Waves of Hope Sweep Across Klal Yisroel


Historic Progress in the Ongoing Battle Against the Harsh "Decree on Chinuch":
Tens of Thousands of New York Parents United Under a New Organization, "AR-PEC"
It Will Represent Us Personally Before the Government
and on the Legal Front
It Arrives at a Critical Time, as State Education Officials Come Forward
to Us Parents - the "Stakeholders" - to Hear Our Word
Foremost Legal Experts Recruited to Represent the
Religious Education Rights of New York Parents



With great joy, Torah Jewry in New York is receiving the good news of the opening of the critically important "AR-PEC" organization, which will stand firm for the benefit of the chinuch of the hundreds of thousands of children learning in the mosdos haTorah across New York, and will represent us on all fronts - political and legal alike - and, b'ezras Hashem, secure the future of our holy chinuch.
The powerful "AR-PEC" organization was established by a united committee of distinguished baalei batim and "rabbanim and leaders of the community," who themselves have children and grandchildren at whom the aims of those who seek to disrupt and sow destruction in our holy chinuch are now directed. Standing on the side of the concerned parents, and seeing before their eyes a situation in which one must immediately throw oneself in and begin taking serious steps in practice, the organization was founded with the goal of representing the united silent voices of the more than one hundred thousand parents of children in mosdos across Greater New York, and of stating clearly and plainly the position and aspiration of the parents regarding the chinuch of their dear children in the mosdos.

The Current Critical Time
We are now very close to the deadline, when the Board of Regents is preparing to look into the case once more and to finalize the new education guidelines, which will affect the educational regulations of all mosdos across New York. The time is pressing to come out clearly with a resounding message that will represent the firm opinion of the parents of the students of the mosdos.

Honest, Torah-faithful Jews from across New York stand firm on the directive of all the leaders of the generation, and at the same time this is even in complete agreement with the common sense of the baal habayis, which says the same thing of every honest Jew. Seeing it for our future, the firm stance must be clear in every detail. We must stand with complete confidence and declare the truth: our chinuch demands no change. It is the best that America has to offer at all, and we are not prepared to bend away from the holy chinuch that we give our children, just as we received it from our forefathers and rabbeim, may their memory be a blessing.

Over the past few years, since the difficulties with chinuch began, when the enemies of religion set themselves to carry out shameful informing and provocations against us, with the express aim of disrupting and, Heaven forbid, corrupting the chinuch of our children, may they live, reports of what has happened and what is being heard keep coming and going in the political corridors. One constantly hears news that casts a heavy light on the serious situation in which we find ourselves. For us parents it is very hard to understand exactly what is going on behind the scenes, and even the actions that have already been taken by certain mosdos haTorah were not, until now, done with the direct participation of the parents themselves, who of course cannot be involved in every detail.

Nevertheless, there is a strong warmth flaming among parents of all levels and circles, as everyone wants the word and position of the parents to be presented through a united representation of all the parents together, the distinguished, concerned fathers and mothers with whom the holy deposits lie and on whom rests the actual responsibility to raise the children in the path of Yisroel Saba.

The parents of the children together with the faithful directors of the mosdos, headed by the rabbanim and leaders of the community, look out in suspense, hoping every day to hear that the New York Education Department is laying down its weapons and turning the evil eyes away from our holy chinuch. Meanwhile, hoping for the salvation, every means is being used to continue as until now, with a prayer to the Almighty that the enemies of Yisroel should have no power over our children, the coming generation and the future of Yiddishkeit on New York soil until the day of Moshiach.

The Time Has Come: Parents Unite
Askanim and public figures have throughout this entire time been fully harnessed with total zeal, standing ready with askanus and shtadlanus on various fronts. From the moment the problem was seen on the horizon, they took their bearings and gathered the leaders of the mosdos to consult together on how to proceed and to come out together on the front to repel the decrees.

In the past, a great deal has already been accomplished through shtadlanus. Faithful askanim from various kehillos and mosdos, in various positions, did not stop for anything. They knocked on high windows and did not let up until they had an open ear to make heard the clear, unbending position expressed by the rabbanim and leaders of the generation, from whose mouths we live, and who is the actual representative of the holy, dear children being educated in the holy mosdos haTorah.

Now, with great joy and excitement, we welcome the first-ever establishment of a central leading organization, an association that will, with powerful strength, represent the silent voices of the parents of the children in all mosdos across New York. For the first time the voice will reach from a new angle, bringing with it a representation of all the parents of the tinokos shel beis rabban.

The "AR-PEC" association will declare in the corridors of the city's decision-makers that we Jews are loyal citizens who conduct ourselves properly toward the laws of the state, but our religion is above all, and we will not and cannot yield on our chinuch, with which we and our parents were educated to Hashem and His Torah.

"AR-PEC" Is Already Active
The newly founded "AR-PEC" organization is an association established with the approval and recommendation of the gedolei hador, who stand at the helm and follow closely the developments surrounding the drawn-out battle, and who recognized the critical necessity of establishing such a prominent platform to be led as a joint campaign.
"AR-PEC" is a body of kehillos and mosdos of all levels and circles across New York who, sharing the same problem, have united, forming a united front to represent the silent voices of the more than one hundred thousand parents who are concerned about the situation and the future of their generations, and who demand of the government that we be allowed to continue with our chinuch in the way handed down to us from generation to generation.

"AR-PEC" is a wonderful collaboration consisting of a board that includes board members who are themselves parents of children and grandfathers of grandchildren learning in mosdos here in New York, including parents from all kehillos and mosdos across New York, combining the daas Torah with the daas baal habayis together, so that the strength will be firm and powerful.

All the organization's actions and activities are directed by a staff of experienced attorneys, dear and renowned lawyers who are very widely known to Torah Jewry as seasoned fighters for our legal rights. The attorneys work out when and how the message needs to be delivered, when and where to apply forces, on which closed doors the knocks will be heard, and above all that it should land with proper impact both in the government offices and with the media, and thus, through the proper legal course, let the united message be heard publicly and openly.

In these days, the headquarters of the "AR-PEC" association is buzzing with great intensity. Meetings take place one after another with the greatest attorneys and experienced lobbyists, working out various plans and steps for how to come out to the broad public and make themselves heard loudly and clearly.

Several projects lie on the table, larger and smaller, some of which involve very large expenses, accompanied by the experienced guidance of the attorneys and lobbyists, the best possible having been gathered for this purpose. But the faithful "AR-PEC" committee sees no money as a reason to stop. When speaking of securing the future of Yiddishkeit, and when dealing with a sensitive subject such as the chinuch of our dear children, there is nothing in the world that stops the energetic askanim from applying the maximum effort.

Klal Yisroel follows with anticipation the far-reaching actions of "AR-PEC," which are proceeding with strength. At the same time, eyes are turned to Heaven with a prayer that we should finally climb out of this problem, that the wicked from within and without should lay down their weapons and realize that Klal Yisroel is an unbending nation that will not allow us to be led away or to change direction, just as our parents in all generations stood up and in the end prevailed.