Last week, Pele Yoetz Center, under the auspices of Hagaon Harav Dovid Levy shlit”a, hosted its annual Chinuch Conference in Yerushalayim. The popular Conference, which spotlights major issues in contemporary charedi chinuch, was attended by dozens of menahalim and administrators of chadarim in Yerushalayim, along with Rabbi Eliyahu Schindler shlit”a who arrived especially from New York to address the guests. Rabbi Schindler is a generous supporter of Torah as well as the founder and developer of Al Pi Darko, a revolutionary chinuch project that is powerfully impacting the lives and education of hundreds of Israeli children by offering early-intervention academic and social-emotional support to avert their spiritual decline and keep them safe on the right track. During his speech, Rabbi Schindler emphasized the significance of the project and its long-term effects on children’s lives, and expressed his gratitude to the Ribono shel Olam for the personal miracles he experienced during Covid-19.
The Conference opened with welcoming remarks by Rabbi Menachem Sheinberger shlit”a, Executive Director of Pele Yoetz, who presented the goals of the Conference. He introduced the proposed topics for the round-table discussion which would be held among the cheider menahalim and senior chinuch professionals attending the event.
Nasi of Pele Yoetz Hagaon Harav Dovid Levy shlit”a ascended to the podium and opened his speech with words of thanks to Rabbi Schindler, commending his noble efforts, dedication and commitment to the chinuch of charedi children and adolescents. Citing research and statistics, he noted that approximately 20% of children in an average cheider classroom require supplementary assistance, while another 20% succeed virtually effortlessly. Caught somewhere between these two extremes are the ‘Silent 60%’, who fail to stand out in any particular way. While only 20% officially require help, they often impact the Silent 60%, and it is thus incumbent upon mechanchim to work with these floundering students, assist them and facilitate their successes in and out of the classroom so they do not, chas veshalom, fall prey to outside temptation or spiritual decline or drag others down with them.
Al Pi Darko, explained Rabbi Levy, seeks to maintain open communication lines with parents, rebbeim, menahalim, as well as Pele Yoetz’s evaluators and diagnosticians who account for all pieces of the puzzle and create a custom program based on the child’s strengths and needs.
The menahalim then took turns sharing their thoughts and views. The first to address his colleagues was the menahel of Talmud Torah Karlin-Stolin Rabbi Shalom Gantz who highlighted the paramount importance of noting every child’s positive attributes and treating each one with genuine warmth and a smile. He quoted the famous words of Rebbe Harav Elimelech of Lizhensk, whose yahrtzeit fell this month, in Tzetel Katan, “Give in our hearts to see the attributes of our friends, and not their shortcomings,” emphasizing that this must be the guiding light of every mechanech, as only one who identifies and appreciates the positive qualities embedded in another can help the latter progress and succeed.
Rabbi Mordechai Freiman, mashgiach of Talmud Torah Chayei Olam, spoke next, recounting the case of a talmid who had failed miserably in school on all fronts—academic, social and behavioral—until the administration was at a loss how to proceed. Precisely then, the cheider joined forces with Al Pi Darko, and the boy was assigned a tutor. From that day and on, the boy began making incredible progress—academically, socially and emotionally, climbing the ladder of success, and today he is one of the star pupils in his class! His parents are dumbstruck by the change, and his father went so far as to express that he wants to host a shalom zachar in his honor… Rabbi Freiman concluded with profuse thanks to Rabbi Schindler for his efforts to expand Al Pi Darko, adding that “Chazal say, ‘One who teaches his friend’s son Torah is as if he bore him.’”
Rabbi Elazar Klein of Talmud Torah Klal Chassidi discussed the tools that Klal Yisrael has at its disposal to fight the growing trend of kids-at-risk. He noted that the combination of increased knowledge and professionalism in charedi chinuch is working wonders to help struggling youth overcome their challenges.
Next to speak was Rabbi Avraham Vitman, Project Director of Al Pi Darko at Pele Yoetz Center. Rabbi Vitman presented the various tracks, time frames and processes of the program which begin with an initial evaluation and continues with creating a custom plan, assigning the child to a tutor, regular monitoring and guidance, and culminates with the child’s success. He added that the administrations’ steady involvement and collaboration is a key factor to promoting the project’s success.
Last to speak was Rabbi Eliyahu Schindler who expressed his gratitude to the Ribono shel Olam for granting him the zechus to partner with this remarkable project of chinuch and hatzalas nefashos. He invited the audience to propose new ideas and suggestions for dealing with the constantly-evolving needs and challenges of the time, specifying the emotional challenges that many children suffer today. For many children, he asserted, the special, individualized attention and chizuk that they receive from Al Pi Darko is instrumental in saving their spiritual lives and futures.
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