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Over the weekend, news broke that ULY Crown St. will be making large changes in it’s leadership.

Starting with the younger division:
Rabbi Chaim Meizlish was principal for the younger division – Pre-1-A thru 3rd grade, for the past 6 years. In an open letter to parents and staff, he announced that as of the coming school year, he will no longer be principal in the school, as he will be moving on to other ambitions. (see letter bellow).

Taking over the job, as principal of the younger division will be Rabbi Shmuel Turk. Rabbi Turk is known for his experience in Chinuch. Over the years he assumed many Chinch and leadership positions in ULY Crown St. as well as in ULY Ocean Parkway. He iscurrently the principal of grades 7 and 8 in ULY Crown and will be moving to the younger division.

The older division:
As mentioned above, Rabbi Turk will no longer be principal of the older division, as he will be moving to the younger division. Taking his place in the 7th and 8th grade will be Rabbi Mendel Scharf. Rabbi Scharf has many years of experience in Chinch particularly with young teenage boys. For the past ten years he was the Menahel at Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Queens.

Along with Rabbi Scharf, his assistant principal will be his longtime assistant Rabbi Zalman Sandhouse, also bringing along ten years of experience alongside Rabbi Scharf.

We wish them much success!

Letter from Rabbi Meizlish:

B”H

Dear parents,

I have always tried limiting messages on this group, and tried keeping messages to the point without any extra words/sentences.
This message will be an exception…

Although we still have some time until the end of the year, I feel it’s important to keep parents informed and make you aware that Iy”H next year I will be moving on from my work in Lubavitcher Yeshiva.

As I write this I am overcome full of emotion, realizing how much of a family this place has become for me! The Talmidim, the Rebbis, the staff and the parents have all made me feel welcome from day one – when I joined as a young newly-married 23 year old who was unsure how I landed on a principal job when this was not the path in life I had envisioned for myself before joining!

As some of you may be aware, when I joined ULY, I had agreed to come for only 2 years and then I would go back to my other ambitions, but after many meetings, and a Bracha from the Rebbe I agreed to stay for 1 more year.
Then Covid hit and I was asked to please stay for another year as it would be very hard for Yeshiva to have someone new come through the chaos, and again I agreed to stay with a Bracha from the Rebbe.
Then the ULY construction began, and again I was asked to please stay through the construction as there were so many changes and obstacles to deal with that would be extremely hard for a new principal to deal with, and again B”H with the Rebbe’s Bracha I agreed to stay.

We have now B”H completed the most beautiful building, with this division truly flourishing in every way, and now (as hard as it is to say) the time has finally come to move on, knowing that this division is completely ready and set for new leadership to continue taking this division to the next level!

As I reflect on my 6 years in Lubavitcher Yeshiva here are thoughts that go through my mind which I feel comfortable sharing here:

Talmidim:
The precious Talmidim are what made me most excited to come every day to Yeshiva! They’ve inspired me more than I could have ever imagined and I will forever cherish that!

From day one, I decided I always wanted to do line-up and dismissal to always be able to start the day greeting the Talmidim as they enter and wish them a great day as they leave. But what I did not realize is that this “Minhag” would be the “secret sauce” to help me tackle each day with so much joy no matter the obstacles each day brought!

Seeing the smiling faces as boys came to Yeshiva as we wished each other good morning gave me the most positive energy knowing that this is why I am here! (Trust me, I don’t drink coffee, but this energy is more powerful than any coffee can ever give!).

And then no matter what happened during the day, after seeing the precious Talmidim going home after an amazing day at Yeshiva and wishing each other a great day, again, I was able to end my day with such joy, no matter what had occurred during the day!

I can go on and on about how much I have gained from each and every Talmid and how much joy it has brought to this “job”!

Rebbis:
To the dearest Rebbis of this division, who have completely dedicated themselves to Chinuch in a way that is למעלה מן הטבע! I really don’t know where to begin… (I almost begin crying as I write this… But are principals allowed to cry?)

