30 Nissan, 5777
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Official Statement from the Board of Beth Rivkah
On September 11, 2016 we were voted onto the Board of Directors of Beth Rivkah and, among other responsibilities, assumed the responsibility to make sure that teachers would be paid in a timely fashion. On February 10 our legal authority was challenged by the administrators. In order to avoid a Chilul Hashem, etc., we worked to quietly resolve the issues at hand in order to be able to resume our activities and fulfillment of our obligations unhindered.
After many deadlines came and went in our effort to remove the obstacles, there are still some technical details that need to be finalized and it seems that we are finally close to resolution and it will be finalized within the next few days.
We, who are also parents of students and teachers, understand the urgency of the situation very well and are working diligently to see it resolved ASAP so that our precious daughters can resume classes and our dear teachers can be paid up what is owed to them and be secure in knowing that they can count on their salaries being paid in a timely fashion.
One of the priorities of the Board is to implement structural changes in the administration and financial office of the school in order to assure that, with G-d’s help, we never have to experience such a crisis ever again.
When classes resume, IYH, we will then invite all parents and teachers to a meeting where we will share our vision for the immediate and long term future and see how we can proceed together to make a Keili for the Rebbe’s brochos to help move Beth Rivkah mechayil el choyil.
Please bear with us.
The Board
Thank you to the board of bais rivka for taking so much time out of your already busy day to get our kids back in school. I am shocked to read all these negative comments about the board. If everyone doesn’t know already, the only reasons that the teachers weren’t paid is because 1) so many parents are not paying full tuition or even at all. 2) stock and minkowitz take a hefty check for themselves every month. The board has given money from their own bank account to pay all the teachers for a few months now so everyone… Read more »
Frum Yidden ask a shaylah to a Rov before they do something, especially when it affects others. Did any Rov give a Heter for the teachers to strike?
Rest assured: There are many job applicants for teaching positions in our school. Every teacher is replaceable by many qualified and youthful applicants.
If you are truly the adminstration then why don’t you fire these “evil” teachers that are striking? These “Essential works” that you describe would have long ago left there job not stick around so long to need to strick. Perhaps no new teacher wants these positions seeing how you treat them and then blame them for the damage.
A teacher spends many hours preparing lessons, marking tests, calls to parents etc. The only preparation the pasta guy does is maybe washing his hands before doing his mindless work.
is dishing 12 hours a day. how many hours is teacher teaching?
The average annual salary for the person who dishes out pasta salad at my neighborhood deli is $24,646; the man who collects my garbage in the wee morning hours earns $38,028; and the guy who walks my neighbor’s dog makes a whopping $42,000. The teachers at my daughter’s Jewish preschool earn about $18,000 a year. The rabbis of the Midrash wrote, “If you see cities uprooted, know that it came about because they did not maintain teachers’ salaries.”
“If you see cities uprooted, know that it came about because they did not maintain teachers’ salaries.” ~~ Simeon b
These comments are all laughable and shameful. The desecration for Lubavitch and the Rebbe’s name immense. A total disaster all ar
When the teachers are paid the money owed, they are made whole again. They return to work. But the students cannot be made whole again for the days the school was closed. When the teachers get paid, and eventually they will, a significant amount must be DEDUCTED for each day that they damaged the students. In fact, the longer they strike, the less they are owed! We are deducting a significant amount from each teacher that is striking. Future contracts of BR teachers WILL include a clause that they are FORBIDDEN to strike, like ALL ESSENTIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS! Did you… Read more »
Just out of curiosity;
Do Satmar schools have these problems?
If they don’t, how do you manage to avoid them?
Perhaps an outside perspective on how to handle these issues, might be refreshing and possibly point the way to new and better ways of doing things.
It can’t hurt just to discuss it.
Why arent the leaders of our community doing anything about this? Theres radio silence.. If this happened in a boys school, it would have been resolved more quickly, and with alot of the Rabonim in the communities voices heard.. This is trajgic, and yet there is community wide silence..
