Close to 500 attendees representing 160 schools across New York State gathered last week for the 5th annual Yeshiva Summit. The Yeshiva Summit, a project of Agudath Israel of America’s Yeshiva Services department, is part of Agudah’s mission of advocating for schools across the spectrum of Torah Jewry. Participants spent a full day hearing from community leaders, elected officials, and experts in their respective fields about a variety of topics directly impacting New York State yeshivas. The summit also offered participants significant networking opportunities as well as the ability to meet with more than 40 on-site vendors representing a variety of businesses and services that service schools.

Titled OnPoint, the 2024 summit focused on forging ahead in a difficult environment, directly addressing security, educational, and funding issues, as well as other growing challenges. In his opening remarks, Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus, director of Agudah’s Yeshiva Services Department, added that one of the main purposes of the summit was to equip yeshivos with the information they need to make informed decisions under the guidance of each school’s rabbinic leadership.

Attendees at this year’s Yeshiva Summit were privileged to hear divrei chizuk from Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva of Staten Island, and participate in a question-and-answer session about some of the most pressing issues that yeshivas are facing today.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined the attendees and spoke out strongly about the need to fight antisemitism and to defend our Yeshivas as they face a “full frontal assault.” Mayor Adams said, “I know how well our Yeshivas are doing. I see the scholars, I see the greatness of those who have gone through the system.”

Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY 11) also addressed the summit, saying that attendees could help make school choice a reality in New York State and across the country by asking their members of Congress to co-sponsor the Educational Choice for Children Act. The Act is a federal proposal that would provide $10 billion in scholarships for students. Agudah is a founding member of the Invest in Education Coalition that is advocating for this bill and has been helping secure co-sponsors. (You can take action to support this bill by clicking here.)

“Every year, we see hundreds of administrators, from across the spectrum of yeshivos, who are committed to learning how to do everything right in running their schools,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus. “We are so impressed by the achdus, eagerness to learn, and dedication that we see from every attendee, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to assist these institutions at the Yeshiva Summit and throughout the rest of the year.”

“One thing that is very clear from the Yeshiva Summit is that the Agudah is there to serve our needs,” said Rabbi Dovid Stein, Administrator, Yeshiva Karlin Stolin. “They tell us what our options are, and support and guide us on the decisions we make along with our daas Torah.”

“The Yeshiva Summit is one of the most important events of the year for New York yeshivos and is attended by yeshiva administrators from the broad spectrum of Torah Jewry” said Rabbi Tzvi Liberman, Assistant Administrator of Yeshivas Vyelipol. “The sessions are informative and ensure that we are aware of all the opportunities that are available for our schools and that we are educated about all the rules and regulations that we need to know to ensure that our Yeshivos run smoothly.”

Photo Credits: Agudath Israel of America/ Moshe Gershbaum

By: Sandy Eller

We never thought it could happen here.

But our beloved educational institutions have come repeatedly under attack, a reality that has only underscored the need for the Yeshiva Summit, imbuing the annual event with a definite sense of urgency.

Over 400 attendees, including leaders of 140 different schools, gathered at Terrace on the Park on Thursday, January 12th for the Yeshiva Summit, a project of Agudath Israel of America’s Yeshiva Services department. Titled Upstream, the 2023 summit focused on forging ahead in a difficult environment, directly addressing security, educational and funding issues, as well as other growing challenges that threaten New York’s yeshivas and day schools. In keeping with Yeshiva Services’ mission of advocating for schools all across the spectrum of Orthodoxy, the summit proved to be a valuable and timely resource, and participants spent a full day hearing from community leaders, elected officials and experts in their respective fields about a variety of topics directly impacting New York State yeshivas.

Among the highlights of the summit were divrei chizuk from Mesivta of Long Beach Rosh Yeshiva HaRav Chaim Yehoshua Hoberman, who praised the yeshiva system in New York for its part in creating thriving Orthodox communities. Participants had an opportunity to hear daas Torah imparted by Rabbi Hoberman during a Q&A session regarding practical issues relevant to all yeshivos while Roth&Co co-managing partner Zacharia Waxler provided practical guidance on best practices for working with special education agencies and other vendors.

Sessions throughout the day offered pragmatic advice on using security grants to protect teachers and students in schools, getting ahead of impending New York City energy regulations, and understanding the legal ramifications of hiring and firing practices. Also addressed were funding opportunities for Title services and state-funded Nonpublic School Safety Equipment grants, with New York State Education Department Assistant Commissioner Christina Coughlin coming in from Albany to discuss changes in reimbursements for school safety and health expenses.

Multiple elected and government officials, including State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Assemblyman David Weprin, City Councilman Kalman Yeger and Mayor Eric Adams’ Deputy Chief of Staff Menashe Shapiro, expressed their support for yeshivas and the Jewish community. State Senator Leroy Comrie and Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer Amato participated in an afternoon political panel, while United States Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer joined the conference on Zoom to speak about increases in security funding, burgeoning anti-Semitism and his close relationship with the Agudah dating back to his decades of friendship with the legendary Agudath Israel long-time leader, Rabbi Moshe Sherer. Queens Borough President Donovan Richards condemned the New York Times’ obsession with the Orthodox Jewish community, and praised local yeshivas for offering educations that he described as “phenomenal,” singling out Beis Medrash Hagadol D’Satmar, Torah Academy for Girls and Yeshiva of Central Queens by name. The summit offered participants significant networking opportunities as well as the ability to meet with more than 40 on-site vendors representing a variety of businesses and services.

