New York – Chabad schools from coast to coast are leading the race to win $500,000 in the Kohl’s Cares contest currently running on Facebook. At the time of publication, 22 Chabad schools were among the top 50 vote-getters; seven of those were in the top ten.
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Cheder Menachem, a school for boys from kindergarten through eighth grade in Los Angeles, California, was in first place with 15,921 votes. The Silverstein Hebrew Academy in Great Neck, New York, was running close behind with 15,614 votes.
Kohl’s will award $500,000 to each of the top 20 schools, for a total of $10 million, in a competition that started July 7 and runs until September 3. Voting is open to anyone with a Facebook account who “likes” Kohl’s or is a “fan.” Each person is allowed up to 20 votes, with a maximum of five votes for any individual school.
All nonprofit public, private and charter schools with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status are eligible to participate.
When asked to recommend ways for their favorite schools to use the prize money, supporters of Cheder Menachem suggested a new playground, improved recreational facilities, an auditorium where graduation ceremonies could be held, and more scholarship assistance for students whose families cannot afford the tuition.
Dovid Ezagui, director of the Silverstein Hebrew Academy, thanked those who are helping to promote the school.
“Let’s not give up on our Chabad schools,” said Ezagui, “keep on voting. If you have not voted yet, please take the minute to do so. Your vote can make all the difference.”
Story time at the Torah Day School of Houston, TX
The following Chabad schools, listed in order of votes, were in the top 20 at publication time: Cheder Menachem, Los Angeles, California; Silverstein Hebrew Academy, Great Neck, New York; Hebrew Academy Community School, Margate, Florida; Jewish School of The Arts, North Palm Beach, Florida; Sha’arei Zion Ohel Bracha, Forest Hills, New York; Charlotte Jewish Day School, Charlotte, North Carolina; Bais Chaya Mushka School, Los Angeles, California; Chabad Hebrew Academy, San Diego, California; United Lubavitcher Yeshiva Crown Street, Brooklyn, New York; Hebrew Academy, Huntington Beach, California; Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy Formerly New Haven Hebrew Day School, Orange, Connecticut.
The $10 million in prize money is being donated in honor of the 10th anniversary of Kohl’s Cares LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kohl’s Department Stores. The philanthropic program supports children’s health and education initiatives in communities throughout the United States. According to a press release issued by the company, this program is part of a Back-to-School campaign.
“As kids and parents think about the new school year, we want everyone to dream big about how half a million dollars could impact their favorite school,” said Julie Gardner, Kohl’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
To participate in the voting or view the complete list of competing schools, go to www.facebook.com/kohls.
Cheder Menachem is wasting it’s time. The contest isn’t open to schools restricted to a single sex. Kohls is not stupid. They see you guys manipulating the results and buying votes. This is ridiculous. Watch Kohls claim massive fraud. Shame on all of you!
Hebrew Academy Margate didn’t campaign on Shabbos and they fell from 4th to 5th place but on Motzei Shabos they got out a lot people and climbed back into 4th place. It will be a Big kidush hashem when we make it without campaigning on shabbos.
Some people are simply jaleous because it’s CHABAD which leads the vote. And the truth is that knows how to mobilise their hasidim (when they have an internet connection) and their supporters. Look at how many national contest they have won. Other organisations should emulate them instead of being jaleous.
Please vote for Torah Day School of Houston at http://www.votetexaskids.com
Thanks and hatzlacha!
Why aren’t the torah umesorah schools doing something? How many are there anyway?
No one deserves to win more than all Chabad schools. no one but Chabad is so out there for everyone to benefit. I hope all 20 places are Chabad schools!
Kohl’s just wants to get a mailing list. they dont care if you buy votes. They have what they want…. hundreds of thousands of people they can sell to.
I have no stake in the one way or the other — but the rules do seem quite clear:
“Donations will not be available to any organizations that are discriminatory in nature e.g. including gender, age, and sexual orientation or schools in violation of any state or federal laws. “
Further — funds are explicitly not available for any religious purpose and ultimately Kohls reserves the right to audit and review the winners (especially private shools claiming 501c3 status) before any final decisions.
Vos tit men nisht far gelt.. Why doesn’t the heimisha schools mobilize their members to sign up on Facebook and vote. Shouldn’t Facebook be permitted if there’s a hefsed meriba?
re 12, 5
By your accounts the govn’t also discriminates as it has separate restrooms etc.
If the schools were discriminating they would be closed down anyway.
Single sex schools are not a discrimination.
I don’t get it.
There’s even an ad on VIN for a Bnos Chomesh Girls school in this “contest”.
How can they claim they do not discriminate on the basis of gender.
What are these people thinking?
To number 8, lets not go over board with Chabad compliments. While surely they do some good work, I have personally observed recently two very, very ugly incidents perpetrated by two Chabad “Rabbis”.
All male and female yeshivas and schools wouldn’t receive any government funding including Vouchers were schools separated by sex in violation of any laws. Separate sex schools are in no way considered discrimination.
Imagine the discrimination lawsuit Kohl’s will have to cough up if they disallow all Chabad schools.
You see the thing is, they can prove they have a voter base, they can prove that most of them were on Facebook before the voting. I am sure a few people signed up just to vote but the majority of the votes are for actual real users.
So all in all, it’s not that simple that they can audit and decide. Yes they can, but they are walking on thin ice.
There’s no need to speculate.
Kohl’s will enforce their rules. There’s too much at stake.
The single sex schools don’t have a prayer of winning. It violates the rules.
There are enough Chabad or other Jewish coed schools; I wish them good luck.
If you read the actual text of the rules the issue that should concern the Chabad schools is not “discrimination,” but rather the provision that excludes “religious programs.”
See official rules, paragraph 4.
“The following programs and conditions will not be funded by donation money: politically partisan programs, religious programs; medical or health related consultation or services, including disbursement of medication; direct funding of individual scholarships, financial aid, merit pay, staff professional development, and overhead; fund raising campaigns or lobbying efforts. Donations will not be available to any organizations that are discriminatory in nature e.g. including gender, age, and sexual orientation or schools in violation of any state or federal laws.”
Note:
The Title IX standard for discrimination in private single-sex schools in only where there isn’t an identical alternative available the the other gender. (See: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/t9-guidelines-ss.html )
There is no discrimination issue with single-sex schools, as a matter of law, and therefore could no be a legal basis for Kohl’s to withhold a top 20 school’s money, if so earned.