Re: Secular Teachers Go On Strike at Bais Rivka

On Sep 9, 9:28 am, "Giorgies E. Geshahnna" <geshah...@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
On Sep 9, 8:22 am, "J J Levin" <jjle...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:





"Giorgies E. Geshahnna" <geshah...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in messagenews:1189304578.364199.319870@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Sep 7, 4:50 pm, Yisroel Markov <ey.mar...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
No English Classes for Bais Rivka Students - Until Further Notice
Author: Webby
Category: Communal Matters

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [CHI] - A recorded message on the Bais Rivka,
Campus Chomesh call line informed parents that 'due to technical
difficulties Pre-1a through 8th grade will only have Hebrew classes
12:00pm starting Wednesday Chof Bais Elul until further notice'.

CrownHeights.info received dozens of emails from fuming parents saying
things such as 'will Bais Rivka reimburse the parents for the
babysitters, along with loss of work to have to rearrange for someone
to be home to pick up the kids?' along with statements such as 'How
can they do this?'.

CrownHeights.info received word that the technical difficulties are
stemming from the English teachers going on strike due to 'lack of
pay' and that it is expected to last until the matter will be resolved
with the Bais Rivka Administration.

If anyone reading this group is a parent of a pupil in this school,
they already know all about this. And for all the rest of us, I can't
think a any reason why we would need to know this. Lack of funds to
pay teachers ia unfortunately a not uncommonm thing in Jewish schools
these days. Why did you post this? And just before Selichos in the
bargain!. I can't imagine what the Habads may hgave done to you to
make you this angry at them. Shame on you Mr Markov. You have your
work cut out for you during this penitential period.

Giorgies
too angry to thing of anything to append

Why do you have a problem with propagating news of public interest? This is
Jewish education. If Americans are being killed in Iraq, will you say that
the parents and family know who was killed, so what's the use of putting it
in the papers? Or if someone was arrested for drugs or for a burglary or
murder -- welll, he knows, his lawyer knows, the victims' families know, so
why publish it?

Wrong, my friend. We live in an age where public opinion is forceful and at
times very necessary.

Specifically as regards teachers, I can't comment on how much teachers at
Bais Rivka make, but generally speaking, I would say that teachers
(especially in Israel) are woefully underpaid and there are always strikes
(in Israel). When you read in the papers of how much they are actually
making, you feel like going out and demonstrating with them. It's barely
above the poverty level.

Mr Markov has a long history of publishing news here that reflects
badly on Habad and its institutions.

I've never really noticed that. IMHO, Mr. Markov has a long history
of interesting and inciteful posts generally exhibiting a great deal
of respect for all people.

I have little doubt, no doubt at
all actually, that this was his agenda here. I would imagine that
there are numerous private Jewish schools all over the world that are
having trouble paying their teachers. But Mr Markov is not interested
in the teachers and their plight. He goes trawling in Habad dirt
sheets to find dirt on Habad institutions which he feels we must all
know about.

Actually, this story is just one example of the crisis in Jewish
education today. As comments to the story indicate, the parents have
been bled dry paying for the school. No child whose parents were
behind in payment was admitted to the school for this academic year.
Tuition is high. Yet there *still* is not enough money to pay the
teachers. Where is the money going?

This can be said of so many Jewish schools these days. My son's
school costs about $18,000 per year. High schools are now more than
$25,000 per year (please correct me if I'm wrong, chsw). Perhaps I am
forutnate to have only one child; if we had been blessed with more
(and for the record, I still cry myself to sleep many nights over the
fact that we were not), I highly doubt we could have afforded
tuition. Yet the teachers are not particularly well paid or, in many
cases, well qualified. Why is that? And what can we, as parents or
members of the community, do to change that?

Universal questions, my friend. Universal.

Karen Elizabeth


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