With the start of the new zman, Pele Yoetz’s faculty held a series of special meetings for its faculty in the homes of Gedolei Hador shlit”a * Gedolim marvel at the organization’s outstanding work and commend the special efforts and successes of Pele Yoetz’s flagship program Al Pi Darko and founder Rabbi Eliyahu Schindler
The start of Chodesh Elul, which marks the new zman in schools and yeshivos everywhere, stirs a wave of eager anticipation and emotion in the hearts of students young and old, rebbeim, maggidei shiurim, and of course, parents too…
At Pele Yoetz Center and Al Pi Darko, the administration and faculty determined that there is no better time than now—the start of a new zman—to host a chinuch assembly and seek the counsel of Gedolei Yisrael to dilemmas and questions that accumulated over the course of the past year.
An esteemed delegation led by Hagaon Harav Dovid Levy shlit”a, Nasi of Pele Yoetz, began their journey in the home of Maran Hagaon Harav Dov Landau shlit”a, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka. The delegation included Rabbi Eliyahu Schindler shlit”a, founder and president of Al Pi Darko, who made a special trip from the United States to attend the assembly; CEO Rabbi Menachem Sheinberger; Branch Director Rabbi Avraham Vitman; Rabbi Shimon Rechtshafer and others.
It is a rare event that a delegation of this kind, which places chinuch habanim as its paramount goal, to convene with Gedolei Yisrael. And indeed, the Gedolim utilized the opportunity to express their appreciation to Pele Yoetz and commend the organization for its outstanding work and efforts to promote chinuch and assist every child and bachur attain his maximal potential.
“We receive many, many requests from schools, and especially regarding boys in sixth and seventh grade who are struggling in learning or in the social arena,” Hagaon Harav Dovid Levy shlit”a explained the goals and programs instituted by Al Pi Darko. “Our first step is identifying and pinpointing a child’s precise problem, because once a problem is isolated, it’s much easier to solve it. One of the greatest dangers is allowing a problem to snowball until it begins impacting the child in other realms of life. Baruch Hashem, we’ve been incredibly successful in doing this, and we’ve helped dozens and dozens of children surmount their learning and social challenges and succeed. We need the Rosh Yeshiva’s brachah in order to continue this trend of success and continue developing the program which we’re aiming to introduce into chadarim throughout Eretz Yisrael.”
“Ashreichem! Ashreichem!” Rav Landau cried from the depths of his heart and then proceeded to bestow his heartfelt brachos upon the delegation. He specifically blessed Rabbi Schindler, who bears financial responsibility for Al Pi Darko, with brachah and hatzlachah in all his endeavors.
The next visit was to the home of Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka Hagaon Harav Moshe Hillel Hirsh shlit”a who warmly welcomed his guests and noted that he’s acquainted with Rabbi Schindler as “rosh u’rishon lechol davar shebekedushah.”
This time, Rabbi Schindler opened the discussion by introducing the background and platform that led to the founding of Al Pi Darko. “In America,” he explained, “we created a program to professionally assist boys in schools who struggle with various learning and social issues. Here in Eretz Yisrael, we were able to replicate the concept, and baruch Hashem, we’ve seen exceptional results.”
Rav Dovid Levy shlit”a, Nasi of Pele Yoetz, picked up where he’d left off earlier: “There are many parents who hire tutors for their children and pay large sums of money to facilitate their learning and success. They understand that the child needs help, but what they don’t know is how to isolate the problem, which makes it virtually impossible to solve it. At Al Pi Darko, every child undergoes a comprehensive evaluation and receives professional, concrete support along with fatherly love from his tutors. All the parents have to do from that point and on is monitor the child’s progress and watch the incredible changes that take place in his learning, behavior and social skills.
“We work in close cooperation with twenty schools in Yerushalayim, and over five hundred boys have already passed through our system. Some needed tutors and mentors for six months, and some for a year. But we can proudly attest that all these children could potentially have been those that fell through the cracks of the system, but instead succeeded beyond anyone’s expectation. Each and every one of them—without exception!—was accepted into excellent yeshivos.
“And here is where we face the famous dilemma of what comes first? Quantity or quality? We can technically expand the program and increase the number of children enrolled within our present budget, but that could ultimately detract from the quality of care and attention that each child receives. Practically, this means that if a child should be receiving private tutoring for a year, he’ll receive it for less than that.”
Rav Hirsch’s answer was unequivocal: “There is no question that quality takes precedence over quantity.” After receiving the Rosh Yeshiva’s brachos for success in their continued activities, the delegation continued to the home of Maran Rosh Hayeshivah Hagaon Harav Tzvi Bergman shlit”a.