The success of this Yeshiva is due to EACH ONE OF YOU!! I feel it’s important to list each name here (even those that are not currently working here) and not just generalize “Rebbis”:

RABBI M. SCHWARTZ!! RABBI L. HURWITZ!! RABBI Y. GOLDSTEIN!! RABBI M. KOHN!! RABBI Y. KATZ!! RABBI C. LIPSZYC!! RABBI C. KOHN!! RABBI Y. RAICES!! RABBI Z. KARP!! RABBI M. GURKOW!! RABBI A. TUREN!! RABBI E. HURWITZ!! RABBI M. WIRCBERG!! RABBI K. GOLDSTEIN!! RABBI N KUPERMAN!! RABBI M. NAPARSTEK!! RABBI Y. ZWIEBEL!! & RABBI N. CHARYTAN!!
As I am writing this – even though I am myself in my office – I have just stood up, giving you all a standing ovation and clapping as I salute you all!!

Like I mentioned earlier, from day one each Rebbi made me feel as welcome as can be!!
I will never forget how after the last Yom Iyun of my first year working in ULY, as I finished talking, a Rebbi stood up and read a letter on behalf of the Rebbis and presented me with a most beautiful and generous gift!

Each week as I make Kiddush using the stunning Kiddush Becher gifted to me by the Rebbis (in my third year working here), I feel humbled and so lucky to be working with the most hard-working and dedicated Rebbis I could ever imagine!

Again, I can go on and on, but I will just end off by saying that I feel we have become a true family and will always consider each of you as a dearest friend!! (We will have much time to Farbreing till the end of the year! :))

Rabbi Yisroel Langsam:
And here we go… Tears are almost coming out again…
Some of you may just know Rabbi Yisroel Langsam as the “assistant principal”, but I must say Rabbi Yisroel Langsam is one of the best known secrets kept in Lubavitch! He may have been for the most part behind the scenes, but let me make it known if there is anyone that does not know… He is a POWERHOUSE!!!
There is no one else I could have ever imagined being a better fit to work with!! I believe if there is anything known as a “perfect duo”, this was it!
Aside from the fact that through all these years we have never had a fight or even an argument! We worked in perfect harmony, in a way where each knew each other’s strengths and were able to adjust what we were doing at a moment’s notice! I will always cherish the mini “Farbreingens” we would have every so often, discussing anything and everything!
As you know very well, I have always valued your opinion on all matters, and again, I truly consider you one of my closest and dearest friends forever!

I smile as I look back to when I called you to my office on Friday to tell you about the fact I would be moving on – your first reaction being, “is today April’s first? Good joke!”.
When you finally realized I was serious, the office suddenly shook, sure enough there was an earthquake! Feeling like a message from Hashem, knowing what a big deal it would be for us to depart from each other!
I will never forget the hug we had after that conversation (even though there were kids waiting outside my office probably confused as to why we were hugging each other :)).

Lubavitcher Yeshiva does not understand how lucky they are to have you! (Yes, I mean even your brother :)).

Rabbi Yonatan Hecht:
Although this was your first year, you completely gave yourself over even though you realized there was MUCH more work to do than you ever expected!
It was rare to have a week where a Rebbi didn’t have a last minute thing come up and you had to change plans and go into a class on last-second notice, and you always did it happily and ran the class masterfully! I would not even use the word “Substitute” when you took a class, as you were much more than that!
I truly feel blessed and lucky to have had the opportunity to work with you and have you part of the team running this division!

Matanya:
Another REALLY tough one to be leaving… Lots of emotion piling up again…
MATANYA!!! Who would have imagined such a connection between a principal and the building manager!!?

To start off, I actually never liked that title, as you are WAY more than a “building manager”, you literally are the one that at the end of the day kept this whole Yeshiva together in every way imaginable! You definitely get SO much credit for the transformation of this building! (More than anyone imagines!)

I remember when we hugged earlier this year at the beautiful Chanukas Habayis Melave Malka and whispering in your ear: “If only people gave you the credit you deserve!”
And I hope that at least after people read this message, you will get the proper appreciation from all!

You have truly been one of my closest friends!! From playing together at night at the soccer league, to just schmoozing in Yeshiva and everything in between!

One of my favorite memories with you will be after you told me you would be away in Israel for 2 weeks, which gave me some time to finally give you a well deserved office make-over. Although it took a lot more time and money than I expected, it was all worth it seeing your expression when you got back and saw your new office!

