Monday, February 23, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Question for all you Kollelnicks
For all of you who are in Kollel I have a question. If the Kollel did not pay you $50,000 a year, and tuition was not covered for your kids, would you still learn at that kollel? Or does hishtadlus tell you to look for a Job and make a Kavuah seder for the night?
Yes folks, $50,000 for the White Oak Kollel!! Incentives include Free tuition at the expense of the community so tack on another $10,000 plus other tax benefits.
Hey..."Pashut Yid", I know who you are, I think you are in the wrong Kollel. Good Shabbos!
Yes folks, $50,000 for the White Oak Kollel!! Incentives include Free tuition at the expense of the community so tack on another $10,000 plus other tax benefits.
Hey..."Pashut Yid", I know who you are, I think you are in the wrong Kollel. Good Shabbos!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Breaking News!
Apparently, there are some readers who believe that Kollels are supported by G-D only. Communities have nothing to do with paying for there children, rents, and so forth...
I find it selfish that Baal Habbatim have to limit their amount of children that they bring into this world due to the financial hardships and mounting bills that occur. However, kollel members appear to have the Green light to produce many beautiful children. Are they entitled to this benefit more so then Ball Habbatim?
I find it selfish that Baal Habbatim have to limit their amount of children that they bring into this world due to the financial hardships and mounting bills that occur. However, kollel members appear to have the Green light to produce many beautiful children. Are they entitled to this benefit more so then Ball Habbatim?
Friday, February 13, 2009
Does Silver Spring Need another Kollel?
Although this topic has never been brought up on this blog it is an important one for those who will need to pay for the new kollel member's tuitions.
White Oak has started a shtark kollel called the Kollel of Greater Washington. Granted it is nice to have Torah being spread amongst the community, however was this needed?
I look at it like this: If a community needs to grow there has to be money involved. Essentially that was the idea for starting this kollel. Why then would it make sense to attract more families, who will need financial assistance? How does this inflate a community? If the money runs out the incentive (in this case the kollel) disappears.
I look at the Yeshiva kollel, How successful was it to draw in a big Jewish community? Was it kollel that increased the Kemp Mill community? Or is it the schools in the area that bring the people in?
Personally, I think it is a Leader that draws people to a community. We all have seen established communities pick themselves up and move to Israel, for example. I leader defines their people, not a people defining a Leader.
Torah should not be used as an incentive to draw people to a community. There is no Halachic ruling that says that a "Kollel" needs to be in a community or even two. There is a need to have a Mikva, and a Shul.
Torah is an essential platform that a community needs to be created on but if it is used as a
"cheap" tool to create a community it can not happen. I think that using it as a tool is actually degrading it and may touch on using HIS name in vain.
Leaders start and uphold a community. In Europe and the times of the Gemorrah there were specific towns and cities that had Torah institutions but they were few.
I wonder if Lakewood envisioned having a bustling Jewish community? The reason for going to this area was to get away from the city.
Any comments?
White Oak has started a shtark kollel called the Kollel of Greater Washington. Granted it is nice to have Torah being spread amongst the community, however was this needed?
I look at it like this: If a community needs to grow there has to be money involved. Essentially that was the idea for starting this kollel. Why then would it make sense to attract more families, who will need financial assistance? How does this inflate a community? If the money runs out the incentive (in this case the kollel) disappears.
I look at the Yeshiva kollel, How successful was it to draw in a big Jewish community? Was it kollel that increased the Kemp Mill community? Or is it the schools in the area that bring the people in?
Personally, I think it is a Leader that draws people to a community. We all have seen established communities pick themselves up and move to Israel, for example. I leader defines their people, not a people defining a Leader.
Torah should not be used as an incentive to draw people to a community. There is no Halachic ruling that says that a "Kollel" needs to be in a community or even two. There is a need to have a Mikva, and a Shul.
Torah is an essential platform that a community needs to be created on but if it is used as a
"cheap" tool to create a community it can not happen. I think that using it as a tool is actually degrading it and may touch on using HIS name in vain.
Leaders start and uphold a community. In Europe and the times of the Gemorrah there were specific towns and cities that had Torah institutions but they were few.
I wonder if Lakewood envisioned having a bustling Jewish community? The reason for going to this area was to get away from the city.
Any comments?
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Ritalin for the Economy - Now is the time to act fast!