Rav Bergman shook hands warmly with Rabbi Schindler and exclaimed, “Hashem should help you, because there is nothing greater than helping the Torah!”
The Rosh Yeshiva shared a wealth of chinuch tips and advice that he heard from his illustrious father-in-law Maran Hagaon Harav Elazar Menachem Shach zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Ponovezh. It was clear to all that the Rosh Yeshiva wasn’t just seeking to talk, but to penetrate the hearts of his listeners and urge Al Pi Darko’s faculty to integrate his ideas into their programs.
He began by relating that, not long ago, tutoring and remedial help were shameful and labeled the child as weak. Yet his father-in-law was firm in his convictions that every child needs chizuk, including metzuyanim!
“Baruch Hashem, today, everyone understands that it’s necessary and important for every child,” he expressed. “My father-in-law, Rav Shach, expressed that, very often, parents work hard to encourage and motivate their weaker children by hiring tutors or giving them extra help. But why bother with the brighter ones? They’re doing well. They’re succeeding; they don’t need any extra help or attention… But my father-in-law emphasized that every child who’s a metzuyan needs an avreich who’s a metzuyan to catapult him to greatness. You hear? This outstanding avreich should be learning with him every day until the child himself can distinguish between a good svara and a weak one…
“Beyond this, my father-in-law would personally pay avreichim talmidei chachamim to learn together with grandchildren whom he identified as metzuyanim, with the belief that learning with a chavrusah would add an extra dimension to their limud and growth in Torah.” As an aside, he mentioned that Rav Shach strongly maintained that a father should not take it upon himself to become his son’s tutor. Obviously, this excludes a father’s weekly limud with his son on Shabbos, as no father is justified in absolving himself of the mitzvah and obligation of “Veshinantam levanecha” completely.
“One reason for this,” he explained, “is that a father is naturally more critical of his son and likely to express grievances like, ‘Why didn’t you listen to your rebbi? ‘Why didn’t you delve deeper into the words of the Gemara?’ or ‘What did you do all day in cheider?’ This could easily stir conflict, frustration and resentment between the father and son which is extremely unhealthy and detrimental to their relationship. My father-in-law thus strongly held that only a talented avreich who can understand the neshamah of a child should be the one to learn privately with him and elevate his level, as this will ensure positive and fruitful results.”
The delegation then proceeded to the home of the Mashgiach Hagaon Harav Don Segal shlit”a. Rav Segal welcomed the delegation warmly and bestowed his heartfelt blessings upon his guests and specifically upon Rav Schindler for his exceptional work. During the course of their meeting, someone mentioned that they received numerous complaints from school principals regarding the difficulty in finding avreichim willing to serve as rebbeim for students in the youngest classes, mostly due to the meager salaries.
In response, the Mashgiach related a story of a Yid who served as a cheider rebbi in the town of Komemiyus. As a teacher of younger classes, he generally taught alef-beis, although he occasionally taught Chumash with Rashi or even Mishnayos and introductory Gemara to the older classes.
Years passed, and the rebbi continued teaching hundreds of children with love and devotion. Alef-beis, Chumash and Rashi… Yet at some point, he began feeling a rising sense of frustration, stagnation and despair. I’m not progressing. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been teaching the same thing for years, and I’m not advancing in my own learning. I’m staying in the same place I’ve been for years.
He share his sentiments with the Chazon Ish zy”a. “What will be?” he asked despondently. “I’ve been teaching the same thing year after year. I’m not advancing and I don’t feel like I’m realizing my potential.”
The Chazon Ish shook his head and assured the rebbi that his feelings were misplaced. He also added a message that must serve as a guiding light to every mechanech: “Know, my son, that in each and every generation, we’re in dire need of melamdim, and you are one of those who are best suited to this task. Don’t give up! Know that Hashem yigmor ba’adecha, Hashem will finish for you, and you’ll be zocheh to everything because of this!”
Concluding his story, the Mashgiach requested that we publicize his words as encouragement and motivation to anyone who has potential to serve in a position of chinuch and guide Klal Yisrael’s children to greatness.
“You hear what the Chazon Ish said?” he repeated. “Hashem yigmor ba’adecha, Hashem will finish the job for you! One who undertakes to teach young boys, Hashem will complete and repay him with all his needs.”
The members of the delegation then approached the Mashigach one by one to request his blessing for brachah and hatzlachah in all realms, and he replied with a broad smile, “Each of you is also included in this brachah of Hashem yigmor ba’adchem!”
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