I have the biggest respect for you and I know we will always continue our friendship regardless of where we are in the future!!

Rabbi Teleshevsky:
Here I think we can both laugh as we say that our personalities may be as different as can be but somehow it just worked perfectly like a glove! You are definitely one of the most talented people out there! First and foremost you have taken Tzivos Hashem to unbelievable heights!
A Daily flag in Ba’al Peh!? WOW!!
But then there are also the 100 other jobs you did!! Whether it be from setting up tech for programs, running rallies, doing projects together, and everything in between!
I can’t wait for all parents to hear at the end of the year’s Ba’al Peh event the unbelievable records that were set this year thanks to you!

Rabbi Shain & Kriah Tutors:
As I’ve always said and will continue to say… the foundation for any Talmid to be Matzliach in Yeshiva is Kriah. For a child to learn Chumash, Mishnayos, Gemara he must first learn how to read!
Rabbi Shain has a most special Zechus as he is the true hero in this field and the reason that not even one boy is left behind!
It is well known how much I have praised our working relationship and our personal friendship!
We would meet about something, and a week later you would come back with the results of what we discussed plus 10+ more things that you accomplished!
I may not have been easy on you, but you never complained and did everything with a smile! For example, when I asked you that we set up a new progress report to share with parents every so often, you came back a few days later with a beautifully designed template ready with each boy’s marks and notes ready to share with parents! I cannot imagine how much work this took you!

I also want to thank here the other amazing Kriah tutors who I have had the chance to remind every so often that they are doing the most important job by making sure every boy reaches their full potential in Kriah! It’s because of them that many Talmidim who otherwise could have a really difficult time in Yeshiva, can now achieve major success thanks to them!
Thank you Rabbi Aber! Mushka Lang! Chaya Vorst! Rivky Schmukler! Chaya Yiftach! Chaya Mushka Lubin! Chana Malachovski! Chaya Vilenkin! & Esti Ladaiov!
Every time I walked into the Kriah room and witnessed the work you were doing it would warm my heart knowing that these Talmidim are in the best hands! And in our periodic meetings I was always impressed with how much info you had on each boy and how much they had improved!

Parents:
Right before joining ULY, a friend warned me about the principal position by saying something to the tune of “keep in mind parents are super difficult and you will be lucky if even 30 percent will show appreciation..”
This could not have been further from the truth! If I would have to use metrics I would probably say it was more something like 90+ percent of OPEN appreciation!

Over these years I have received thousands of appreciation emails, letters, gifts, wine bottles (I can finally reveal I don’t really drink wine & I can probably open a huge bar now :)), and so much more!

Parents have been as supportive and appreciative as can be to me and I will forever remember that!! And I mean literally for EVERY program!! Even after small programs my email would be filled with appreciation emails!

Even when a parent had something they felt should be improved it almost always included first how happy they are with Yeshiva and everything that they appreciate!

I don’t take this for granted, as again, I do have friends that are principals in other places, and I am very aware that this is something that can only be found with the parents of Lubavitcher Yeshiva! THANK YOU!!!!! (Please forgive me for not listing every parent here :)).

Thank you to Rabbi Simpson and Yossi Langsam for giving me the opportunity to work at Lubavitcher Yeshiva for these beautiful 6 years! What an amazing experience!
Both of you together have built the most successful Yeshiva out there both in the appearance of the stunning building and in the running of all the day to day activities! B”H everyone knows the first Yeshiva to try to get your kids into is Lubavitcher Yeshiva, and only if Lubavitcher Yeshiva does not have space, do you look into other Yeshivos…
I have learnt so much from both of you and for that I am very grateful! I don’t know how you guys do what you do!
Thank you!

Other Rebbis:
Rabbi Mendel Greenberg, you are a true gem!
You have been here all these years dedicating yourself to Lubavitcher Yeshiva and giving yourself over in every way that was needed, from subbing classes, to monitoring recess areas & lunch and so much more!! You are definitely an unsung hero in Lubavitcher Yeshiva and I hope everyone will fully appreciate you!
The same applies to Rabbi Siev! who joined this year and worked alongside Rabbi Greenberg! Thank you!

