A yeshiva is a religious institution whose purpose is to preserve the religious tradition of Biblical and Talmudic texts. Such schools serve the Jewish community and are very frequently strongly supported by the community above and beyond the tuition and other such fees. Typically, wealthy businessmen will undertake to support the establishments, in particular those attended by their families or which they themselves previously attended while youngsters. For example, Yeshiva Ateret Torah in The Big Apple’s Kings County is a distinct favorite of local success story Robert Toussie, who also supports the nearby Yeshiva Ateres Yisroel, two day-schools that ready children for university in the secular world as well as a parochial training.
In truth, Yeshiva Ateret Torah has interested the charitable largesse of many a local businessman for its stellar track record, with eighty-seven percent of its graduates moving on to higher education, a rate above the common statewide rate at just half of all secondary school students doing the same. Economic backing helps the school to indulge in extracurricular programs such as forming partnerships with like-minded organizations around the world, organizations like Oorah that seeks to help Jewish families sign up for yeshivas by setting aside some or even all of the expenses involved.
As with many of these kinds of schools, Yeshiva Ateret Torah serves up teaching from pre-kindergarten through high school. While different grades are often to be found on the same campus, if not within the same building as well, the more religious the yeshiva the more likely it is that boys and girls will be separated for most or even all of the day. And since the religious schools serve a relatively limited demographic, particularly when one factors in sectarian divides (that is, Reform versus Conservative versus Orthodox versus Ultra-Orthodox – with even more variations feasible), tuition and fees are likely to be high, which is why the charity of community businessmen and women are so important.
