PSA: Linked In Seminar. . . June 26, 2012

If you are interested in learning more about Linked In, go to the OU Jobs Board and sign up for this TUESDAY (i.e. tomorrow evening) Seminar teaching the ins and outs of Linked In and its utility in expanding your opportunities.

PSA: Torah Home Education Conference Early Registration Deadline Nears

The Torah Home Education Conference

Sunday May 6, 2012 - Pesach Sheni

24 Hours To Go For Early Bird Registration !

Prices will go up on Monday, March 12

The current lineup for this special day :

Integrating Kodesh and Chol: Secular Subjects and Torah - Two Sides of the Same Coin presented by Mrs. Deborah Beck

Homeschooling with Confidence: Believing in V’Shinantem L’Vanecha - presented by Mrs. Susan Lapin

Advancing the Relationship Between Homeschoolers and the Community - Helping My Child Find His Place In the Community and Helping the Community Understand My Child by Rabbi Cary Friedman

Veteran Homeschooler Panel - Addressing Key Questions Including "How Can I Teach What I Never Learned?"

Whether the Homeschooling Community Should Promote Homeschooling as a Lifestyle Choice to Address Communal Issues - facilitated group discussion led by Mr. Max Masinter

Raising Independent Learners - by Mrs. Evelyn Krieger, author of "One Is Not a Lonely Number"

Gishmei Bracha: Financial Literacy In Your Homeschool - presented by Rabbi Shmuel Simenowitz

Homeschooling the Preschool and Kindergarten Years - presented by Mrs. Jennifer Macleod

Managing It All: How Do I Homeschool, Do Housework, Prepare for Holidays..with a smile – presented by Mrs. Jen Green

Homeschooling the Middle Years: Bar Mitzva, Bat Mitzva and Beyond - presented by Mrs. Shoshana Zohari

Join participants from CO, CT, FL, GA, MA, MD, MN, MO, NJ, NY and WA for this exciting event!

PSA: Baltimore Meslia Seminar (TONIGHT)

I just received notification of a Mesila Seminar in Baltimore TONIGHT, Monday, February 20, 2012.

See announcement at Baltimore Jewish Life, kindly pointed out to me by a reader who thought some of my readers might be interested. If anyone is attending and would like to share some of the thoughts of the night with readers, be my guest.

8:30PM-10:00PM at Congregation Shaarei Zion in Baltimore

A Frum Family's Guide for Dealing with Today's ECONOMIC REALITY

Rabbinic Perspectives: Hashkafa, Halacha and Chizuk

A panel discussion featuring

Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer

Rabbi Yosef Berger

Rabbi Moshe Hauer

Practical Family Tools for Every Family to Improve Their Bottom Line

A presentation from

Josh Hurewitz

Meslia Counselor Coordinator

Question and Answer Session

Submit all questions that you would like the Rabbononim to address to mesliabaltimore@gmail.com

PSA: Torah Home Education Conference Registration Opens

PSA and speaker lineup is below. Thanks for sending.

We have opened registration for the Fourth Torah Home Education Conference!

You will spend the day learning from veteran home educators, meeting other Jews interested in living a family-based learning lifestyle, and be able to peruse and purchase homeschooling materials from local and national educational vendors.

We are proud to bring you:

Evelyn Krieger, the author of the popular new novel, One is Not a Lonely Number, and veteran homeschooling mother.

Mrs Deborah Beck talking about Integrating Kodesh and Chol: Secular Subjects and Torah - Two Sides of the Same Coin.

Mrs. Robin Alberg presenting Remaining Focused In an Age of Digital Distractions.

Mrs. Susan Lapin teaching us the idea of VeShinantam Levanecha: Defining Torah Home Education.

A Veteran Homeschoolers Panel: Addressing Key Questions Including "How Can I Teach What I Never Learned?"

Mr Max Masinter leading a group discussion on Whether the Homeschooling Community Should Promote Homeschooling as a Lifestyle Choice to Address Communal Issues.

and several speakers/topics TBA.

Shabbos hospitality is available with the possibility of a melava d'malka afterwards.

The conference will be Sunday May 6, 2012 at the Park Heights JCC in Baltimore, MD. Registration will begin at 8:15am and the conference will begin at 9 am.

To find out more and register for the conference, please visit http://torahhomeeducation.eventbee.com

We look forward to meeting you at the conference!

New Low Cost Option: Yeshiva High School in Los Angeles

Wish I had found out about this new school before the open house. But, better late than never, right?