Why do parents think they are the ones who vote in a board? That’s not how it works, it’s the head of the school Rabbi shemtov who chose this board
Kids out of school with no end in sight, WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE??? WHERE ARE ALL THE SO CALLED COMMUNITY ACTIVIST RUNNING AFTER EVERY CAMERA, WHERE ARE THE RABBONNIM??? THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING!!!
Just follow the money. The old admin has had their hand in the pot for a very long time. So is there any surprise that a power struggle ensues when a bunch of new not voted in “boared” shmembers want to get a piece of the action.
Why is Rabbi Shemtov so quiet on this issue?
Dr. Botwinck was hired in September as CEO and consultant of Bais Rivkah. He worked directly with the board and administration.
We paid him with our tuition! In the spirit of transparency and clarity, We the parents demand that the new board and administration provide a report from Dr. Botwinck an outsider to our school of exactly what went on and why he left Bais Rivkah.
i’m a board member of satmar – its simple a community school cannot survive on tuition being a board member means dropping big bucks to keep things going – all this talk about structual changes just means a big tough tuition marshall . parents need to do their part . but a kehilla is always dependant on the gevirim
it’s about time with r.m l’m glad it happened, l guess sometimes you gotta do the right thing,this has been a years long going , thank g-d it’s being fixed, yup beth rivkah will become great again
You are literally lying, why would the board call money that is owed to the teachers a ‘prize’? You really sound foolish
My mistake before but what I’m trying to say is Bais Rifka is one of the greatest schools in Crown Heights all the teachers should get pay on time and it’s not fair for them and now that’s it’s not fair for the parents that the children are not in school so therefore whoever is in charge I suggested you one thing pay attention to the teachers and whatever they need and you should not ignore them I wish you all best of luck
There is only one way this will be resolved – an expensive, legal case, which ultimately will not be good for anyone. Meanwhile, my granddaughter goes to work with either her mother or father every day, and their bosses aren’t happy.
What is the crux of the problem? Embezzlement? Incompetence? Too many secretaries etc? A combination? If people know the real, bottom-line truth, maybe attitudes will change and solutions can be found.
20 – very funny post. build seniority in your field. become really good at what you do and be blessed with ‘work a 4 hour work week as well’
21 – count the hours of children on the street, on social media, hungry in nourishment for food and education and still convince us that this new pompous board is out for the good of the community – both teachers that can’t pay home and board, and children that are in need of safety.
Just because, I may not be a “successful businessman”, it’s not possible for me to be on the so called “board”? (Anonymous)
There are some who are bashing a group of tzadikim who stepped up to the plate to get the school in order?? I’m a benefactor of one of those individuals he helped me in my time of need when no one did. They deserve the community respect and gratitude I’m sure they will complete the job and turn thus around.
Every organization that gets too big must be lead by a board. אין דן יחידי אלא אחד it is very often that the previous manager or administrator cannot shift to collaborative leadership. control is addictive and to loose it is very difficult.
I know personally some of the board members and they are BIG BAALEI TZEDAKAH !! They are the cream of the crop of our community !!!! They will make BAIS RIVKA GREAT AGAIN!!!!
Youre a little confused. The board is not supposed to pay instead of parents… If all tuition of this year would be up to date, there would be no salaries owed. Is the board supposed to collect tuition or is that the job of the administration?
Bais Rifka is one of the great schools in Crown Heights 50 Church bus get paid on time and secondly it’s not fair that all the children is rolling around Crown Heights and around Kingston doing nothing teachers deserve to get paid parents are very upset and I agree with them a hundred percent
If I recall the board told the teachers in a meeting that they don’t need to fear they will get their “prize”. Is that something to tell people when you owe them thousands of dollars.
Im shocked by some of these comments; ur school is falling apart, some really good ppl are giving up thousands of hours of their own time VOLUNTEERING to do all they can to fix this mess and ur COMPLAINING about them!?!?!!!
