Agudath Israel is holding its annual “Yeshiva Summit” today at a hotel conference center on Staten Island.

Promotional materials for the gathering said, “Walk-ins are welcome at the event,” but a Shtetl reporter was denied entry. 

The summit brings together yeshiva leaders, vendors, government officials, and other stakeholders. The agenda this year prominently includes substantial equivalency, LSA reviews, and a “litigation update.”

As Shtetl previously reported, Agudath Israel has led the battle against education reform in non-public schools after the state began to revise regulations to ensure non-public schools, including yeshivas, comply with the law requiring non-public schools to provide an education that is “at least substantially equivalent” to that of public schools.

Outside the venue, a small group of Hasidic protesters held up signs accusing Agudath Israel of selling out yeshiva students in exchange for funding.

In recent weeks, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, leader of one of the major Satmar factions, insisted that yeshivas should not accept a compromise and shouldn’t respond to official government demands for choosing a pathway toward substantial equivalency.