Los Angeles is now hosting a second low cost yeshiva high school option called Yeshiva High School with a tuition of $8000 (the first was Yeshivas Ohev Shalom which had a PSA on this blog in 2010). The mission statement is a big different than other mission statements I've read. It reads: "The Yeshiva High School is intended to serve the greater Los Angeles community and to provide each student with a diverse self-directed, independent education in a safe, supportive and nurturing environment that promotes self-discipline, integrity, motivation, and excellence in learning. We are dedicated to Halacha, Torah Hashkafa, a love of Eretz Yisrael, outstanding academic achievement, and moral conduct. The Yeshiva High School joins parents, community members and businesses to assist student to become self-sufficient, respectful, ethical adults who are successful life-long learners committed to contributing responsibility both in the Jewish and global communities."

You can see the course offering, philosophy, etc on the website. I pulled the tuition from a article in the Jewish Journal that came through my feed.

Ezzie's New Jewish Economic Survey

Anonymous survey for interested participants. Head on over and read about the newest survey and take it if interested. More posts to follow this week.

PSA: Party City Chanukah Giveaway

I don't normally do links, but this Party City giveaway package over at the Daily Cheapskate is wonderful and I thought some of my readers might enjoy entering in hopes of winning something nice for a Chanukah party.

Beware of Car Warranty Scam

Late last week, I've received two rather official looking notices. Notice #1 mailed from St. Louis, MO from "Vehicle Protection of America Automobile Coverage Headquarters". The company knew year, make, and model of our vehicle and had a lot of official looking prints. It mentioned that our "factory warranty is expiring or has expired, based on year and mileage" and offered to extend coverage. At the bottom of the notice there was an official looking seal from American Consumer Council saying Consumer Aware Winner 2011-2012.

Given that we never had a factory warranty (we bought a used vehicle and purchase a warranty that has not expired), I thought the notice strange, but possibly mistaken. I put it in a pile of things I need to follow up on. I figured that I would call the company that provides our car warranty to see what was happening.

I had not yet figured out I was looking at a scam, and I'm fairly good at sniffing out a scam. One thing I always, always recommend when you receive a notice, either via snail mail or email: do not respond directly to the notice (and never though an email link), but call the company that you deal with directly. In this case, I would pull my warranty and call the company with my name and account number, not respond to the notice.

Today, another notice marked "2nd Attempt came", only days apart. This one from a company "CarSafe", also bulk mailed from St. Louis, MO. This notice was a bit different. It also looked official. The format was nearly undistiguishable. The codes, however, had different names and numbers. The "Urgent and Time Sensitive" "2nd Attempt" notice from CarSafe, the second company, offered a Platinum plan. Vehicle Protection of America offered a Gold Coverage Offer.

Each notice had a second phone number. The CarSafe notice I quickly flagged as a scam as it requested "Please have your mileage and VIN # ready so we may better assist you."

A search of Vehicle Protection of America" and "scam" didn't turn up anything useful. A search of "CarSafe" and "scam" turned up results. As per this Washington Post column, St. Louis is home to car warranty scams and 10 companies are being sued by the state AG.

Be warned and for those who have family and neighbors, particularly elderly family and friends, make sure they are forewarned. I have a good eye for scams and this one has a nice costume.

One last clue that something is terribly wrong: My name was misspelled and I am not the primary name on our auto, my husband is. If they were working with the manufacturer or our warranty company, they wouldn't be sending me mail.

PSA: Nassau County LinkedIn Workshop

My Long Island readers might be interested in a LinkedIn Workshop at the West Hempstead Public Library.

Monday, September 19th at 7:00 PM. Information follows:

For your readers in Nassau County:

Please join me for my LinkedIn Workshop at the West Hempstead Public Library- Monday September 19th at 7 PM! http://bit.ly/LinkedIn_WHPL

You can see an outline of the LinkedIn Workshop here: http://bit.ly/Networking_Workshops and a Webcast of my presentation at the OU here: http://bit.ly/LinkedIn_Webcast

PSA: Third Annual Torah Home Education Conference

[link] Join us in Baltimore, MD on May 29, 2011 for the Third Annual Torah Home Education Conference! We have another fantastic schedule planned to encourage, inspire, and educate you – whether you’re at the beginning of your search for information about homeschooling or a veteran homeschooler, you’ll find something here to interest you!

The conference will once again be held in the Park Heights JCC, in the conference rooms on the second floor - 5700 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, MD 21215. Check-in begins at 8:15 am, and the conference ends at 5 pm. There is ample parking on site. Lunch can be purchased at the Eden Cafe, a dairy restaurant on the first floor of the JCC that is has kashrus supervision from the Star-K of Baltimore. (Please contact them directly with questions about their menu; a copy of the menu is available online.) Special hotel pricing is available to conference attendees. A variety of Jewishly oriented curriculum will be available to view, and Jewish learning games and activities will be available to purchase.

