Monday, August 11, 2008

Continued: The Unspoken Option-By Avi Solomon

(Continued) Granted, this generalization doesn’t even come close to pin pointing the source for teens at risk and etc… Nevertheless, I do think letting people know that “stay in yeshiva” or bumming around aren’t the only options. College can be a very viable option for people not matzliach in yeshiva, a youngerman who can’t afford kollel life any longer, or a female who wants to make more money to support her husband in learning as long as possible. I have made it a known fact on more than one occasion that I have attended Ocean County College for 3 semesters and am currently enrolled in Rutgers University. Consequently, I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me and asked how they can get enrolled in college. The reality is that if you have a GED beginning the college process is quite easy. Enrolling in Ocean County College for an AA, to transfer to a 4 year school later, or to become a nurse through their nursing program is quite easy. OCC is like one the yeshivas that will accept anyone. Also, funding your education at OCC is also quite easy. FAFSA alone can pay for your entire education at OCC. Another option is that if you have BTL from BMG or another yeshiva you can apply to Fairly Dickinson, Kean, or Rutgers’ Master Program in accounting. A masters program will usually require you to take out student loans that will need to be paid back later. Finally, if you have a BTL in Talmudic law from BMG or another yeshiva you can take a test known as the LSAT and if you do well you can probably get accepted into a law school. If you and your rabbanim do think that college might be an option for you, now is the time to enroll as a new semester will beginning in September.
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Avi, it's not just teens at risk. I am a yungerman, and I am plotzing from lack of parnassah, and I can't get a good job because I never got a degree. (I'm not the developer/investor/business type) I need a regular 9 - 5 job, and they won't pay enough to support my family w/o a degree.

Sometimes I feel that my parents and rabbeim have failed me by not pushing me to take courses. The Gemara says that a father who doesn't teach his son a trade teaches him how to rob.

Which is exactly what I do. I rob the gov't every day......

Anonymous said...

Mr. Solomon you can have an opinion; however, you should live your life the way you want and I can live my life as I chose. We both strive to serve our creator; however, sometimes it is better to keep your opinion to yourself because maybe you will sway someone who would have stayed in yeshiva another z'man and now will say hay "Avi" is right. It might be right for you, but keep it to yourself.

Anonymous said...

Mr Solomon.I do not know you and I do not know your credentials. However,what you are saying has been endorsed by many rabbominm in private for many years but who were scared to publicly state their position.
Not everyone has rich parents and inlaws.
Reality will force change in attitude.

Anonymous said...

I agree..... to an extent. Mr Solomon has a point that I have argued for many years now. Straight and Only Yeshiva learning is not for eveyone-emotionally, physically, and in regard to a parnassah. I beleive that many should attend college and receive a proper educational backing whether for parnassah right away or as a stability/safety for the future. Yet, Mr. Solomon wrongly makes the quick jump from college to law school. They are 2 seperate areas and questions to be discussed. I appreciate the commentor who feels ashamed at robbing our government when he knows that he would have, in other circumstances, of been capable of earning his livelihood. To the second commentor, I have always wondered is that 1 extra zman worth it when he may begin to resent it and it will slowly cause him to go off the derech and to have a negative attitude towards learning...some people just cannot learn the amount that soceity is forcing them to. In regard to the third comment, I agree choosing to live a kollel life style should be a choice that you make for yourself... not a choice that You make for your parents, the government etc. (There is a lot more that I can add to this subject matter, but I will stop here.)

Anonymous said...

To the yungerman who is not the developer/investor/business type have your tried computers ? Repair of computers is usually taught at trade schools for a reasonable price. You can get government loans to pay for it. It's a rapidly growing trade and usually easy to find employment as all business today have some kind of PC.