need action, but I’m wondering if would be helpful for parents?

  14. I was one of the mothers asking TLS to update us on Ateres Tziporah kids eithout schools. I am NOT an Ateres Tziporah mom but I’m feeling terrible for you all and hope something is done soon! My girls (with a school BH) have been saying tehillim for ur girls… Klal yisroel in lkwd need to join together now. I’m fine with schools not starting until all girls have a place. Lets do this!!

  15. I was just wondering, if 2000 lakewood residence each contribute $100 each. We could raise in one day $200,000. Would that be enough to reopen the school? I’m sure that could all be done in one day. If not, we can still all contribute $100, so that we now have in escrow $200,000. So if there is 100 girls that do not have any school as of yet. Perhaps each school will take five girls And each girl would receive $2000 to give to the schools. Every five girls will bring in $10,000 to the schools, besides the tuition that they have to pay. Maybe that would be an incentive for the schools to each take five girls and get $10,000 upfront. Do you think that might somewhat solve this crisis? It could be done in one day if that would be of help. Please post your comments if that is of help.

    • And what would happen next year, another $100 donation from each resident of Lakewood (likely that number would grow each year). Add that to the increasing expenses every family in Lakewood has (rising taxes, their own annual increases in tuition every year, rising inflation etc), How many Lakewood residents aren’t even paying full tuition in the schools they send their own children to?

      Yeah, you are being naive.

  16. The problem is / has always been that there are B”H many people in Lakewood, with K”H many children, but the schools can not deal with the demand, and the cost of opening and running a new school is huge. Couple that with the fact that most people are learning / klei kodesh so therefore do not have the funds to open & run a new school. The existing schools are literally bursting at full capacity.
    (The mis/management of existing lakewood school system is another whole issue, but to me its only the failed band aid on an already infected wound. )
    If you can open and run a new school – Kol Hakavod.

  17. There are plenty of high school girls like my daughter that are without a school ,out on the street this is horrible and I feel alone and disillusioned and frustrated from this whole school system and I am not new to lakewood I have been living in Lakewood for the past 20 years since I got married.

  18. EVERY CHILD in Lakewood deserves an education and the schools who dont think these girls are “good enough” for their standards and deny admission should be ashamed of themselves.

  19. So sorry to hear what is going on. There are many Jewish communities out there. Perhaps the answer for some families is to move to another town/city where they will not have to go through these tzaros.

    Perhaps consider moving to the country year round where people go for the summers. There is small day school near Monticello, NY, with wonderful teachers called the Hebrew Day School of Sullivan County.There is a girls’ high school called Tiferes Lea, which may have a similar derech as Ateres Tziporah.

    The shul in Woodridge, NY, which is a few minutes from these schools, has a year round minyan where achdus and Ahavas Yisrael is paramount. Everyone is welcome!

    Of course, it is not easy to pick up and move as parnasa is needed. But it may be an answer for some. (Monsey is about an hour and fifteen minutes from these two schools.)

    Hatzlacha rabbah to everyone!

  20. Why don’t our leaders lead by example? This tells not just these girls but all that if leaders don’t practice what they preach why should I listen to them. How can a principal preach to love every Jew when they themselves are having Bnos Yisroel cry themselves to sleep every night? It’s a Chillul Hashem.

  21. Chilul Hashem on many levels.
    Cause of Chilul Shabbos in more ways than most people not in that situation can fathom
    These girls that are rejected go from regular girls to mechaleli Shabbos in a matter of weeks

  22. For all those who wanna raise funds, this school is NOT closing due to lack of funds. Funds was one of the smaller problems. It just didnt work. @humbleopinion is, sadly, 100% right.

  23. I was going to leave a really nasty comment but I’ll just say it really boils down to who you know, not your own merit and middos. Everyone cries poverty yet the sheer numbers and volume of investment in gashmius is unfathomable. This is not the Lakewood of old

  24. Doing the same thing over and over again the same way expecting different results is insanity. Stop threatening to send you children to public school. Just do it. You have the majority on the BOE, and among the voters, you can shape the public school system to your liking.

  25. It’s very easy to get caught up in giving everyone else mussar. But now you have an opportunity to actually do something concrete. If you can’t contribute money
    But now you have an opportunity to actually do something concrete. If you can’t contribute money, then say a kapittel tehillim for their success.

  26. Just wondering. There are some very, very wealthy people out there like the owners of Meridian and Lightstone. Are any of them able to help? By that I mean, to pay toward a really well designed school with great faculty designed to accept with an out-of-town attitude? It would also help the we-are-full issue.

    If a delegation of Roshei Yeshiva meet them they can probably accomplish big things.

  27. I would be happy to have up to six girls learn in my home school if you could create a group of motivated, tznius girls. They can learn with me until they find a better option. I would need to meet with the parents first tomorrow. Call Mrs Holtzberg for more details. 718 812 0152. Rabbi M.M. Lowy is my reference. 416 783 3869

  28. If the askanim have no plan I will take over the school. Please put me in touch with askanim so they could help me out to continue the school. I cant stand by and watch this tragedy. I will need alot of help from the entire community as I have no money or resources. All I have is a caring heart for my brothers and sisters. Please email me [email protected]

  29. My comments weren’t offensive.told it the way it is.what right do we have to celebrate a siyum Hashas when we are destroying lives.both parents and children?

  30. As I prepare my children for school, my heart breaks at the thought that not every child in Lakewood has a school for tomorrow. As I don’t know these children personally, I wish there was something I can do!

  31. the excuse here that I see is there is not enough money to go around. Let me inform the olam that this is false. Somehow people have money to got o the country, support their sushi habit (total luxury), eat out at high end resturaunts, drive fancy cars, build fancy houses to feed their egos, give to all other types of mosdos (we even have one that pays people to chazer their learning), support out of town mosdos, make lavish chasunas with full bands, take vacations to europe, spend 2k on ata horaisa simchas torah, need I go on. But their is no money to keep a school open? Please

  32. With all due respect Mrs Holtzberg ( and I really mean it), what you are offering sounds noble but you are part of the problem. By you saying “I would need to meet with the parents first”, you are saying that you don’t just want to help the Yiddishe neshamos without understanding their respective backgrounds. When the schools meet the parents and decide not to accept the child because of the parents hashkafos, everyone screams at the schools & says the schools are the reason for this problem. So what are you doing different? Just take 6 tznius girls and homeschool them without meeting the parents

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