The cost for this unique program is $50 per person, $90 per couple. Registration and payment must be completed online.

Child care will be available at an additional cost; payment for child care must be made in full by May 20, and is paid for separately. There are currently a limited number of spots available for childcare at the conference. Infants, toddlers and young children will be with JCC staff members in a room adjacent to the conference room. Older children will have day camp activities at a private home nearby.

Teen girls can use the JCC facilities for the day; this will give them access to the pool, gym, raquetball courts, and workout rooms (pool and workout rooms have separate women’s hours).

Fees: Infants and toddlers – $60/child; children ages 2-4 – $50/child
Children ages 5-10 $40/child; teen girls $15 for a JCC guest pass

Please RSVP by May 13 to reserve your spot. For questions and to RSVP, email apmandel@yahoo.com or call Alisa at 410-963-2977.

To see this year’s fantastic conference schedule, please click here.

We look forward to greeting you at the conference!

[Schedule--See Link for Speaker Bios]

Third Annual Torah Home Education Conference Schedule

8:15 registration

9:10 – 9:25 – Introduction –

9:25 – 10:15 -

a) Mrs. Rebecca Masinter- “Laying a Foundation: Homeschooling the Young Family”

or

b) (to be announced)

10:25 – 11:15 -

a) Dr. Ben Perkus – “ADHD: Who Says? and What Now?” A Discussion about ADHD as a diagnosis, and how it may impact our families.

or

b) Mrs. Ahuvah Feldman - “Nuts and Bolts of Homeschooling: Getting Started”

11:25 – 12:15 –

a) Mr. Isaiah Cox - “Choosing to Homeschool: A second generation perspective”

or

b) Mrs. Avivah Werner -” The Monster in the Mind: Acknowledging and Dealing with Burnout”

12:20 – 1:50 Lunch (enjoy fellowship over lunch in the Eating Together Room, browse curriculums in Center for Jewish Education)

1:55 – 2:45 pm -

a) Mrs. Viva Hammer - “Homeschooling Your Teenager – Capturing the Opportunities and Handling the Technicalities”

or

b) Mrs. Bracha Goetz – “The Marvelous Midos Machine – Your Home”

2:55 -3:45 -

a) “Homeschooled Teen Girls Share” – panel discussion

or

b) Rabbi Yosef Resnick, MSEd – “Jewish Community and Homeschooling in the Internet Age: Creating Connections, Networks, and Friends”

3:55 – 4:45 – general session -

Dr. Hadassah Aaronson – “Children in a Homeschool Environment: Socially Deprived OR Selectively Engaged?”

4:45 – closing

PSA: West Orange Cooperative Yeshiva

Hat Tip: A reader

A new Yeshiva starting with Kindergarten is opening in West Orange New Jersey, the West Orange Cooperative Yeshiva. The website lists a seasoned Kindergarten teacher, a curriculum development consultant and math teacher, and a music and computers teacher.

Target tuition is $8000 (15 students max). Parents will volunteer.

I've posted about the Florida Jewish Cooperative School. It is nice to see a second cooperative school setting down roots.

PSA: Shmura Matza Deal, Teaneck and Five Towns

$14.50 a pound for shmura matza. Can be picked up in Teaneck or the Five Towns. Go to Kosher Kouponz and make your purchase in the next four hours. Hat Tip: Anonymous reader. [Updated as readers pointed out the original link had expired].

PSA: Year of Free Tuition for New Day School Students (Pittsburgh)

Hat Tip: rosie

In a recent announcement, Pittsburgh Jewish Community unveils a free tuition program for new applicants. Program is open to local, permanent residents. The student must meet admission guidelines for the desired school and be currently enrolled in any school in Allegheny County. Student must be enrolled before the 2011-2012 school year.

PSA: Florida Co-Op School Informational Meeting

Florida's Jewish Cooperative School is having an informational meeting. I don't know how many Florida readers I have, but I receive regular updates in my email regarding this venture and parents interested in an educational alternative might find the format and pricing of interest.

What: Informational Meeting
Where: Emerald Hills School complex in Hollywood, FL, contact # 786-541-8527
When: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at 8:30PM

School currently runs from K-2nd

PSA: Seminar, The Jewish Family's Approach to Money

This is a Public Service Annoucement (that I did not put up in a timely manner). One of my readers alerted me to a course being given by a Rabbi Fishel Mael, Phd through Mesila in Baltimore. The course is advertised as "a practical course for couples under 30."

