For Sale – Two Yeshiva buildings
To ease its current financial crisis, the Sydney Yeshiva Centre has placed two of its buildings on the market.
Bondi Rd
Old South Head Rd
One building at 126 Bondi Rd. a block of six apartments, formerly housed rabbinical students and the other at 255 Old South Head Rd was home to the girls’ school.
Rabbi Eli Feldman told J-Wire that the apartment block was not currently in heavy use due to there not being too many students in Sydney at the moment and that the girls’ school had been moved out of the former Betar HQ on Old South Head Rd to Flood St. It is being used for crisis accommodation for families in a distressed situation.
He added: “The Old South Head building has been zoned for use as a day care centre and the flats have also been used, and in fact currently are, for families in crisis.”
He said that it was sad to see the buildings go and expressed hope that “someone in the community might buy them and allow the Yeshiva to continue using them”.
Otto
You are wrong, very wrong my friend. Maxine is 105% correct in what she says. The Yeshiva, even though it does mitzvot, it spends well above its means and subsequently a very well known Funder in the Community has to bail them out.
It’s a constant cycle and as I posted elsewhere on this page
“you can’t spend more than you have,it’s simple arithmetic.”
Sooner or later it has to stop.
On top of that Otto, Maxine deserves an apology. She is a good friend of mine, well known and admired in the Community and you couldn’t be more off base if you tried.
Dear Shirlee
I have no idea who Maxine is.
You are right that Sydney Yeshiva has been through a few rounds of last minute saving graces and we all know who has been the benefactor to the greatest extent.
Without having access to the books and management details of the Yeshiva I cannot pass judgement on those matters. You are also right that, in economic principle, no entity could survive if the survival means are exhausted. Yet, I have not seen any unethical practices being evinced in relation to the management of Sydney Yeshiva. I would venture that, in the tradition of the ethics of Yeshivot, the Sydney one MUST have afforded a large number of bahurim the privileges of studying which, in strict monetray terms were UNaffordable. To that extent you are NOT wrong. I beg to differ in terms of the ethics of an institution that …believes in caring for anyone who is willing to offer his neshama to the understanding of the treasures of our teachings. Obviously, as you alluded to, not everyone has the means of paying for the comphensensive Yeshiva institutional life and that, I suppose, is the root of the probelm. To this extent I personally cannot blame an institution for being irresponsible while the same is accepting the responsibility of nurturing the precious willing to be immersed in the most important function one could devote himself to.
Rabbi Feldman cannot be both right and wrong on the same account (!!), In my…book he can only be right.
( Mind you, I have never had the honour of meeting Rabbi Feldman !!)
What honour Otto?
He’s no big deal to meet. He’s a man.
Believe me they do spend unnecessarily. I witnessed some of it.
I and many, many others will be very angry if they are bailed out yet again.
Let them close their pathetic excuse for a school for starters. I have first hand knowledge that their school leavers are very poorly educated. They would be bettered served going elsewhere.
I have no respect for the Sydney Yeshiva which has a long history of bad debts, not paying their teachers and proving to the Sydney Jewish Community that morality doesn’t equate with their brand of Yiddishkeit.
Maxine.
Luckily, Maxine what you say is so obviously absurd and mean spirited that no reasonable person could take it seriosuly. I, for one, am disgusted and can only deduct that there is no trace of Yiddishkeit in you.
Sydney Yeshiva, as all Yeshivot, are the heart and mind of our identity.
It is very sad that Sydney Yeshiva had to endure so many hardships in its recent history and we should all rally to its support as much as we can individually afford. I would not criticise an esential institution for struggling to function for the benefit of all the mitzvot we should observe.
B”H
Dear Shirlee,
The Talmud says that it takes Chutzpah to achieve great things.
Yeshiva has been providing the community with essential spiritual, educational and welfare services for more than fifty years.
Although you seem concerned by the cost of those services and how much we should be extending ourselves, I am sure that you join me in the hope and prayer that these services should continue and that Yeshiva and indeed all of our communal organizations should continue to grow from strength to strength.
Kind Regards,
Rabbi Eli Feldman
I’m not arguing about what you do and don’t do. I do have family with the Yeshiva ‘family’ and I am well aware of what you do.
However you can’t spend more than you have,it’s simple arithmetic. You can’t rely on others to bail you out. Certainly you cannot ask and/or expect it, never mind what the Talmud says, it’s the height if ill manners
What chutzpah
***expressed hope that “someone in the community might buy them and allow the Yeshiva to continue using them”***
Maybe the Yeshiva should learn to live within its means.