Having government and elected officials express their confidence in the yeshiva system and describe the quality of the individuals and communities that they produce as proof of their effectiveness was extremely reassuring, said Yeshiva Services Director Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus.

“It is a real testament to our schools to see so many administrators and principals taking time out of their busy schedules to attend the Yeshiva Summit in order to continue providing students with stellar educations,” said Rabbi Pinkus. “Yeshiva Services unites the entire spectrum of yeshivos, day schools and Bais Yaakovs, advocating on behalf of each one. We are grateful to be able to provide our assistance to the entire yeshiva community, both in our day-to-day operations, and through events like the Yeshiva Summit.”

Photo Credits: Agudath Israel/ Moshe Gershbaum

Knowledge is power, and for its third installment, the Agudah’s Yeshiva Services Department once again presented the Yeshiva Summit, the premier event for yeshiva leadership and administrators in New York State.

The Summit drew record participants seeking knowledge to empower them to optimally run their schools in accordance with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations.

Another key aspect of the Summit is the unique networking opportunities. Yeshiva administrators exchanged ideas and insights with each other; consulted with recognized experts in specific fields; interacted with vendors providing services targeted to yeshivos’ needs; and met with and were advised by government officials. As numerous Yeshiva administrators explained, “providing the opportunity to network amongst colleagues and other likeminded professionals is an invaluable tool. In our current, volatile climate and with new challenges and various, complex funding streams to navigate, exchanging best practices is most powerful.”

The Yeshiva Summit also provides a platform for over 40 vendors to showcase their goods and services to yeshivas.

“The Agudah’s Yeshiva Services department is constantly looking for ways to service you, to service our yeshivas, to service our schools, and most of all to service Klal Yisroel,” exclaimed Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus, director of Yeshiva Services at Agudath Israel, in his opening plenary. He noted that the topics discussed at the Summit were chosen based on recommendations and requests from the attendees, and that it demonstrates their interest in gaining knowledge and insight to ensure that they are compliant with government regulations in the most optimal way.

The opening plenary was followed by a panel discussion with Rabbi Nissan Gewirtzman, president of Yeshiva Consulting Services, Jim Cultrara, director for education at the New York State Catholic Conference, and co-chair of the New York State Coalition for Independent and Religious Schools, and Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus. The discussion was moderated by Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, director of New York government relations at Agudath Israel.

In his introduction to the keynote address, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Agudah’s executive vice president, noted, “It is a tremendous chizuk for us at Agudas Yisroel to see the crowd that has come here today, to see the vibrancy, to look at what the vendors have to offer. This is our Yeshiva community.” He then went on to explain, “At Agudas Yisroel we like to make sure that everything is done according to Daas Torah… based on the special vision that Gedolei Yisroel have.”

In his keynote address, Rabbi Don Blumberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kollel Yisroel V’Shimson of the West Side & Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivas Ohel Yaakov, tackled the issue of taking government funding al pi Torah.

Roundtables were also held with each of the presenters, affording attendees a unique opportunity to have freeform discussions with these experts, to learn from them in a more informal setting than the presentations.

Throughout the Summit, multiple sessions were held on different funding programs, opportunities, and regulations in New York State. Rabbi Baruch Noy, director of educational technology and IT, HAFTR, and EdTech consultant, COJDSP, presented on technology in yeshivas, speaking about what administrators need to know in the office and around the school. Marina Vishnepolskaya, principal, Offit Kurman, P.A. spoke about the pitfalls and opportunities of employee benefits, ERISA, and New York pension law. Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus, director and Rabbi Ami Bazov, coordinator, of Yeshiva Services at Agudath Israel, delivered a comprehensive session on recent compliance updates. David M. Pollock, associate executive director, and director of public policy, JCRC-NY, provided an overview of security related grants and funding programs on both the federal and state levels. Rabbi Yaakov Wasser, CPA, partner, Wasser, Brettler, Klar & Lipstein LLP, presented a case study of QTR and parsonage. Ms. Christina Coughlin, NYSED assistant commissioner, gave an important address, which covered numerous yeshiva programs in New York State. And Mr. Chaim Book, partner, Moskowitz & Book, LLP, addressed the attendees on common employment issues in law.

Agudath Israel would like to give special thanks to all the government officials who attended the Summit, to both learn about yeshivas as well as to share insight to yeshiva leadership. Among the attendees were State Senators Mike Martucci and Elijah Reichlin-Melnick; State Assemblymember Mike Lawler; Ms. Frances G. Wills, Board of Regents, NYSED; Ms. Bernadette Fitzgerald, Mr. Mark Otto, Mr. Lawrence Pendergast, and Mr. Eric Weinbaum from the NYC Department of Education; and Rockland County Legislator Aron Wieder.

“The Yeshiva Summit was extremely successful, and we appreciate the tremendous feedback we have received,” said Mr. Avrohom Weinstock, chief of staff, Agudath Israel of America. “I would like to thank the Yeshiva Services department for putting together such an amazing event, and to all of the staff who worked tirelessly to make it happen.”