Education advocates say they're considering a lawsuit to block a new state law they say waters down educational requirements in orthodox Jewish schools.

The amendment was pushed through as part of the state budget in the early hours of Saturday morning. It replaces subject area requirements like “math” with more general frameworks like "number sense" to "solve real world problems."

Sen. Simcha Felder, who pushed for the less stringent oversight of yeshivas, is a Democrat who caucuses with Republicans.

At a rally against the measure outside of City Hall on Thursday organized by YAFFED, an advocacy group led by former yeshiva students, protesters said the law loosens already lax standards for the Jewish schools. Many of the former students, including a business owner named Motty, held signs saying that they had been “robbed” of an education.

Motty, who said he didn't want to give his last name because he was afraid of retaliation from the orthodox Jewish community, said that he completed his studies at the age of 18 and used the “Hooked on Phonics” program to learn how to read and write in English, since the language of instruction was in Yiddish. 

"I would say the majority of the Hasidic community wants to see a change,” he said. “It's just a shame that a couple of people in power make the difference, they have the voice. Regular people don't have the voice."

But the 11th hour measure might not stand up to the law, said Michael Rebell, a professor of law and education at Columbia, who was also at the demonstration. "This bill, on its face, is unconstitutional. You cannot carve out an exception to a general law for one small religious group.”

Rebell said all religious schools have to meet the same set of guidelines.

A spokesperson for Sen. Simcha Felder said he was on vacation and not able to respond to questions.