The course will be given Sunday evening, December 12, 2010 at 7:30PM. It is slated to run 2.5 hours and RSVP should be given to mesilabaltimoreoffice@gmail.com. The location of the course is at Bais Haknesses Ohr HaChaim on Clarks Lane.

As always, I welome guest posts and I especially like guest posts from seminars. If a Baltimore reader is attending, please do write to me at orthonomics at gmail dot com.

My apologies that my blog is in a rut. I have a lot that I'd like to post and no real energy at the moment. But, energy always seems to return.

PSA: OU's National Convention Opening Session, Open to the Public

Anyone want to be a roving reporter? I'd volunteer, but I have a pre-existing commitment. So, if you want a report, volunteer to take notes. Thanks in advance.

Opening SessionThe Cost of Jewish Living
Free admission for all!
The cost of Jewish living is probably the most talked about topic in our community. Of course, the cost of tuition dominates the discussion. But it is not the only contributing factor to what seems to many families to be an unmanageable burden. Housing costs in a neighborhood near an Orthodox shul are comparatively higher than elsewhere. There are also the costs of special clothing and foods associated with observing Shabbat and the Yamim Tovim, as well as the high costs of bar/mitzvahs and weddings, and of giving gifts to those celebrating them. Does a family have to be wealthy in order to be observant? Is this a sustainable model for the future?

Motza’ei Shabbat, January 15, 8:00 pm
at OU-member Congregation Keter Torah
600 Roemer Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Directions

Anchor: NACHUM SEGAL, host of radio shows JMintheAM, and The Nachum Segal Show
Panelists: ROBERT P. ARONSON, President, Birthright Israel Foundation, and The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life
MARGY-RUTH DAVIS, Executive Vice President, Perry Davis Associates, and community activist
WILLIAM E. RAPFOGEL, CEO, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
DR. MARVIN SCHICK, veteran educational adviser and community observer

PSA: School Choice in the Sukkah Meeting (NJ)

Thank you to the reader who sent this PSA and may self-identify if he so chooses.

"School Choice in the Sukkah"

With the high cost of Yeshivah tuition coupled with sky-high property taxes, the Jewish Community faces great financial pressures. To discuss this problem and possible solutions, including vouchers and tuition tax credits, Congregation Ohav Emeth will be hosting "School Choice in the Sukkah" on Shabbat Sukkoth, September 25, 2010, from 3:30pm to 5:30pm in the Ohav Emeth Sukkah, 415 Raritan Avenue, Highland Park. (In case of rain the event will take place in the Shul)

Invited speakers (not yet confirmed at the time) include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, U.S. Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., and Highland Park Mayor Stephen Nolan. Confirmed speakers include Mayor Anna Little of Highlands, New Jersey, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Congress from our district,

Come be a part of this lively and important discussion.

Public Service Annoucement: New Los Angeles Yeshiva Trade School

I have been notified that Rabbi Steinberg, one of the founders of Yeshivas Ohev Shalom, a low cost Yeshiva alternative in Los Angeles, has now founded a new Yeshiva Trade-School under the name Yeshivas Ohr Chadash. Like the first low cost Yeshiva, this Yeshiva Trade School will include public funded portions of the education. The announcement follows:

Another New Yeshiva in L.A.? Who needs it? Won't it add to the economic crisis?

Not this one! Yeshivas Ohr Chadash is a Yeshiva Trade-School. Get used to the phrase I have a feeling we will be hearing it more often. The previous idea of Yeshiva life and direction is changing to meet reality. According to HaRav Chaim Avrohom Horowitz, HaLevi, Shlita, (a.k.a. the Bostoner Rebbe) the Yeshiva system in the U.S. was established to a large extent by Rav Aharon Kotler to re-establish and insure an authentic Jewish life. However, according to the Rebbe (a Talmid and a Musmach of Rav Aharon), Rav Ahaon Kotler never intended that over 100,000 Talmidim would be sitting in Batei Medrashim and Kollelim throughout the U.S. and world-wide.

Now that we have rebuilt our Yeshiva after the decimation of the holocaust its time to get back to the educating and teaching trades. This is the way we, as Jews, have survived throughout the millennium. Ohr Chadash is a Yeshiva that will attempt to normalize and mainstream solid Yeshiva learning and vocational training. This is not a Yeshiva for troubled students. It is a Yeshiva for young men with a realistic plan.

