By COLlive reporter
Students and faculty at Associated Beth Rivkah Schools in Crown Heights, the flagship Chabad schools for girls and young women, have been protesting the firing of the school’s longtime administrator Rabbi Benjy Stock last week.
As the de-facto dean, Stock has been running the day-to-day operations and finances of the community school with over 2000 students, ranging from preschool through post-high school graduate program.
With the installation of the new board of directors over the last two years, Stock has been asked to step back in these roles, COLlive has learned.
A letter dated October 31, 2018, and signed by the board’s chairman Rabbi Avraham Shemtov says Stock have been asked to suggest “a consulting relationship to assist in the continued transition to the new financial/administration.”
A source close to Stock told COLlive that Stock has replied back to the board’s request with ideas of roles he can continue filling in the school’s operation that are not financially related, but has not heard back from the board.
Meanwhile, students joined teachers in expressing vocal support for Stock and his dedication to the institution. The door to his office at the school’s Crown Street location has been covered with handwritten notes of support.
Stock is “the man behind the school, who breathed Beis Rivkah every second of his life (quite literally) since taking the position,” a letter shared on social media says.
“Benjy Stock keeps the school on its foot. As a staff member in school I know that Benjy takes full responsibility 1000% over every one of its 2000+ students. The burden of every student falls on his shoulder, and Benjy is there to support any staff member that has a difficulty,” the letter says.
Students have also shared a video about Stock’s involvement in the school and how much his care and devotion means to them.
VIDEO:
A member of the board told COLlive: “The board over the last few years have done everything they can to make Benjy Stock a full partner, and we appreciate everything he’s done for the school and the community. Unfortunately, he has not reciprocated on our offer to him in the past few years.
“Only at the last moment, he has finally come forward with a proposal. As the board was still absorbing that information, both true and untrue information was being spread.”
Update (Sunday 12:00 pm): Rabbi Stock has notified that he is set to meet members of the board of directors today “in goodwill to try to resolve things.”
Bais rivka needs benjy! Bring him back
just as a point of information, very few parents are ‘taking the school for a ride.’ parents simply don’t have the income needed to pay $8,000 annual tuition per child. i’m sure they’d be happy to do so if they only could. as for the present debacle, let’s give credit where credit is due. the new board at bais rivkah is volunteering their time trying to make things better, not worse. they are trying to deal with financial problems that have some of the same people who are posting the above comments screaming about what the school owes them in… Read more »
I am proud of you , saying the truth to ch parents that for many
Years took the school for a ride …. and at the same time every
Summer are in upstate “ be like the Johnsons “.
Time to come back to reality.
I live in LA and the board of Cheder Menachem made the cold and calculated decisions to fire some leaders of the school, and many years later the school is in the black, teachers are paid monthly, and the kids and parents are so happy with Rabbi Greenbaum. I read every few years on COL that bais rivka teachers are behind in salary many months. This is unfair to them. The board of BR wants to correct this. It is not fair that parents of BR took advantage for so many years and paid on avergae 2K per kid. Its… Read more »
It is wrong, simply wrong, to fire a man so deeply connected to BR. He is the life blood of the school. This isn’t a game of operation, where you can cut out the heart or the life blood of the toy. BR is not a toy. Don’t cut out the heart of the school. Bring Benjy back!
During all those bad years when we didn’t get paid, Benji was the one person who was there for the school. The teachers, staff & students love him & respect him. I don’t know what new games this Board is paying, but I am shocked at the seeming betrayal of the one person who truly devoted himself to helping his students. There are hundreds of stories, some of which I have first hand knowledge of, where Benji went above & beyond to help students & teachers. I think it was clear a couple of years ago that this was on… Read more »
Beis Rivkah is like a child to him ,
How can anyone take it way from him after 30 years
Some time it’s not all about business !!
The guy gave his life and soal to this school ,
No one can send way people like him .
Unless you yourself stay for 30 year in good snd bad times .
I had serious issues with my daughters – and of all the pple who I turned to Benji was the one to understand and poel mamash help and get thigs done.
How could these young board members even begin to understand what they are doing to Beis Rivkah –
Just as we light our Chanukah candles, we should all have Benji in mind. May he continue to be like a flame. Always making an indelible impact
our school is not the same without Benji. Thank you COL for posting such an important, yet sad event in Lubavitch
Benjy lives his life with chessed. How can such a terrible thing happen to him?!!! PLEASE RECONSIDER!!!!
The school needs Benjy. It can not go on without him. He was the one who makes the school functional. I think they need to reconsider this fast!! WE WANT BENJY!!!!
Benjy is his father’s son: Compassion bli sof. #KeepBenjy
BR needs Benjy. No he was never meant to be a fundraiser or a board member. He is the administrator who steered the ship
He gave the students and faculty strength and hope
Board Members wake up!!!
The school was suffering financially, so out a fundraiser in place and make sure the financial office is collecting tuition respectfully
Work with the only man that kept the ship afloat. Not against him.
Get a grip. I’m sure you guys all have your heart in the right place. Don’t make foolish decisions
Bring Benjy Back Now
Are you doing whatever it takes
Board think again
Bring Benjy back
That’s all it takes
Someone could do Chesed and devote their life to a Mosad and no one says anything when a couple of modern men throw him out. I am so proud of the girls for showing Hakaros Hatov.
At least we know, the chinuch they’ve been receiving is actually working
Warm -caring – takes all the necessary time to listen and really hear- filled with compassion – trustworthy- someone you have confidence to turn to- someone to look up to. A Yeshiva is not a business venture! WE ARE WITH YOU BENJI AND WILL NOT STAND BY AND LET THIS HAPPEN. When we GO TO BAT FOR BENJI we are going to bat for true chassidishe chinuch with varmkeit
Benjy gave and gave and gave so many years!
