April 16, 2024
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Linking Northern and Central NJ, Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and CT

Alleviating the Tuition Burden

I enjoyed reading Uri Herzberg’s piece (“A Proposal to Alleviate the Tuition Burden in Bergen County” July 23, 2020) in a recent issue of The Jewish Link. I appreciate the efforts being made by members of our community to deal with a problematic long-term issue that is painfully impacting so many. I have thoughts and questions about how the model would work, but the issue of diversification of fundraising intrigued me. A central organization (modeled after a Tomchei Shabbos, for example, in which the entire community supports an organization that deals with a communal need) could reach members of the community who don’t give to schools because of no real connection. I’d add that I wonder if such an organization would also collect some of the discretionary charity dollars that people with school-aged children have as well. Many community members might be more inclined psychologically to give extra dollars to a central community scholarship organization, than to a school for which we just wrote a $50,000 tuition check. You might claim that it’s the same thing as giving to your school’s scholarship fundraising campaign, but I’d argue that the distinct, separate nature of the organization might, in and of itself, bring in more funds. I’d certainly love to see this idea gain some traction and hope our day school leaders will give it real thought.

Miriam Krupka Berger
Teaneck
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