It has the endorsement of the Bostoner Rebbe, Shlita, and the Jewish Educational Leadership in the Los Angeles community. The Founder and Dean is Rabbi Rachmiel Steinberg, formerly Mashgiach of Yavneh Hebrew Academy, Headmaster of JETS (Jewish Educational Trade School), and Educational Director of Yeshivas Ohev Shalom. For more information call: 323-228-9915

Public Service Announcement: The American Yeshiva in Israel Program

A reader sent me the link to the American Yeshiva in Israel Program designed for 10th graders. The tuition is free, a one-way plane ticket to Israel is included, and some pocket money is also included. There is a $100 application fee and a $150 screening fee included.

While this uplan/yeshiva program might not be for all, it is certainly worthy of a PSA.

To the Exclusion of All Else

Hat Tip: Honestly Frum

There is an article up on ephilanthropy which probably will not be given much of a look in Orthodox circles titled "Day School or Nothing?" The Conservative Jewish author challenges the notion that "there is day school and there's not day school" writing "'no alternative to day school' is problematic because there must be an alternative." He goes on to state "unfortunately, binary decision-making by Jewish leaders and educators in the past two decades meant the 'smart money' and intellectual capital in Jewish education and philanthropy went to Jewish day schools, at the expense of supplementary schools and other alternatives."

This is a thought provoking and important statement and certainly one which the Orthodox community might need to grapple with in the future. I personally don't think we can continue down the road of supporting only one model to the exclusion of others.

But such will probably be. Please see this article at BeyondBT promoting homeschooling. As a supporter of homeschooling, but not an actual homeschooling parent (although I've been accused of such since as I keep my children home far later than is currently trendy!), I personally don't care for the way in which this particular article promoted homeschooling (just an issue of style). But please try to look past such and focus on the comments of Mr. Marvin Schick, who was asked about homeschooling in an interview, as it is in direct relationship to the subject for which I began this article. Mr. Schick is quoted as saying:

“I can understand why parents with limited income who face high tuition bills might pursue that route, but even with the tuition crisis, I doubt that many parents will opt for homeschooling. For one thing, Orthodox families partake of the general societal trend in which both parents work. This alone makes homeschooling difficult.” Asked whether he felt that Avi Chai may take a position on home schooling or even provide support for home schooling families, he replied that Avi Chai is not presently involved in home schooling and that he is certain it will not provide support for home schooling. Nevertheless he does also acknowledge, “ . . . the inability of our schools to accommodate boys who are not good learners or students who are just a bit off the beaten track.”

I have enjoyed Mr. Marvin Schick’s articles on day schools and financial issues for many years now, often finding myself nodding in agreement . I find it sad that he is on record essentially dismissing the possibility of supporting homeschoolers, or other opportunities that might open up such as group schooling or hybrid schooling. Day schools and yeshivot are most certainly a very important component of the fabric of our community, but I worry that they are eating more and more of the communal and family budget to the exclusion of other programming, developed or undeveloped.

I get the feeling that NCSY, Bnei Akiva, Pirkei/Bnot groups are far less supported and popular today. I already know a handful of children from religious families who are enrolled in public school, and while I try to avoid predicting the future, I do believe that number will grow, financing being the primary reason. While many believe that Shomer Shabbat parents will do anything to keep their children in a yeshiva/day school, I do believe we will see more families leaving the confines of the day school. I already know a handful and I know others that talk about it and I'm not certain that it is just talk. I'd personally like to see support for alternatives developed at the leadership level, but I'm not counting on it. I do admire those who have taken a step outside of the box and formed alternative schools such as the Jewish co-op school in Flordia and the Yeshiva Alternative in Los Angeles, as well as homeschoolers, and it would be nice to see leaders leave the black and white world of "day school or not day school" and consider the possibility of supporting (or at least not completely dismissing) some viable alternatives.

Now is probably a good time to give a Yashar Koach to the Lookstein Center on their newest journal looking at the Financial Crisis and the Jewish Day School. It was such a pleasant surprise to see a "Tuition Crisis" edition that contained some debate regarding charter schools, as well as articles on the alternatives mentioned in the paragraph above. Also, as Public Service Announcement: Second Annual Torah Home Education is coming on Sunday, June 13 in Baltimore. The speaker lineup looks impressive and I welcome guest posters as I always do).

As the Conservative Jewish author writes: "We need a more holistic approach to Jewish education, one that doesn’t pit one model against the other, but instead regards Jewish education as a continuum that contains a variety of viable alternatives." I think that sums it up well. I think it is a mistake to dismiss alternatives as "not day school."