Secular Education in Hasidic Yeshivas: Why We Should All Care

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Join us for a talk with Naftuli Moster, Executive Director of Yaffed, about secular education in Hasidic Yeshivas.

Most Hasidic boys’ schools in NY and NJ provide little to no secular education to their tens of thousands of students. Nearly 100% of Hasidic boys graduate without a high school diploma. New York State Education Law requires that non-public schools provide a curriculum that is “substantially equivalent” to that of public schools, meaning a minimum of English, math, science, and social studies lessons. Most Hasidic male high school graduates are illiterate in core subjects, barely fluent in the English language, unqualified for most decent-paying jobs, and ill-equipped to navigate the broader world. Hasidic Jews are the fastest growing population in NYC, outpacing every other Jewish denomination. By 2030, 30% of Brooklyn’s youth are predicted to be enrolled in Hasidic yeshivas.

Naftuli Moster is the Executive Director of Yaffed. He grew up in Borough Park and attended Hasidic Yeshivas (elementary and high schools). In 2012 he founded Yaffed after discovering the gaps in his and his friends’ elementary and high school education. Moster graduated Suma Cum Laude with a BA in psychology from the College of Staten Island and went on to receive a Master’s in social work from Hunter (CUNY).

YAFFED (Young advocates for fair education) is an advocacy group committed to improving educational curricula within ultra-Orthodox schools. They fervently believe that every child is entitled to a fair and equitable education that is in compliance with the law. Their work involves raising awareness about the importance of general studies education and encouraging elected officials, Department of Education officials and the leadership of the ultra-Orthodox world to act responsibly in preparing their youth for economic sufficiency and for broad access to the resources of the modern world.