Naftuli Moster

Naftuli Moster (born 1986) is an American social activist. He is the founder and executive director of Young Advocates for Fair Education (YAFFED), an advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that students at Hasidic yeshivas in New York City receive a complete general education, as defined by law. Moster was named in 2015 as one of the "Forward 50", in recognition of the impact in Jewish social activism and leadership.[1][2]

Naftuli Moster
Born1986
NationalityAmerican
OccupationExecutive Director of YAFFED
Known forSocial Activism
Spouse(s)Miriam Lipsius

Biography

Moster grew up in Borough Park, Brooklyn, one of 17 children in a Yiddish-speaking Hasidic family. He attended a Belz yeshiva where secular studies were limited.[3] After his yeshiva studies, Moster attended Touro College, and then CUNY's College of Staten Island. He earned a Master of Social Work degree at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College in 2015.[4] His education in his yeshiva focused mostly on religious studies, causing him several challenges applying for and studying at college.[5]

While studying for his degree in social work, Moster founded YAFFED. He served as President of the organization from 2012-2016, and is currently Executive Director. Concerned that many other students in the ultra-Orthodox community might struggle, as he did, in trying to apply to college and learn skills that would enable them to make a living,[6] Moster founded the non-profit organization, with the aim of ensuring that ultra-Orthodox students in private schools receive the secular education mandated by the State of New York. Public education organizations and staff are often unaware of their responsibilities to students at private and religious schools. Moster discussed the problem of secular education with New York superintendents who have large Hasidic communities in their district. Through YAFFED, Moster is also hoping to raise the awareness of ultra-Orthodox educational needs in the Jewish community. The mission is to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to earn a livelihood and to allow personal growth.[7][5]

In an interview with The Jewish Daily Forward, Moster noted that his approach to community organizing is not the traditional one. His style is "to get to those people who do believe in education, and enable them to speak up and ask their leaders to make some changes so their children can have a better future".[8] When publications in the insular community refused to publish information, Moster is willing to take a more direct approach, pursuing letter writing campaigns and direct billboards.[9]

Moster is also engaged as a public speaker, on radio and at public events such as Limmud.[10]

Family

Moster married Miriam Lipsius on August 1, 2013.[11] She is a writer who received her MFA from Hunter College, where she has taught creative writing.[12]

References
  1. Forward 50: Loud, Proud, And at The Heart of America: Naftuli Moster The Forward, 2015
  2. A Yeshiva Graduate Fights for Secular Studies in Hasidic Education New York Times (Nov 21, 2014)
  3. Them and Them New York Magazine, 2013.
  4. SILBERMAN STUDENT WORKS TO REFORM HASIDIC EDUCATION Hunter College School of Social Work, December 3, 2014
  5. Miller, Jennifer (November 21, 2014). "Yiddish Isn't Enough: A Yeshiva Graduate Fights for Secular Studies in Hasidic Education". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  6. Ultra-Orthodox Yeshiva Controversy PBS, January 29, 2016
  7. "YAFFED: About Us"http://yaffed.org
  8. Brenner, Yermi "Getting In Face of Ultra-Orthodox on Need for Real World Education: Preaching Value of Skills in World Where Talmud Is King" (June 19, 2013) The Jewish Daily Forward.
  9. New York to investigate Haredi schools for lack of secular studies The Jerusalem Post, July 29, 2015
  10. Speaker Naftuli Moster Limmud, Feb 14, 2016
  11. My Hasidic Family Got Into a Passover Fistfight - Over Cake The Forward, April 8, 2015
  12. Eyes on Jewish Education, Beyond East Ramapo - Why We Need More than Oversight as Schools Under Hasidic Control Fail NY Children ZEEK, May 25, 2014
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