Moving to Passaic NJ

cbsp

Wed, May 29 2019, 11:51 pm

mema613 wrote:

I have relatives who have lived in Passaic for 35 yrs and now their married kids live there. From what I know the people are solid frum. Most woman cover their hair and don't wear pants. There are 2 types of schools. Yeshivah Katana is to the right and most people who send don't watch television. Hillel is more modern and coed but the parents also for the most part cover their hair and no pants. The Hillel crowd has tv and will go to the movies. Hillel is probably similar to Shulamith in Brooklyn in the level of frumkeit. My nieces ( young couples in 20s and 30s ) love the area!

Can a YBH amother please correct the above? I live in Passaic and my understanding is that YBH is not coed (although they do have a boys and a girls division)... (full disclosure, I send to YKP, which also has a boys and girls division although not in the same set of buildings).

There's also a 3rd elementary school, The Cheder which is in Clifton.

amommy2, would you consider spending a Shabbos here to get a feel for the place?

Classicookie

Thu, May 30 2019, 8:10 am

mema613 wrote:

As someone living in Passaic and send to YBH I am highly offended of how you describe the school and its parent body. I would say 95% of moms cover their hair. And the school is not coed it just has a boys and a girls division. Yes their families who watch TV and go to movies but that's in both schools it doesn't define who a person is. Ybh has taught my kids wonderful middos and the school is growing in amazing ways.
There is a third school that is the Clifton cheder/ bais yakov every school in Passaic has a boys division and a girls division the girls school parts goes up to second grade at this point.

I love Passaic I feel that it's a very open community and all kinds are welcome and we are all friend no matter what school are your background .
When people refer to the other side of main it's because at first people were buying all on one side of town and now people are buying on the other. really people are buying all over the price is vary if you get a house that has been fixed up it will probably be a bit more and if you get a house that's foreclosed or run down it can be way cheaper. I think most house is on my block sold because of foreclosure or someone died. Most houses here are old just keep that in mind. Feel free to message me if you want any more information and definitely worth it to come visit for a shabbos and take a tour of the schools before summer.

sarlal

Thu, May 30 2019, 9:16 am

The original description of YBH is completely false. I’m sorry you were misled.
I am a very proud YBH mother. Parents who send to YBH are HAPPY with heir choice, because they choose to send to YBH. The larger school, Yeshiva Ketana, is a great option in its own right, but it is generally the default school (it is ten times the size of YBH).
What’s the difference between the two schools? Yeshiva ketana is more yeshivish in nature, but not in the student or parent body. Again, it is the default school. YBH is the school people make the conscious choice to send to. YBH families are more concerned about their children’s education and are generally more nurturing and present as parents , and that’s why they choose the school that focused on these areas. YBH has one building with a boys and girls division, and less money than Yeshiva Ketana (YKP), a school run by Rabbi Hirth, who is kh a billionaire. YBH hires teachers why experience and teaching degrees, whereas YKP hires teachers straight back from seminary. YBH has option to match in Israel Day Parade, YKP does not. YKP does not focus as much on education and on unifying the school. YKP students who switched to YBH in my daughter’s grade are pulled out for tutoring in both English and Kodesh studies. Most of my friends who send to YKP are not happy with the school but feel hey cannot switch at this point... and that is why my husband and I chose YBH: we absolutely love our children, we are very into parenting and their education, we want solid teachers, and we want to be happy with their school! If you send to YKP, you’ll send where most o the community sends, and I’m sure you’ll be great. If you send to YBH, you’ll definitely be so so happy.

Classicookie

Thu, May 30 2019, 11:59 am

sarlal wrote:

Thank you you said it even better than me it really bothers me when people tell me what kind of school ybh is when they don't even live in Passaic. I even had a friend was tell me how can I send who is my friends be Banging head

I was like my friends who send will still be my friends when I put my child in.

cbsp

Thu, May 30 2019, 12:31 pm

sarlal wrote:

I'm sure you didn't mean to denigrate an entire parent body (including myself). Is there a kinder way to promote your perspective without completely dissing everyone else who didn't make your choices?

sheaz

Thu, May 30 2019, 1:42 pm

sarlal wrote:

As someone who was offended by the original description of Ybh by someone who has never sent to that school, I am sure you can understand how offensive your post sounds to those of us who send to ykp.

I have sent children to BOTH Ybh and ykp- they are both wonderful schools in their own right and they BOTH have their share of issues. There is no perfect system and everyone is able to make a CHOICE as to where they feel is the most suitable school for their child, there is no default. Yes, ykp is the larger school, as it’s hashkafa has consistently been in line with a larger portion of the community over time. YBH has gone thru several changes over the years. It started off more modern orthodox, and has evolved toward a more right wing hashkafa than it was years ago. It is now more similar in hashkafa to ykp so there is definitely an overlap, but there are still slight nuances which are more in line with modern orthodoxy, such as sending a delegation of students to the Israeli day parade, and having boys and girls divisions in the same building.

Educationally, BOTH parent bodies are concerned with their children’s education and a nurturing environment. BOTH parent bodies love their children and want to provide them the best education that is in line with their families goals. YBH prides themselves on having more up to date methods and higher education, however in my experience, ykp has a very solid education as well. Both schools have middos and social programs in place in addition to academics and both schools turn out fine young pupils.

Financially, ykp tuition is lower than Ybh tuition, and for people requiring financial assistance they are more readily available at ykp. Rabbi Hirth is a true mentch who is invested in the education of all his children. I’m not sure what poster above was insinuating about his personal finances but I haven’t heard anything about his individual financial standing having anything to do with the school. A much larger school naturally has more tuition paying parents and more subsidies for people who can’t afford to pay in full. There are funds that are paid into by each family which help defray these costs.

All in all, both schools have their positives and negatives and most families here are very happy with their choices. I wish you all the best in your decision and welcome you to this beautiful community.

cbsp

Thu, May 30 2019, 1:49 pm

sheaz wrote:

Thank you.

roses

Thu, May 30 2019, 2:00 pm

sarlal wrote:

Wow.
This is one of the most misleading, obnoxious posts I have read in a very long time.

You just maligned an entire school system, it's administrator, and their entire parent body on the basis of... nothing???

My husband and I made a CONSCIOUS choice of YKP over YBH. It wasn't and isn't a default option. It was a primary choice. And we are thrilled with our choice and continue to be happy as we watch our children grow and succeed. YBH is a very poor choice for us, knowing the kind of chinuch we would like for our children and the opportunities we want for our children. This is true for many, many parents.

And yes, we are present and nurturing parents. I honestly don't see where you are coming from with this obnoxious, judgemental generalization.

And criticizing Rabbi Birth for his wealth....OMG. First of all...what's the connection here? He comes from a wealthy family, and has excellent business sense because of it. Therefore, he used those skills to build a thriving school system, which is doing well and doesn't have the same financial hardships of other institutions. This is a good thing. Rabbi Hirth's generosity and efforts for the community know no bounds. He takes parents' financial situations very seriously and is extremely compassionate in that regard. Many, many Rebbeim and teachers commute from Lakewood because he is known to pay well, and pay on time.

A basic level of respect is in order here, respect for the institutions, the parent bodies, and the wonderful mechanchim in both schools. This attitude of superiority and judgementalism doesn't reflect well on you, if you are looking to represent the parents of YBH.