Bus Drivers/Monitors:
Thank you to the amazing bus drivers and bus monitors! Rabbi Malachovsky! Rabbi Stoll! Rabbi Gewirtz! Rabbi Cunin! Rabbi Teleshevsky! Mrs. Teleshevsky! Mendel Greenberg! Yaakov Siev! Mendy Grossman! & Dov Malachovsky!
It was a true honor to get to know each one of you and see the care you have for each boy!

Service Providers:
While the list would go on and on if I start thanking all the dedicated providers from all the agencies (mainly Yeled and YesICan led by Devorah Leah Elishevitz! Chava Minsky! Nechama Piekarsky! Eidle Sputz! Zissy Lewis! Dvory Statfeld! Shaya Spielman! Etc… But also some other agencies), but I do want to say that one of the secrets for a school’s success, has to be the service provides, who have given themselves over to be there for any Talmid that may need help with anything, be it from speech therapy to physical therapy, Seits, Paras, counseling and everything in between! Thanks to EACH ONE of YOU!!!

Rabbi Elberg:
Even though Rabbi Elberg had mainly focused on the older divisions, when we had the opportunity to finally work together I got to see firsthand what I always knew! You are over-dedicated and keep hitting out of the park in everything you do!! The Mishnayos curriculum for 3rd grade was a real game changer, and the tutoring program has helped countless Talmidim! Thank YOU!!

Security Staff: Jeff Guitty, Dovid Astolin, Oscar, Dominique & the crossing guard.
To parents they may be known as the security guards, but to the Jeff, Dovid, Oscar, Dominique and crossing guard I know, there is a whole lot more to them!
Being that Jeff was the one stationed at the Crown entrance, I had the pleasure of having daily conversations with my buddy Jeff by dismissal! Every day he would tell me jokes and teach me about new abbreviations! (Can someone tell me what “Groat” is? That was his latest quiz he posed for me). You have brought me too many smiles!!

And obviously on the same note a MASSIVE thank you to the whole security team at ULY: Dovid Astolin, Oscar, Dominique and the crossing guard, you guys are the best!! Safety is always number 1!
I have really enjoyed our friendship over the years! (And Oscar, I want you to know I really appreciate the blessings you have given me every time you see me! It means a lot!).

Office Staff:
If you know, you know! The staff in the front office and back office have completely dedicated themselves to their respective jobs and I only remember positive interactions with them all!
Vital, also known as “Yeshiva’s Bubby” :), is always there to take care of anything needed while at the same time always finding time to share advice and interesting stories! You are awesome!!
Even though I rarely sent things to the office to print, when I did, you always had it ready much quicker than expected! (were you skipping all the other jobs that were in line? :))

Chani Wolff from the back office has always been there for me to help with anything needed and always doing it happily and patiently! Whether it be reserving halls for our non-stop programs, to helping with applications, attendance, report cards and SO much more! Thank you!

Itty! Zlata! Miri! Mussi! Mindy! Chana Esther! Eidle! Rivky! (and I believe I may be missing some names?) It has been a pleasure working together with you and you have always had patience and super helpful in anything where we had to work with each other!

ULY Workers:
The unsung heroes of Lubavitcher Yeshiva and lucky to call true friends!
Abi! Nicoals! Luis! Antoine! Carlos! Mario! George! Christian! Steven! Hector! & Eliyahu!
It just happens to be that the elevator has not been working the last few months and everyone has finally gotten to see more clearly what you all put through every day!
I will always remember my great memories working alongside these amazingly dedicated individuals and the friendships that we shared! Let’s never forget the work they do for the Yeshiva to be running in such a smooth way! (And I’m sure they feel lucky to be led by the amazing Matanya!)

Thank you to Rabbi Aron, Rabbi Shpielman, Rabbi Wolf and Rabbi Turk!
Although we have led different divisions, we have shared such awesome memories! It has been a true pleasure working together and coordinating everything with each of you! All of you are SO capable and SUPER talented!
I have learnt so much from each of you and Yeshiva is SO lucky to have you running divisions here!! Iy”H our friendship will continue forever and I hope you don’t mind, but I will keep on checking in on how Talmidim are doing for many years to come! 🙂

RABBI TURK! I would like to Bentch you with the tremendous Hatzlacha as you prepare to take on this new role of principal for the younger grades and look forward to seeing how this division continues to flourish with your great leadership!
As I pass on the torch to you, I feel good knowing that I am leaving this division in the best of hands!

