Monsey Mosdos Administrators Meet To Discuss Financial Crisis

By Idy Perl

Last night the administrators of multiple Monsey mosdos met for an emergency meeting to discuss the ongoing financial crisis that is crippling local schools and yeshivos.

Most mosdos find themselves currently unable to cover their basic operational expenses or pay their staff. There are multiple challenges that those mosdos are facing and a number of reasons why it has reached the point of a crisis.

The cost of living has risen in the last few years and is affecting schools from two sides; firstly, the cost of running a school has increased dramatically as electricity, plastic goods, food, busing, cleaning supplies and everything else that is needed to keep a school going is more expensive, and in addition, parents are struggling with the same inflation and higher living expenses and are unable to pay full tuition. Schools are also spending more money than ever on extra programs and resources for struggling students.

Many large donors have cut their donations as well as there are now so many more community needs, and many philanthropists are dealing with their own financial struggles.

One administrator told Rockland Daily that the community as a whole needs to reevaluate their priorities.

“There is nothing more important than our children, and chinuch needs to be a #1 priority and a top concern for everyone; parents, grandparents, and donors,” he says. “We see many people donating to kollelim and other learning programs for adults, but if we don’t first help mosdos we won’t have children that will be able to get to the kollelim. It’s important for people to realize the extent of the crisis that we’re facing right now and prioritize supporting our mosdos.”

While no solution was finalized at the meeting, several ideas were proposed that can help ease the financial strain that mosdos are currently under. The administrators plan to meet again to further discuss different solutions that can be implemented and are continuously talking between themselves and to community members to ensure the future of the next generation.