Yesterday, the House passed a stimulus bill that allocated Billions of Dollars for our Economy. Part of this package was a large portion set aside for education. Below is an excerpt from WSJ:
1/29/09
"In the education realm, the stimulus aims more than $125 billion at bolstering public education, an unusual federal intervention in a sphere usually left to state and local governments. It calls for spending $20 billion on school and college renovations. There's another $79 billion proposed for aid to the states to help them avoid education-related layoffs. In addition, more than $2 billion would go to the Head Start program, $13 billion to supplemental funding for high-poverty areas, and another $13 billion for special-education programs."
The odds are that this bill will pass and if it does this gives us, the JEWISH COMMUNITY of Silver Spring, the right to demand back the portion of taxes that will be paying for this bill to fund our Private schools.
All kidding aside, why can't we start a petition that could be passed around the whole Jewish community that would state that we want a portion (not even full) voucher/funds to support our schools. We (for all that pay taxes) will be paying Kemp Mill Elementary more money for each of our kids whom are not even sitting in classrooms there. On top of this, we will be paying 10k plus for Private schools.
The petition should be an ultimatum: Provide some funds for each of our children/register every one of children with our local school system. Montgomery County is going through a huge budget deficit, just imagine if they would now have to deal with 2-3000 children registering for classes.
Any views and suggestions on how to start such a thing... could you imagine how much more our community could stimulate our local economy with this type of savings!!
1/29/09
"In the education realm, the stimulus aims more than $125 billion at bolstering public education, an unusual federal intervention in a sphere usually left to state and local governments. It calls for spending $20 billion on school and college renovations. There's another $79 billion proposed for aid to the states to help them avoid education-related layoffs. In addition, more than $2 billion would go to the Head Start program, $13 billion to supplemental funding for high-poverty areas, and another $13 billion for special-education programs."
The odds are that this bill will pass and if it does this gives us, the JEWISH COMMUNITY of Silver Spring, the right to demand back the portion of taxes that will be paying for this bill to fund our Private schools.
All kidding aside, why can't we start a petition that could be passed around the whole Jewish community that would state that we want a portion (not even full) voucher/funds to support our schools. We (for all that pay taxes) will be paying Kemp Mill Elementary more money for each of our kids whom are not even sitting in classrooms there. On top of this, we will be paying 10k plus for Private schools.
The petition should be an ultimatum: Provide some funds for each of our children/register every one of children with our local school system. Montgomery County is going through a huge budget deficit, just imagine if they would now have to deal with 2-3000 children registering for classes.
Any views and suggestions on how to start such a thing... could you imagine how much more our community could stimulate our local economy with this type of savings!!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
RCA member Davens with the newly annointed Mashiach
Yup...it is true. I read this story at Haaretz.com. I am going to post now the response of the RCA:
" Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the head of New York's Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue and a leading member of the city's modern Orthodox community, was one of several religious leaders who took part in reading sections of a nondenominational responsive prayer during the National Prayer Service at Washington's National Cathedral."
RCA response: "The long-standing policy of the Rabbinical Council of America, in accordance with Jewish law, is that participation in a prayer service held in the sanctuary of a church is prohibited," the statement read. "Any member of the RCA who attends such a service does so in contravention of this policy and should not be perceived as representing the organization in any capacity."
What a nice political statement. Why haven't they thrown him out of the RCA? Why such a not attacking response?
If we look back at a controversy in Monsey around the talmid Chacham R. Mordechai Tendler, who the RCA dumped on, and ruined his life and future, and on top of all this, he has been vindicated on all accounts!!!!
What double standing B.S. We are dealing with Avodah Zarah here folks!!! I was taught that this one is considered as Yhareg val Yavor...the big three. This is all the RCA is going to do!!!
" Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the head of New York's Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue and a leading member of the city's modern Orthodox community, was one of several religious leaders who took part in reading sections of a nondenominational responsive prayer during the National Prayer Service at Washington's National Cathedral."
RCA response: "The long-standing policy of the Rabbinical Council of America, in accordance with Jewish law, is that participation in a prayer service held in the sanctuary of a church is prohibited," the statement read. "Any member of the RCA who attends such a service does so in contravention of this policy and should not be perceived as representing the organization in any capacity."
What a nice political statement. Why haven't they thrown him out of the RCA? Why such a not attacking response?
If we look back at a controversy in Monsey around the talmid Chacham R. Mordechai Tendler, who the RCA dumped on, and ruined his life and future, and on top of all this, he has been vindicated on all accounts!!!!
What double standing B.S. We are dealing with Avodah Zarah here folks!!! I was taught that this one is considered as Yhareg val Yavor...the big three. This is all the RCA is going to do!!!
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