Tuesday, July 18, 2017

[poweroften] THE PARTY OF THE SUMMER IS THIS SUNDAY

Power of Ten Special Update:

The following message represents an opportunity for you to attend a fun and relaxing event while at the same time 100% of your money will go towards helping our kids.

SUMMER SAND AND SOUL: A DAY PARTY WITH A PURPOSE

THIS SUNDAY!
JULY 23RD FROM 1:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.

CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR MAKE A DONATION

Remember - 100% of ticket sales go directly to support the Center's Childrens Progress

Tickets will include music, entertainment, and a full buffet featuring summer favorites, beverages, complimentary beer and sangria.

Summer, Sand & Soul is two parties in one!

Outside, it's a relaxed summer vibe on the deck of Pier 701 – featuring the largest waterfront deck in the region – with its own private beach.
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Inside, we're bringing back legendary NYC DJ Ruben ("the Bull") Toro, Temple, Brooklyn and former host of the #1 rated Kiss Club Classics (98.7FM) and WBLS-FM to spin classic soul, funk, house, and more.

CLICK TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR MAKE A DONATION

Event Sponsorships (for non-profits and small businesses) are available
Please contact Nathan Mungin or Inez Montgomery at 845.425.8910.

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Thursday, July 13, 2017

[poweroften] In Memoriam

Power of Ten

Special Edition:

David Lipman, Spring Valley HS class of 1939, passed away Wednesday at the age of 95.

He was honored in 2016 by the Rockland County Historical Society as a "Living Landmark". David served as a Corporal in WWII, earning a Bronze Star while doing dangerous missions and being tortured by the Nazis. His story was featured in the local Newspaper "Our Town" by writer Mark Judelson.

David came to a meeting of the East Ramapo school board in September 2015. He delivered the following speech, here reproduced in full, in honor of his memory.

My name is David Lipman, Spring Valley High School, Class of 1939, from the original location on South Main St. Like many of my classmates, I went on to college; I became a professional engineer. Others became doctors, lawyers, teachers, police officers, artists, musicians. One became an actor, with an engineering degree to fall back on. Why? Because we were well EDUCATED. We were given solid foundations in all subjects.

During WWII, we set aside our studies and our lives to go and fight for the freedom of other people. I came home with a Bronze Star and permanently damaged shoulders from the tender care of the Gestapo. One of my brothers, Walter, sacrificed himself in the Pacific Theater to save his air crew. There's a local Jewish War Veteran's post named after him, you can look him up. As part of my service I was present at Concentration Camp Dora. There, I saw horrible, unimaginable things; things that do not belong in this room with children.

Then I came home, finished college, raised my family and sent my children to SVHS. My son, Walter is Class of 1972, and my daughter Ruth, 1976. Again, the Lipman family was well served by their excellent public school education. Both my children are professionals, and have a love of learning and reading, with inquisitive minds. Many of their classmates are likewise.

Now, I see what has become of this once fine school system, and I am appalled. I see that the perpetrators of this are largely my own people; people who were the subject of those unspeakable horrors at Dora and places like Dora. Is this how you repay the community to which you came? Is this why the people of this community fought and died- so that 70 years later, you could grind under your heel their grandchildren, as well as the next group of downtrodden immigrants?

I seem to recall two principles from my religious education; one, that we are enjoined to make THE world a better place, not just OUR world; and two, that we were strangers once, enslaved in Egypt. The Torah tells us that we have an OBLIGATION to the stranger- the Gentile- at least three times: Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:34 and Deuteronomy 10:19. And yet, this is not what I see. Instead of honey, we have poured bitter herbs on the books of these children, if they have books at all! This defames the memory of both the people of this community who died fighting against the enslavement and horrors of the Holocaust, and those who were its victims. You who are its survivors have a great obligation which you are failing to uphold.

It will take far more than 11 days of repentance to expiate this sin.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

[poweroften] A Mother's Plea

Power of Ten Update

In This Issue:

1. East Ramapo is a 2017 Campaign Issue
2. A Mother's Plea
3. A Father's Demand for Accountability
4. This American Life Revisits East Ramapo

1) East Ramapo is a 2017 Campaign Issue

County Exec Candidate Maureen Porette has weighed in on the lack of education in East Ramapo's yeshivas, and she is not pulling any punches. Power of Ten congratulates her on her strong stand in favor of educating all children.

She made her position crystal clear in an interview on a local radio show. Candidate Porette stated:

Under New York State education law (non-public schools) need to be teaching Math English and Social Studies ... but if they're not teaching these subjects to these children then they are not entitled to any state money ... we are talking about 24,000 children in private schools that are not being educated ... How can (Dr. Wortham) possibly oversee that ... 24,000 private school students (are) being properly educated? If you're not going to oversee ... that they're being properly educated then all the money should be going to the public schools.

You can learn more about Ms. Porette on her website: https://poretteforcountyexec.com/

2) A Mother's Plea

East Ramapo parents will understand this mother's feelings:

"Can you imagine how helpless I feel to not be able to give my child basic educational nourishment? There is nothing more frustrating than seeing my son's future and potential being robbed from him because of these terrible decisions."

Read her story at: https://medium.com/@hasidicmom/a-mothers-plea-to-mayor-de-blasio-c342e52cc319

This mother lives in NYC, but there are many like her here in East Ramapo. In NYC Mayor DeBlasio controls the schools, but in East Ramapo it is Dr. Wortham who is responsible to see that education is provided to every child, whether they are in home school, public school, or a non-public school. As Ms. Porette points out, Dr. Wortham should have support and guidance from NY State Education Dept. on this. Where is Commissioner Elia? Our "Monitors"???

3) A Father's Demand for Accountability

At a recent East Ramapo school board meeting, a father, Yoel Falkowitz, talks about the lack of education in the Hasidic boys yeshivas. There is almost NO (secular) education given beyond the 3rd or 4th grades. Yoel knows this first hand because as a child he went to these Hasidic yeshivas.

He says: "The children hardly get anything in these schools. The children deserve better and the parents want education for their children, but the schools won't provide it."

Mr Falkowitz is only asking that Dr. Wortham follow NY State law:

"It is up to the superintendent to see that children get a proper education as mandated by NYS Law. The law demands that equivalent education is provided to all children."

He demands accountability from the board: "My question is, if the law demands it, the child deserves it, we all know better and I see you work very hard to see that public school students get a proper education and the parents want it. So the questions almost asks itself, who are you working for if not for the children? Why are those children being left out completely? Why is the question left unanswered so many times? Anybody in power or anybody on the board that is not doing anything about it, should be held accountable."

You can see his speech to the board on Antonio Luciano's YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/RHw1ogUAHfI

4) This American Life Revisits East Ramapo

When the original version of "A Not So Simple Majority" aired on the public radio show This American Life, people all over America were listening. Ben Calhoun told our story with such clarity that even people who were already very familiar with the facts were overcome with emotion.

One person told me she was listening in the car and had to pull over because she was crying so hard.

The show was updated and rebroadcast this week. You can still listen online at: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/534/a-not-so-simple-majority