Comments on: Does the cost of Yeshiva Tuition upset you?

By: justanobody

justanobody — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:49:36 +0000

I say, shuvu, arachim, lev leachim, kupat hair, bonei olam, camp extreme, etc etc etc, are great tzedakos but… are we fixing the world at the expense of our own yeshivos? a) aniyei ircha and b) chayecha kodmim.
Also, we live in a society that supports public education via property taxes, we should do the same amongst our own community. This would help solve two problems, 1) the finances 2) discrimination in enrollment.

Did someone say $60,000 for a Rebbi? Can you tell me which Yeshiva that is?

By: kishke

kishke — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:18:04 +0000

School tax is obligatory on all residents, including those who don’t use the schools at all, such as seniors. By law, municipalities are obligated to provide schools, which can be funded only through taxes. The reasoning behind paying twice is that if you wish, you may avail yourself of the public schools. The fact that you choose not to is your own problem, not the township’s.

By: sheryl

sheryl — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 15:50:50 +0000

I ( like the rest of you ) get hit twice,
I pay so much for my kids (in tuition), and then I pay a big school tax for my neighbors goyish kids,
Could somebody explain to me why Jewish families that send to (jewish)private school still have to pay school tax,

I would argue, that if one could prove he pays tuition for private school – he should be exempt of paying school tax.

By: kishke

kishke — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:42:07 +0000

I’m tired of the wrongheaded idea that community mosdos should be the sole responsibility of the parents currently benefiting from them. It has been accepted for many years now that a Jewish education is for everyone, and that providing mosdos of limud haTorah is, and should be, a communal endeavor. The corollary to this is that mosdos haTorah deserve support from the entire community, and should be a high priority on every person’s tzedakah list.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. Thre are a host of competing, exciting tzedokos, which, while often (but not always) quite worthy, should not be placed above supporting schools, but too often are. If people would allocate more of their tzedakah to mosdos haTorah, they, and the parents, would be in much better shape.

By: outatowner

outatowner — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:15:22 +0000

yosher;
no one is putting the tuition responsibility on the parents. but if the parents have a little extra, then just as they help with mortgages and sleep away camps, they should help with tuitions, if they could, before someone else in the community being required to pay higher tuitions because of other kids’ scholarships. if the grandparents cannot possibly help then that’s okay too – but the responsibility should be on them before other school parents.

By: kishke

kishke — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:50:13 +0000

Everyone with kids in school gives Rosh Chodesh gelt. In the form of large tuition payments.

By: stan the man

stan the man — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:01:46 +0000

Rochel
Brooklyn is a drop in the bucket of NEW YORK STATE. Ever see the huge private schools in Westchester, Syracuse, Nyack, Albany, etc. You think “too myopic”, there are tons of private & parochial school in NYS.

By: 26 estates

26 estates — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:01:06 +0000

The Yeshiva administrator has EVERY right to ask you to help out. If you can please do if you can’t then don’t.

If you give with a smile and an open heart the Torah your children learn will be with a smile and an open heart.

If all your kids hear at home is Yeshiva bashing and you complaining about the system they will have the wrong attitiute towards their school. If they see and hear at home that you are always complaing or are always upset with their School / Rebbi / administrator etc. they will resent the school for causing you pain. Our children love us and want us to be happy so anything that causes us not to be happy will make them resent that. Let’s vent here but not at home.

By the way….how many people today are following the Halacha brought down in the Mishna Berura concerning Rosh Chodesh Gelt? For generations past, every month on Rosh Chodesh a bissila gelt was given to the melamdim. Can you imagine how good they would feel if every Rosh Chodesh they got just $20 from each child??? ($20 per child x 28 children per class = $560 a month = $5,600 a year on the side for the Rebbi – What a GREAT way to show our appreciation…..)

By: yosher

yosher — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:55:45 +0000

Just don’t blame the Yeshivas – it is a cop-out.

WHO IS BLAMING THE YESHIVAS??

Actually who is the Yeshivas if not us, the Jewish community???

But do not put the obligation of support on the parents!! As a parent the yeshiva administrator has no right to ask me to donate, yes donate, not more than my chelek in being a member of the jewish community.

The problen herein is that you you cannot force non parents to contribute and you have the parents by the “gergel” to pay or not have their children attend yeshiva.

The job is on the yeshiva administrator to resolve this and in the absence of a formal community to impose a tax on all frum jews (with and without children in yeshiva) to support our yeshivas and bais yakovs, it is indeed a very very difficult job to do.

By: 26 estates

26 estates — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:11:38 +0000

if you pay a Rebbi 60,000 a year and 1 english teacher 20,000 a year that gives you 80,000 in expenses. Divide that by lets say 28 kids in the class that means that just to pay the Rebbi and teacher it cost the Yeshiva 2,857 per child in the room.

Factor in the expenses for the mortgage, heat, electric, food, administrative staff, office staff, assistants, other faculty members, supplies, maintenance, janitorial, transportation and all other expenses a school has in order to operate……total all those annual expenses and then divide that total number by the number of students in the school….now add that number to the 2,857 already needed from each child and it is painfully obvious that NO yeshiva can cover it’s expenses without active fundraising.

Don’t say it is too complicated to figure it out. The truth is do this for your own family….take your annual expenses and divide that by the amount of people in your home and that will tell you what it costs you just to live in your own home.

B”H the RBS”O blesses Klal Yisroel with many large families. B”H there is are Mitzvos in the Torah that “obligate” us to give tzedakka, to lend money etc. B”H the RBS”O made some rich and B”H he made some not as rich…..we all need to do our share and be thankful for the opportunity. If it is hard for you and you need a scholarship ask for it. If it is easy for you and you can pay all your expenses and have left over funds then look around at your friends, neighbors, family and see who you can assist. Go to the school and say that you know so and so can use the help and offer to help.

Just don’t blame the Yeshivas – it is a cop-out. I myself have KA”H 7 children in school. My collective tuition bills are over 37,000 a year. It is nearly impossible to pay that based on what I earn. But you know what that is not the Yeshivas problem. It is mine. I choose to live in the community I live in. I choose to send my children to the schools they attend and I have to figure out how to make it work. I don’t blame the Yeshivos. I wish they couuld pay the Rabbeim and teachers more.