A new approach to yeshiva high school education started with a good idea and the coming together of talented people to translate the theory into a practical reality.
As Rabbi Eliyahu Teitz described it, he first began discussing the concept with fellow yeshiva school administrators 20 years ago while he worked as a lead administrator at the Jewish Educational Center. They agreed that the exclusive focus of most yeshivot on preparing students for college, likely graduate school, then careers in medicine, law, finance, accounting and other white-collar professions, did not serve all students well. They knew that some students would be better served by a yeshiva that not only prepared students for college but also offered vocational tracks to enable students to get right to work after high school.
Once Rabbi Teitz left the JEC to pursue new opportunities, in 2016, he knew it was the right time to actively pursue this vision of a new school. Rabbi Eliyahu Teitz comes from a family of 22 consecutive generations of pulpit rabbis. He received semicha from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and also received a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University’s Klingenstein Private School Leadership Program. He is the former associate rabbi of the Jewish community in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and the former associate head of school of the Jewish Educational Center school system. He has served on the boards of the Rabbinical Council of America and the Religious Zionists of America/Mizrachi and is a recipient of their Chief Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook Rabbinic Award.
Rabbi Teitz got to work fleshing out the concept of the new school—one that would offer all the “standard” elements of a well-regarded yeshiva, such as college prep courses and superior Modern Orthodox Limudei Kodesh instruction, while also offering coursework on the practical concerns of people entering vocations, such as ethics, licensure and the steps needed to set up a business. He continued talking to other administrators and exploring vocational-education options. He soon enlisted a small board of talented professionals who shared his passion for the new approach to yeshiva high school education.
Rabbi Hank Sheinkopf, president of Sheinkopf Communications, serves as president of the Builder School’s board. Sheinkopf has worked on an estimated 700 political campaigns on four continents, in 14 foreign countries and 44 American states over the last 35 years. His clients include a U.S. president, a mayor of New York City and presidents of Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Brenda Strashun, Esq., vice president of the Builder School’s board, is an arbitrator and mediator who has worked in the public and private sector, in fields such as education, real estate, entertainment, health care and municipal entities. Rabbi Andrew Schultz, secretary of the Builder School’s board, serves as the executive director of the Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemeteries (CAJAC). He has 18 years of experience as a Jewish communal professional with expertise in fundraising and membership acquisition.
Together, Rabbi Teitz and the board named their new venture the Builder School/Yeshivat Bonayich and got to work speaking with potential students, their parents and potential donors.
“The Builder School fills a critical void in the Jewish educational system,” said Rabbi Schultz. “A growing number of teenagers are passionate about coding and scientific innovation. Those interests and skills need an environment in which to grow and develop into a career-oriented path. The Builder School’s dual-curriculum provides career-oriented support, simultaneously fostering a love of Torah and a commitment to leading a Torah-observant life.”
As Rabbi Teitz shared, the vision of the Builder School has attracted considerable interest because it will feature both the academic rigor and classic Torah education of other yeshiva high schools, as well as an applied careers focus that will allow students to “earn real money” in jobs right after high school, while they consider their long-term plans. The Builder School is preparing to offer academies in areas such as construction/electrical, technology/coding, law/paralegal, business/real estate and health sciences/EMT, as well as others as the school grows.
In September the Builder School added to its enviable roster by hiring Jenni Levy, the former general studies principal of the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, as their chief academic officer. Levy has a master’s degree in educational administration from Seton Hall University, a master’s degree in gifted education from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College, a law degree from Fordham University and a graduate degree in Jewish history from Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel School of Jewish Studies. She also has experience as a small-business owner, having established in 2006 Bulldog SAT tutoring, which grew to employ 30 tutors. Levy has worked previously as an administrator at the Magen David Yeshiva in Brooklyn and the New Milford public schools.
Levy is excited to work with Rabbi Teitz and the Builder School board members, to found “a co-ed Zionistic Modern Orthodox yeshiva high school that is focused on meeting the needs of students who are driven to develop future-ready skills.” She asserted that the school will help these students become more marketable than their peers, by giving them opportunities to specialize at a younger age. She stated, “This school will be unique in that it’ll enable students to be more well-rounded about a profession while also developing a solid foundation of Jewish knowledge.”
The Builder School plans to open its doors to its first class of ninth and 10th grade students in September 2021. The school will be based in Bergen County and is currently exploring a few potential locations. The leaders of the Builder School plan to hold the school’s tuition at $20,000/year, to make it competitive with other options in the area.
One thing is already clear about this nascent yeshiva high school—it continues to attract enthusiastic support and interest, because the vision meets a widely perceived need. “This venture puts new focus on children who may fall “‘between the cracks,’ because they’re better suited for a vocational option that wasn’t previously available,” said Elliot Gibber, owner of Deb-El Food Products, a processed-egg manufacturer, based in Newark, and an early financial supporter of the yeshiva. “I’m very proud to support the Builder School because it will give these children a sense of purpose and value by providing this much-needed alternative.”
For more information on the Builder School, visit their website at www.BuilderSchool.net, email Rabbi Teitz at [email protected] or call 646-522-5592.
By Harry Glazer
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