LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor:

After reading Hadassah Avraham’s decor column (Décor Done Right), I was so inspired by her passion and love for outdoor accessorizing that I decided to invest in my own backyard and recently bought a dwarf tree,  bushes, plants and a patio set so my family and I can enjoy dining and entertaining outside. Our backyard is tiny and mostly cement filled, but adding these small touches really enhanced the space and now we spend more time there than inside and are truly enjoying our Marine Park backyard. I would have never given this much thought prior to reading the column, but I am so glad I did. Not only did I add property value, but I also added value to our quality of life. It’s amazing how one plant, a rug, and a small chair can transform a living space.

Thank You!

Chaya S.

Dear Editor:

I had tears in my eyes as I read The Return in last month’s Echoes section of the magazine. I, too, have a daughter who spent the year away in Israel at a seminary and I am counting down the hours, not days, until she returns.  Even though we communicated throughout the year, I feel that we have both grown and changed so much from the experience and our bond has only been strengthened. I am sure there will be plenty of Yiddishe Mamas waiting tearfully at the gate soon.

A Yiddishe Mama

Dear Editor:

Yeshivas are vital for our future to securely transmit the mesora to future generations in quantity and quality. Morasha Kehilas Yaakov – it is an inheritance of the whole community of Jacob. It is not for the lucky ones, but for all Yisroel. It is understood that yeshivas struggle as public schools get full coverage from US taxes and yeshivas get rather little even for non-religious studies. That being said, parents have to pay thousands of dollars per child each year. It seems free lunch is indeed offered by the Board of Ed – yet quite a few schools charge $500 per child for catered lunch. In my day, yeshivos concentrated mainly on studies and maybe have had one school trip a year.  Today, many schools now have several trips each year costing about $250 on average per child, so far this covers $750 extra costs per child. There are other areas that can be reduced or even eliminated. Getting rid of some unnecessary items may help make tuition more affordable and actually lessen school costs in addition to helping our children not be spoiled. Of course, our children are precious royalty, but many parents may not have “royal wages.”

Distressed in Flatbush