With Israel at war and residents—even those far from the Gaza Envelope—exposed to the constant roar of army planes and the sounds of booms in the distance, it is prudent to bear in mind that children of all sectors are absorbing significant anxiety and tension, some more visibly than others, and that these sentiments can have lifelong effects.
It is vital to take constructive steps and to adapt our approach in chinuch to these difficult times. This was the goal that Al Pi Darko’s directors adopted at the start of the month when Gedolei Yisarel shlit”a instructed all mosdos Torah to open their doors and commence regular learning without delay, despite the wave of terror and ongoing war striking Israel’s cities and towns.
Rabbi Avraham Vitman, director of Al Pi Darko, a project of Pele Yoetz Center under the auspices of Hagaon Harav Dovid Levy shlit”a, immediately set out to open the program for the new zman as planned. Simultaneously, he took preliminary action to prepare the tutors and mentors physically and mentally for their upcoming meetings with the children for the mutual benefit of all.
“We’re offering our tutors special guidance geared to these difficult times that we face as parents and educators, remaining mindful of a wide range of fears and anxieties that can crop up among school-age children.
“We’ve primed our tutors and mentors with knowledge and awareness of many ways that children can be affected by war, and we equipped them with vital tools to recognize emotional issues and fears, help children cope with them, and resolve them. In particular, we emphasized the critical nature of maintaining normalcy and a calm routine which empower people to surmount challenges and hardships distinct to these times.”
Al Pi Darko’s directors met with the tutors and mentors, and in the course of the meeting, the latter was exposed to the extent of their influence on their students/mentees and how their intervention can help children overcome fears, advance, and continue achieving their goals, just as they do in normal times.
From the very beginning of the zman, the positive results were plain to see. Children enrolled in Al Pi Darko started out the new semester on a positive note, with many making excellent progress in their studies. This effectively proved that what they needed most of all was to, indeed, return to steady routine and an aspiring learning environment, as this is what imbues them with strength to surmount their anxieties and persevere.
Obviously, preserving steady routine in the midst of a national crisis requires extra power and hard work, notes Rabbi Avraham Vitman. This is especially true when terror and fear continue infiltrating our borders and lives while the fighting intensifies on both the southern and northern fronts. The more that parents and educators believe in the benefits of stability and routine, and their impact on children’s lives and emotional health, the better they are able to direct their strengths and efforts to the right places in order to create an ideal learning and growing environment that breeds success.
This final point is vital for every parent. During these difficult days, it is crucial to preserve the daily routine of life, continue going about our regular activities and remain consistent to our goals, and this will, iy”H, imbue our children with emotional fortitude to surmount their fears and worries and focus their own energies to continue striving and achieving success.
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