The Jewish Home | NOVEMBER 16, 2017
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Around the Community
HAFTR HS Open House
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AFTR High School opened its doors to more than 350 people on Sunday, November 12. Prospective members of HAFTR’s Class of 2022 attended alongside their parents to learn more about the Modern Orthodox Yeshiva located in Cedarhurst. More than 80 families from other neighborhood schools attended the event and all were introduced to the wonderful experiences that their children will have at HAFTR High School. Visitors learned about the unique and individualized educational opportunities that HAFTR High School has to offer both in general and Judaic studies. The day’s program began with speeches from the HAFTR High School Principals Ms. Naomi Lippman and Rabbi Gedaliah Oppen, in addition to short presentations by Jillian Mestel, Aliza Gettenberg and Joseph Kaufman, current HAFTR students. There was standing room only in the High School auditorium as guests listened to the presenters and watched a unique video pre-
sentation which highlighted the institution. Parents spent the remainder of the morning sitting in on four model lessons which included presentations by Directors of our College and Israel Guidance Departments, as well as an intriguing conversation with Dr. Hinda Krinsky, our Literacy Coordinator, and a current events lesson from Mr. Jason Gelman, Chairman of our Social Studies Department. Students were divided into six groups where they ventured on a virtual tour of the school, followed by a Q & A session with current HAFTR High School student representatives. The program culminated with an extraordinary lunch served to both parents and students in the current HAFTR High School Scott Satran Arena, where High School students and faculty members showcased the various extracurricular activities available at HAFTR High. We look forward to welcoming all of these new families to the HAFTR High School community.
Teach NYS and Five Towns Tackles the Tuition Crisis
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n Shabbos Parshas Toldos, November 18, Young Israel of Woodmere and The Irving Place Minyan will host a speaking series after Mussaf entitled, “Tackling the Tuition Crisis.” Maury Litwack, executive director of the Orthodox Union’s Teach Advocacy Network, and Annie Watman, director of Teach NYS’ Grassroots Engagement, will provide a comprehensive overview of the tuition crisis, describe efforts to gain equitable funding through local and state governments, and offer ways people can get involved. They’ll share solutions that have worked and what we need to do as a community. A community-wide panel discussion on the tuition crisis will be held in Young Israel of Woodmere on Motzei Shabbos at 8:30pm
and will feature Maury Litwack, Chavie Kahn, Director of Day School Initiatives at UJA Federation, and Asher Mansdorf, Vice President of Board of Ed on the Lawrence school board. The Teach Advocacy Network is dedicated to securing government funding to ensure that Jewish schools are safe and fairly funded. They also fight for equitable government funding, tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts to make a difference for our students, families and schools. According to Litwack, the tuition crisis, as it’s now being referred to, has been getting worse over the last 15-20 years. “The costs of education have been going up rapidly,” Litwack told The Jewish Link. “The cost of
tuition is pricing some people out of providing their children with a Jewish education. Some families are being forced to rethink vacations, cost of living and in some cases, how many children they have. It’s affecting people’s way of life.” “For the long-term sustainability of Jewish life, you need Jewish education. We need to make that as affordable and attainable as possible,” Litwack reflected. “There’s an understanding that this is a crisis. But a crisis requires serious investment of time and involvement over the same period. For those who want to make a meaningful difference, there’s a lot that they can learn at the program. For those who want to move beyond discussion around dining room tables this is going to be an excellent
forum to do so. Jewish education should be a communal responsibility.” Teach Advocacy operates in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland and California, covering 186,000 children. Thanks to their efforts, 450 day schools and yeshivas receive government funding. To learn more about Teach Advocacy, the tuition crisis or how to get involved in solving it, visit www. teachadvocacy.org. The event is free and open to the public. Maury Litwack will speak at Young Israel of Woodmere located at 859 Peninsula Blvd. in Woodmere. Annie Watman will speak at The Irving Place Minyan located at 111 Irving Pl. in Woodmere.