Schools in Boston?

cinnamon

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 4:54 am

Can someone tell me about the schools in Boston?
I found Torah Academy of Boston online. Is anyone familiar with it?

Are they warm towards yidishkeit or busy counting inches on girls' skirts?
How is the limudei kodesh curriculum for boys and girls?
What high schools do the girls go to after attending this school?
Which yeshiva's do the boys go to? (Do they go mostly to high schools or do they go to yeshiva ktana?)
How hard is it to get in?
How strict are they regarding the parent's dress code?
Are smartphones acceptable?

Any other schools might be a good fit for us?
Right now we are living in Israel and my kids attend chareidi schools Dh moved more to the left which is why chareidi Israel is not really a good fit for us anymore. But gender separation, a strong Jewish education and warmth towards yidishkeit is still very important to us.

cinnamon

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 5:45 am

amother wrote:

Harvard is a very elite ivy league school in Boston, MA.

And what can you tell me about it?
Are they warm towards yidishkeit or busy counting inches on girls' skirts?
How is the limudei kodesh curriculum for boys and girls?
What high schools do the girls go to after attending this school?
Which yeshiva's do the boys go to? (Do they go mostly to high schools or do they go to yeshiva ktana?)
How hard is it to get in?
How strict are they regarding the parent's dress code?
Are smartphones acceptable?

LOL

I'm talking about elementary schools specifically 1st grade, 2nd grade, 4th grade and 6th grade.

doctorima

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 6:51 am

From my limited knowledge, it's an OOT yeshivish elementary school. I doubt they're checking clothes with rulers; this isn't Lakewood, and they couldn't get away with it (not saying they even want to). Most of the girls continue to BY of Boston, and many of the boys will go to Mesivta of Boston (which is a yeshiva, not a high school), and those who want even more right-wing may send to Riverdale, Philly, Long Beach, etc.

There's also a new high school in Boston called Ohr Yisrael that's all-boys but has much more secular education and whose graduates are more likely to end up in college; I assume that some grads of Torah Academy go there, but not most.

If you mostly belong there and are willing to respect their rules and can pay a reasonable amount, I don't think you'll have any problem getting in at all; this isn't Brooklyn, Lakewood, or Monsey, and they'll be more than happy to have you. No idea about smartphones, but I'd be surprised if they forbid it (for parents).

Imasinger will probably have more up-to-date and detailed info.

4Sisters

Sun, Sep 10 2017, 11:58 am

DoctorIma summed it up very well. Girls who don't go to Bais Yaakov of Boston (which is only a high school) generally go out of the Boston area to go to school.

If you find Brighton too expensive, look at Malden. Very sweet OOT community with a wide range of people there http://bethisraelmalden.org/move-to-malden/

rachel0615

Mon, Sep 11 2017, 4:12 am

Hi- grew up in Boston. Just pitting this out there? Do you and your husband value sevukar education? Want ur kids to be able to go to college? Bc TA, although super sweet, does not have a good GS program and many kids leave without basic foundational skills and in a lower level than the kids in maimo. It is a wonderful school for thr right family but u should just be aware kf this reality. Feel free to pm me for more info.

doctorima

Mon, Sep 11 2017, 7:15 am

I don't know OP, but I assume if she's asking about it she realizes it's nothing like Maimonides, and it's not fair to compare a coed modern Orthodox college prep school to a right-wing, gender-separated, yeshivish-oriented one. I imagine that the secular studies at Torah Academy are comparable to those at other similar schools in other communities with which OP is likely familiar, but comparing it to Maimonides is comparing apples to oranges. Then again, somehow Harvard also made it into this thread...

cinnamon

Mon, Sep 11 2017, 2:18 pm

rachel0615 wrote:

I'm actually happy about this. My kids will have a hard enough time catching up with English as it is.
My husband went from a yeshiva only educating to getting a masters in psychology from the Hebrew university If my kids want a degree later in life they can do what he did.

ruchelbuckle

Mon, Sep 11 2017, 3:38 pm

My husbands Rebbe in E"Y keeps in touch with many of his former talmidim, especially those in the Boston area, as he goes back to visit his parents frequently. He has excellent things to say about Boston, in terms of chinuch. He feels that the school is really a great place and he specifically told me that the administration is very easy to work with (not necessarily regarding tuition, but other issues that are related to your kids chinuch).
I live in the Boston vicinty and don't send to Torah Academy, but he has encouraged us to switch from our current placement. If I could make it work, I would switch in a heartbeat!
Have you also looked into NEHA(New England Hebrew academy)? Although it's a Lubavitcher school, I believe they get a good mix of kids. Parents who don't want to send to Maimonides(too left), but feel like Torah Academy is too right.

cinnamon

Tue, Sep 12 2017, 1:41 am

ruchelbuckle wrote:

Thanks! I'll look into it.