Calling on its constituencies to take on the role of activists, the Orthodox Union (OU) has announced the launch of a national grassroots mobilization effort to confront the single most important issue facing observant families: The Day School Crisis. The week-long “Days of Action” (November 13-15), culminating with an Advocacy Dinner keynoted by school choice advocate Newark Mayor Cory Booker, will empower and engage families to achieve a solution to the K-12 affordability challenge.
“Sending our children to day school is paramount to the Jewish faith – it preserves our identity and culture, strengthens our community, and most importantly offers children a first-rate education,” stated Dr. Simcha Katz, Orthodox Union President. “Yet, this tenet of our faith is being threatened by current economic pressures, which literally are placing a Jewish education out of reach for middle-class families.”
“Although the OU has been leading the fight for solutions such as tax credits and government support for tuition affordability, there is a need to demonstrate much stronger communal support to engage legislators on this topic – thus the launch of a new grassroots initiative,” added Dr. Katz. “It is vital to the success of this new initiative and to a solution to the crisis that everyone within our own community participates in the events scheduled from November 13 through 15. It’s the best opportunity to become educated, involved, and empowered to act.”
In a series of events, culminating in an Advocacy Dinner at the Sheraton New York Hotel featuring Newark Mayor Cory Booker as Keynote Speaker, participants will engage with leadership from the OU, nationally recognized experts and advocates on school choice, legislators from the respective states, and leaders from other national faith-based and minority organizations who also seek solutions to this crisis. The Week also will feature a rally at the War Memorial in Trenton, NJ on Tuesday, November 13 and an Advocacy Luncheon at the Sheraton New York Hotel on Thursday, November 15. Legislative events and advocacy training will be conducted in Houston, TX on Tuesday, November 13, and Bala Cynwyd, PA on Wednesday, November 14.
It is estimated that a nonpublic education costs approximately $18,000 annually, per pupil. For a family with three children, these educational costs greatly exceed the national median income before even factoring in property taxes and other forms of taxation that fund public education systems. At the same time, a reduction in day-school enrollment – Yeshiva enrollment was down 3-percent from last year – threatens to increase class size and cost in public schools.
“If individuals are going to make a difference in their own lives and that of their families, they must make their voices heard – and that starts with participation in this vital new initiative,” urged Dr. Katz. “We need everyone to attend and participate – to become an activist.”
New Jersey/New York Schedule
What: National “Days of Action”on the Day School Crisis
When: November 13 – 15, 2012
Where: Rally at The Trenton War Memorial – Tuesday, November 13
Featured Speakers: Assemblyman Gary Schaer; Senator Tom Kean, Jr.
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
1 Memorial Drive
Trenton, New Jersey
OU Luncheon and Day of Action – Thursday, November 15
Featured Speakers: James Cultrara, Assemblyman Karim Camara, Robert “Rob” Enlow (Note bios below)
12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sheraton New York Hotel
811 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY
OU Advocacy Dinner – Thursday, November 15
Keynote Speaker: Newark Mayor Cory Booker
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sheraton New York Hotel
811 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY
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4 Responses
The growing population of Muslims in the USA, are also upset, that they have to send their children to public secular schools. Their children grow up to be too moderate and lukewarm in their religious Islam beliefs. Muslim children educated in the Middle East tend to take their faith more seriously.
What the article, and the OU have failed to address is that the only solution to this problem is to increase the funding going towards education. At a time we are talking about eliminating or capping most tax deductions and credits there is zero liklihood of creating a NEW one costig billions of dollars without increasing the national deficit. To pass constitutional muster, any tax credit would have to be for ALL private schools, not just religious schools. They are NOT going to take away money from the public school system to pay for such tax credits. Thus, the OU will need to tell Mr. Romney and his Republican friends that millionaires and billionaires will have to pay more taxes to fund this important policy change.
Days of Action in NYC entails the following:
1) Day off from work
2) $200 for both lunch/dinner (per OU Email)
3) Rental of Room/Hall in Sheraton Hotal
4) Cost of train/parking etc to get there
This is supposed to help reduce tuition? Having Deli Sandwiches in NYC?
why is the problem day school tuition? why don’t we point at our “need” to live in upper middle class or luxury neighborhoods? compare the price of a house in a frum neighborhood to the new york median. when was the last time that a “hot new frum neighborhood” was a moderately priced apartment development where people live within their means?
ask any yeshiva executive director. it is common for people to buy a house they can’t afford and plead poverty to the yeshiva.
yeshiva tuitions represent our commitment to give our kids a decent education and their rebbeim and teachers a decent salary. for the product we receive the tuitions are a bargain. and every yeshiva i’ve ever dealt with was beyond considerate with scholarships.
this effort to beg government to pay our bills is sadly misguided, and like every government program we have joyously latched onto, will poison us in the end.