JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
few years ago, a desper-
ate plea went out to the
community: P'TACH, the
organization providing
tutoring to learning dis-
abled children in Ortho-
dox day schools, would
go under if $30,000 was
not raised immediately.
Money was con-
tributed and the annu-
al budget of the
0 organization was
slashed from $100,000
to $90,000. P'TACH,
which stands for Parents for
Torah for All Children, contin-
ued.
But the root of the problem
was not solved: fund-raising ef-
forts were not improved.
"We have done a lousy job of
letting people in the greater
Jewish community know about
us," said Michael Hochheiser,
chairman of P'TACH's board.
"When you say `P'TACH,'
—people in the general commu-
nity say, `Gezuntheit,' " Mr.
Hochheiser said. "They don't P'TACH teacher Rosemary Schimmer addresses her class at Bais Yaakov.
know about us and that is our
fault."
Because of this, the plea is once of the budget and individual donations make
again being heard. But now the up the rest.
The budget pays for a staff of seven, in-
amount is about $50,000 to cover
cluding
a coordinator, three teachers and
last year's debt and about $100,000
to fund the program for this year. three aides. All administrative work and
Because of the deficit, P'TACH is fund-raising is done on a volunteer basis by
in danger of closing its doors in the a group of parents of current and former stu-
dents.
next few weeks.
"I am not crying wolf, really I am
not," said Daniel Freimark, a
P'TACH founder and active sup-
porter. "Where we are going to go
over the next few weeks, nobody
knows. But it is possible that we
will close."
The program still owes money
"There is no secretary who gets paid and
to cover last year's salaries as well
as $10,000 in back taxes to the In- no executive director who gets a salary," Mr.
Freimark said. "We do a lot of the work our-
ternal Revenue Service.
Little has been raised toward selves."
The schools that benefit from P'TACH
this year's operating cost, Mr.
hope
that the fund-raising goal can be
Hochheiser said. In fact, a fund-
raising letter that was distributed in the past reached. Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Bais
week has brought in enough money to pay Yaakov and Darchei Torah each have pro-
the first payroll. But the debt remains and grams; Akiva Hebrew Day School has their
own program.
the next payroll has to be met this week.
"They do wonderful things for our stu-
Although plans are being formulated to
beef up fund-raising efforts, the group will dents, not only for the students in P'TACH
rely on methods used in the past to gather but also for all of the students," said Sue Col-
bert, secular studies principal at Yeshiva
funding, Mr. Hochheiser said.
In an average year, more than half of the Beth Yehudah. "If we didn't have it, the stu-
funding comes from an annual dinner in Jan- dents would still be allowed to attend, but
uary and an accompanying ad journal. A raf- would they be serviced properly? I can't say."
Florine Sperka, prinicpal of Bais Yaakov,
fle generates another $10,000. Tuition
said
P'TACH provides a service that the
contributions account for about 30 percent
program for
students with
disabilities
may be forced
to close.
The program serves
students in three Orthodox
day schools.
schools would not otherwise be able to af-
ford.
"Financially, we are strapped and we are
not able to provide that service," Mrs. Sper-
ka said. "It isn't a matter of hiring one
teacher to handle the children's needs. There
is a whole organizatkin behind P'TACH."
P'TACH began 17 years ago when a child
in Yeshiva Beth Yehudah was found to have
dyslexia, a reading impairment. Because of
the special help that was required and the
limited funding available, the options were
few for the parents.
"They told us, 'Look, there is nothing
we can do. You have to take your child out
and put him in public school,' " said Mr.
Freimark, the parent of the child and a
founder of the Michigan chapter of P'TACH.
The Freimarks followed the principal's
advice and placed their son in public school,
much to the boy's dismay.
"He would come home crying that he
wanted to be with his brothers and sisters
and friends," he said. "I thought another
child should not have to go through this."
A parents meeting was called; 100 at-
tended. A board was formed and the group
became affiliated with the national P'TACH
organization based in New York.
The local program now serves an average
of 25 students a year, ranging in age from
kindergarten through eighth grade. So
far this year, 14 students have enrolled
and another seven are in the enrollment
process. El