Naftuli Moster

Naftuli Moster (born 1986) is an American social activist. He is the founder and executive director of YAFFED (Young Advocates for Fair Education). Established in 2011, YAFFED is an advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that students at Hasidic non-public school in New York City will receive a full education as required by law. In recognition of the impact of his social activism, The Forward named Moster in 2015 one of the "Forward 50", American Jews who provide leadership in the Jewish community.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Moster grew up in Borough Park, Brooklyn, one of 17 children in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family. Yiddish was his first language, and he speaks with a slight Yiddish accent. He attended a Belz yeshiva where secular studies were limited.^[3] After studying in Israel, he attended Touro College, then City University of New York'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] He has an interest in psychology, inspired by a visiting Israeli scholar.^[5] His education in his yeshiva was focused on religious studies. After completing his yeshiva studies, he wanted to apply to college, but did not know what a "high school diploma" was, and did not know what it meant to write an "essay". He was a senior in college when he first heard the word "molecule", and remembers how embarrassing it was to be the only one in class who did not recognize the word.^[6]

Eventually, Moster filed for a "dependency override" from his family so that he would be eligible for financial aid to attend college. He acknowledges that doing so leaves his community feeling he has gone "off the derech," a path that leaves him a "disgrace" in their eyes. However, his struggles with his own lack of education in secular subjects inspired him later to take action to help other similar students.^[6]

Career

Moster's first employment included work as a warehouse manager for Royal Bag from 2008 to 2012. He also worked as an intern in social work from 2014 to 2015 at FEGS, a non-profit health and human services agency.

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 him to make a living,^[7] Moster founded the non-profit organization with the aim of ensuring that ultra-Orthodox students in private school 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 all students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to earn a livelihood and to allow personal growth.^[8][6]

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."^[9] 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.^[10]

Moster is also engaged as a public speaker on radio and at public events such as Limmud.^[11]

Personal

Moster married Miriam Lipsius on August 1, 2013.^[12] She is a writer who received her MFA from Hunter College, where she has taught creative writing.^[13]

References