Today, April 19, 2024, the United States Congress and the President celebrate Education and Sharing Day, an annual day of recognition celebrating the essential role that education plays in the advancement of American society. Yeshiva education in particular is at the heart of this special day: the holiday is observed on the 11th Day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, the birthday of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe (most commonly known as “the Rebbe”), in honor of his commitment to spreading justice and promoting human rights through education.  The holiday began in 1 ..read more

YAFFED Executive Director Beatrice Weber testified at the New York State Legislature Joint Budget Hearing on Education, on Thursday, February 1, 2024. The testimony detailed YAFFED’s advocacy for funding of mandated services aid for schools to be expanded to include administrative costs of demonstrating compliance with substantial equivalency law, as well as support for educational remediation programming to benefit current and former students of yeshivas that fail to meet substantial equivalency standards. Watch her remarks below: Senator Liz Krueger of the 28th Senate District expresse ..read more

Video of a presentation on August 17, 2023 at City & State’s Education In New York Summit by YAFFED Executive Director Beatrice Weber about the progress that YAFFED has made over the last year and the continued work necessary to ensure that all children in Hasidic and Haredi schools receive an education. The post YAFFED Executive Director Beatrice Weber addresses the 2023 City & State “Education In New York” Summit appeared first on Yaffed ..read more

Beatrice Weber describes the inadequate secular education being provided to thousands of children in New York City. As executive director of YAFFED, Ms Weber talks about her own experiences: her desire for an education, her case against a New York City school for failure to provide a secular education – which she won – and YAFFED’s mission to improve the quality of secular education in Hasidic and Haredi yeshivas. Recording Date 06/14/2023 First Air Date 08/09/2023 Ronnie M. Eldridge, articulate, outspoken, and passionate member of the New York City Council from 1989 to 2001, hosts this serie ..read more

Recorded at City Lore on July 11, 2023, “Yeshiva Stories” is a storytelling event hosted by YAFFED, featuring yeshiva grads sharing their educational experiences. Click here to share your own story with us or visit https://yeshivastudents.com/ The post WATCH: “Yeshiva Stories” Event Recording appeared first on Yaffed ..read more

Today is a monumental day in the fight for a sound basic education in all Yeshivas. Per orders from State Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) must submit by June 30th, 2023 the completed report of its investigation into the quality of secular education offered at 28 NYC yeshivas. These are a small subset of the many yeshivas across the City whose refusal to provide even a basic secular education flies in the face of both morality and law. Although NY State education law stipulates that private school education must be “at least substantially eq ..read more

YAFFED Executive Director Beatrice Weber, Human Rights Attorney Julie F. Kay, and NYC Comptroller Brad Lander discuss education and family justice in Hasidic and Haredi communities. Moderated by Former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger. Recorded March 21, 2023, at The 92nd Street Y, New York The post WATCH: Jewish Education Justice – Why All New Yorkers Should Care appeared first on Yaffed ..read more

On the holiday of Shavuot, which starts tonight on the evening of May 25, Jewish people all over the world celebrate the acceptance of the Torah and its commandments. Among the many teachings within the Torah, there exists a significant Mitzvah (commandment) that is essential to ensuring the success of future generations: the commandment to teach one’s child a trade. We must acknowledge the significance of an education that includes the study of more than just traditional religious texts, and the academic institutions that play an essential role in providing that education.  The commandme ..read more

Last week, at a fundraiser for the TeachNYS Coalition, a project of the Orthodox Union, New York City Mayor Eric Adams offered praise of yeshiva education system telling the assembled crowd: “We need to be duplicating what you are achieving”.  In making this comment, the Mayor once again reduced the horrific issue of educational neglect to a simple lie: that yeshivas are exemplars of excellence, even though many of them refuse to teach Math or English.  TeachNYS is a coalition that represents yeshivas who offer, in most cases, a full secular education. Some of these yeshivas are mode ..read more

Last week, the New York State budget was voted through by legislators and signed into effect by Governor Kathy Hochul, after negotiations pushed its completion a month past its April 1 due date.  This annual budget totals $229 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs from April 1 2023-March 31 2024. And while there is always plenty within the budget to analyze in the days leading up to and after it gets passed, one key aspect that is of particular importance to YAFFED is language that nearly made its way into the budget bill, but failed to. This was a result of lobbying efforts th ..read more