Seriously….You should at the very least thank them and appreciate
BS”D There is only one criteria for a board member-MONEY, moderately successful although well intentioned and even hard working individuals are not what will keep the school afloat.The Rabbinical College of America is an ex of a proper Board
For everyone’s info, the board members were practically begged to join and save Bais Rivka, no one ‘chose’ to be on it. It’s a lot easier to be uninvolved and sit back and see what happens next. These guys are all super busy, yet still have spent by now 1000s of hours trying to get the school back on track. Kol hakavod to all of the board members, there are actually some of us who appreciate all your time and effort Thank you!!
Don’t believe it was done in middle of the night, rabbi Minkowitz is never in his office before 10:00 am and never there after 3:00pm, and he didn’t show up on Sundays or Fridays. So that leaves a lot of daylight time to do this while he is not in his office.
Not to mention all the other vacation days and weeks that he is away from his duty’s
They are doing their best to turn sour lemons into lemonade.
So sad that you at COL have lowered yourselves to such a low level and don’t publish the truth!
Police was called to BR in FEB when “askanim” broke into Rabbi M’s office in middle of the night to change the locks !!
It appears the ‘NEW’ board memebers dont trust the ‘old’ admin are utilising the money wisely, thus the teachers are not being paid on time… parents should therefore pay their tuition into a 3rd party (i.e. a lawyers) holding account and all teachers can be paid via that method! Clearly there is a breach of trust going on.
Is it true that they locked one of the administrators out of his office?
Unless the next statement is that there’s a brand new administration then I’m not buying it.
Will not let my children be a karbon for someone else’s greed or ineptitude. That includes current power or parents who scam on tuition.
There’s plenty of options in NY. I’m not willing to experiment on my kids education and take a chance that maybe this time things will be different.
Can I ask you what the rumors are?
On one side you have a corrupt administration that that has been “mismanaging” the school funds for years. On the other side you have a Boared or a group of “successful businessmen” who have NOT been “voted” into this position trying to take over the school. And the childers, parents and teachers are caught in the middle of this bloteh.
Where does A. Shemtov stand on this???
For giving up your time and trying to help. Where however does it say anywhere in the letter about being resolved in he next few days? I don’t see it
I fully support the efforts and sentiment of the letter
But WHO ARE YOU!?
Who voted you in and what is your name/s why is this letter signed so ambiguously “The Board”
Can you put your name where your mouth is?
Can you stand behind your world AND name.
If you really want to help make a change in such a huge ongoing problem you have to put your whole self in it and that includes your name!
I am a fantastic parent. I will give up my time to be mechanech your child no personal gain in doing this. But if my interference results in your child going off the deep end – would you blame me or say kol hakovod tto me?!
B.H.
What kind of education are children – not only from Bais Rivka but from all over- receiving reading these articles and comments on the internet? Who will undo that damage? What does it do to their chinuch?
Holding in my comments
kudos to the board
let us hope they overcome this and all the rumors and may hashem help them rebuild the moisad back to its glory.
and the teachers need to be paid first…
and may we all have peace in our homes and institutions
This has been going on for years Why haven’t the Bais Rivkah admin been summoned before a Bais Din? Irregardless of the politics here. Everyone this time needs to be smart besides an Iron clad written agreement There seemingly needs to be major changes & permanent ones All the Rabbonim need to be involved This concerns every parent teacher etc. With a child in Bais Rivkah now & those considering doing so. Additionally all tuition payments should not be made by any parent until an iron clad solution is in place.I suggest depositing all tuition payments with a 3rd party… Read more »
The board is a group of successful businessman who are willing to give up from their time to try and help the situation they have no personal gain in doing this. Just think why would someone want to put himself into the spotlight of this situation where you get criticism from all sides? So the only reason is to help the Rebbes institution!.
So kol hakavod to all those who got involved to help may hashem bless you with much success.
Good luck, not convincing me though till i see 100% progress.
Someone who suffered because of this. (Not a teacher)
goodluck
Where are the checks?? Teachers should not be working without pay!! Classes will resume AFTER teachers get paid up. Not before.
As a teacher parent and community member there was never a election held for this position