I don’t care what excuses you have, it is not enough to fire such a pillar of the school!
Stop saying he will be missed!!!!! Rehire him, he is a mentch and takes 100% responsibility for all bais Rivkah students individually!!!!!! We need you back Benji!!!!!!
Having put KA”H a large family through our Chinuch system, I can attest to the coldness of administrations of both the boys schools and the girls schools. With many of those children later teaching and working in those schools this coldness and non caring reared its ugly head all toooo often. BH that for years BR had and should continue to have BENJY STOCK. he is the HUMAN, MENTSCLICH side of a broken and decrepid system. It is the coldness that so many of our children, the Rebbes Children reject. The Benjys of the world keep our children in the… Read more »
A vibrant, but imperfect school.
Cut out the heart, what are you left with?
This is not hyperbole, this is fact!
Benjy is integral to the success of the warmth, and heart of BRHS despite its many challenges over the years.
Board – “do whatever it takes” to keep the heart and soul of BRHS alive! Reinstate Benjy before it is too late!
Benjy is always there for each and every staff member and student in and out of school. Tirelessly working on behalf of the school and each individual student without any acknowledgement or thanks. Thank you Benjy for all you do and continue to do.. I can’t imagine Bais Rivkah without Benjy and his caring, concern and positivity he brings to the school- he turns an institution into a family. Board reconsider, your in place to make things better not worse! Keep Benjy!
Benjy has helped this community selflessly for the past 30 years. He never asks for anything in return and does not seek any recognition for his contributions.THANK YOU for always having our back and continues ly supporting those in need
You have to be insane to think that Beis Rivkah and by extension the students are better off without Bejy Stock. If salaries are tight then find someone else to let go of, Last one in first one out. This school needs people with heart to keep it going and no one has more heart then Benjy. All this is coming from someone who’s been yelled at many times by Benjy. You know he does it for the betterment of the girls and the school.. Don’t be stupid, don’t let him go.
As a parent of a high school student, I can say that the horrified reaction of the girls says so much about the positive impact benji has on Bais Rivkah. The girls know that they can count on benji to get anything done in school- shabbaton or any other extracurricular programs that they have. This can’t be allowed to happen!
Benjy is an ish chessed
This is an injustice to the community
If you really care about our children then you would keep benjy
I wil never forget. I am one of 7 siblings. My parents never had money to shell out for the school shabbaton. BENJY was the one that quietly took care of the money for me so i can join. this man is PURE CHESSED! the school needs him. we need a HEART to run the school not just businessman,
Baord, which of you is going to worry about every single girl in high school? who is willing to roll up your sleeves and cook for our shabbaton? who is going to make sure that no one gets turned away. WE CAN NOT LET THIS Happen!
As a mechanech that was invited by BR to be with the HS girls on the shabbaton, I am shocked by this news, I saw firsthand, how R Benjy
1) Is completely given over to the Mossad and the girls
2) personally knows the girls and their needs
3) Cares deeply that they should be happy
4) insisted on certain standards of tznius an behaviour
What Mossad would willingly give this up?
Benjy is one of few people, who actually cares about the emotional and physical well-being of each and every student. How do you fire someone who is full of compassion? Bais Rivka will not be the same!
Benji is amazing. When a fire happened at the school he made sure we were all out. Whenever I would see him by lunch he always had something funny to say. I’m really hoping that they reconsider.
This is terrible on so many levels! Benji is the pillar of Bais Rivkah, dedicated with his heart and soul
He will be missed
He’s the pillar of Bais Rivkah
Not ok! Benjy we support you. We respect you.You did so much for our girls. I sincerely hope this changes
He’s the pillar of Bais Rivkah
Benjy MUST come back ! The Rebbe believed in Benjy! It’s a disgrace what’s been done and publicly. I’m in shock! You are hurting a family and all of us who Benjy was and is a household name for!
WE HAVE TO STAND TOGETHER AND NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!!!!
This is 1000% not ok. To just take a man who breathed Bais Rivkah for all these years, and was on call for anyone at any crazy time in the day or night, and fire him, is utterly disgraceful. He is the pillar of the school (even though they have been working tireless to degrade him over the year).
We, the community, must not let this happen.
Reach out to the board, make ourselves heard.
TAKE ACTION!!!
Benjy has a heart ! One year I was struggling very much . Benjy came with warm words and said , ” I know how hard you work to provide for your family” that made all the difference .
Any school and community would be so lucky to have someone like Benjy in position. Through what he knows from school he has helped my family more than I can ever thank him for. May Hashem Bentch Benjy with everything.
The “dean” and board has no idea how much his function in the school will be missed and how impossible it is to replace.
He is definitely needed back in the school. As a staff member i can tell you that every time I spoke to him about something school related he always was able to listen with compassion. (Which for a man is a big deal) And his hello was always very respectful amd refined. What is the school atmesphere going to do without him? Maybe the board didnt agree with everything he did, but hey noone is perfect, so allow him to have a different role. Allow him to still be part of the school, we need him walking down the halway… Read more »
“This is the day when Bais Rivka is no longer Bais Rivkah”
Benjy, Thank You for your service to the community, you stepped up to the plate when NO ONE did over the past 30+ Years, (not even the executive directors own Family?)
Wishing you much Hatzlacha in your future.
Here is what you need to know about Benjy: he has successfully run BR for years while historically 30% of students pay full tuition. He has and continues to help every single girl that needs a friend. If a girl has no parents or family problems Benjy is there. He devoted his entire life to BR. The entire student body loves him. He never turned a blind eye to a girls suffering. He stands up for what’s right. He is an inspiration to the girls. He makes the school feel like a family. He has done all of this in… Read more »
Benji is the one person who really cares about the school.
He does not deserve this.
Thank you for all your hard work in the school