Breaking News: Shalhevet H.S. for Girls reported saved

Rosh Yeshiva says money raised to cover deficit

By Mayer Fertig

Sunday July 19, 2009 / 27 Tammuz 5769 / Special to TheJewishStar.com

A last minute effort to save Shalhevet High School for Girls is a success, according to Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, who heads both Shalhevet and its older sibling, Rambam Mesivta.

In an e-mail to parents that was obtained by The Jewish Star on Sunday evening, Rabbi Friedman said, "based on Wednesday night's meeting we have a wonderful group of talmidot for both the ninth and tenth grades." A meeting attended by a reported 60 or so parents and Shalhevet faculty members was held late Wednesday at Rambam Mesivta.

Shalhevet's "extremely geneous parent body has donated over $150,000. The deficit has been covered," Rabbi Friedman wrote.

The school has plans to "sign a lease in the next few days," according to the e-mail, which also said that Shalhevet has identified "an excellent building to rent" and afford the school considerable savings.

Shalhevet was formerly housed in the Temple Beth El building which HAFTR has been leasing from the congregation for a number of years.

Shalhevet and Rambam Mesivta were formerly part of Machon HaTorah, a three-school organization that was formed three years ago. The HAFTR board two weeks ago voted to stop funding the Shalhevet deficit, citing extreme financial pressures facing HAFTR itself.

Last week the president of Rambam Mesivta, Yaacov Gross, indicated to The Jewish Star that the partnership was over. "From the perspective of a Rambam parent there is no need to have a Machon because there is absolutely nothing that Rambam is getting out of the relationship," he said.

In the same interview he called the Shalhevet deficit a "tiny, tiny number" and suggested that using it as the reason to close Shalhevet "seems harder and harder to justify." According to Rabbi Friedman's e-mail the deficit seems to have been in the neighborhood of $150,000.

Late Sunday night Rabbi Friedman said he was still busy getting in touch with parents and agreed to be interviewed on Monday.