There are so many more people that I really want to publicly thank but for this message I must end with my dear wife – Blumi!!!
(I am SO sorry to those that I have not included here, but if I continue going, people will only finish this Megillah on my next Gilgul… But Iy”H I do hope to meet with each one of you in person and share our memories working together!)

Blumi:
If I have had any accomplishments and any success at Lubavitcher Yeshiva, there is no question in my mind that there is one person that gets all the credit (aside from Hashem obviously), and that is my most amazing wife – Blumi!!
No one will ever understand how much you have given up and how much you have done for Lubavitcher Yeshiva! And I am not just referring to the fact that these last 2 years you have also been the most incredible Pre 1A arts & crafts Morah!!
(I can say for a fact, Lubavitcher Yeshiva has never had any other Pre 1A arts & crafts teacher come even close to what Blumi has accomplished! Just ask any of the Pre 1A Rebbis, look at the projects the boys have been coming home with or simply read the weekly column with pictures on the Tomim Times showing that week’s projects to understand a little…!)

But the level of support you have shown me is indescribable!! Not only would you support me through my sleepless nights, but you would find out what I was working on and stay up as well working from home as I worked in my office in ULY.

I would like to go on and on about how lucky I am to have you, but I know you would be unhappy so I guess I’ll save it for the supper table tonight… 🙂

Thank you Hashem and the Rebbe for showing such amazing kindness, support and guidance throughout my life and helped me achieve things that I never thought possible!

To end off… when I was a child and attended a Yeshiva in Crown Heights, there was too much Chutzpah, not many Middos, very chaotic hallways, and I remember telling myself that if I would ever be in a leading position in a school, with Hashem’s help I would do my best to work on those things being part of the school culture and in a positive way.

For those interested, I will include the link here to some notes I am writing as I reflect on some Peulos I had the Zechus to be part of in my 6 years here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yPNk0U5gKk996CzVksTqF_uiT-WviDOMowcwm14xQVc/edit?usp=sharing

My wish has also always been that when boys grow up and look back at their years in Yeshiva, they have a smile and remember positive memories!
And I really hope and Daven that all Talmidim will always feel this way!

That’s all for now… Now back to work, as we still have many very exciting programs coming up! 🙂

Letter from Rabbi Turk:

Dear Parents שיחיו,

I hope this letter finds you in good health.

I am happy to announce an important administrative change that will be implemented for the upcoming school year. Rabbi Mendel Scharf will be joining our Yeshiva as the principal of כתות ז-ח.

Rabbi Scharf brings a wealth of experience in working with students of this age group, and I am confident that his leadership will greatly benefit both our Yeshiva and, most importantly, ourתלמידים .

Additionally, I want to personally inform you of a transition in my role within the Yeshiva. Rabbi Chaim Mayzlesh, the current principal of Pre-1A to 3rd grades, has recently informed the הנהלהthat he is exploring other opportunities for the coming year. I will be assuming the position of principal for this division for the upcoming school year. Rabbi Mayzlesh and I will collaborate closely to ensure a smooth transition. This is a position that I have years of experience with, and I am excited about the opportunity this change brings. I am committed to continue supporting our תלמידים with dedication and enthusiasm.

I will remain as principal for כתות ז-ח for the duration of the school year and will work closely with Rabbi Scharf to ensure a smooth transition.

As we move forward, our focus remains on providing the best possible education while fostering a strong sense of יראת שמיםand חסידישקייט among our students.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Rabbi Y. Simpson and Rabbi Y. Langsam for their trust and support throughout this past year, as well as for their assistance in facilitating this transition for the coming year. Additionally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Rabbi Mayzlesh for his unwavering support. He has contributed significantly to the school, for which we are forever grateful to him. We wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Rabbi Scharf will be reaching out to you at the appropriate time to discuss plans for the upcoming year.

Warm regards,

Rabbi Shmuel Turk

Principal, כתות ז-ח

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