Educators Lecture on How to Raise Chasidim

On Monday evening in the Oholei Torah ballroom, 100 member of the Crown Heights community, mother and fathers, gathered to receive guidance from a panel of veteran educators on the topic ‘Raising Chasidim in America Today.’

Rabbi Pinyeh Korf, Mashpia in Oholei Torah Mesivta, addressed the crowd on bridging the generation gap with today’s youth.

Rabbi Fishel Oster, Magid Shiur in Oholei Torah Zal, spoke about raising children in a way that will enhance their quality of life.

Rabbi Aharon Dovid Gancz, Menahel of Tomchei Temimim in Morristown, spoke of the uniqueness of Jewish education according to the ways of the Torah, as compared to that of the rest of the world.

The event was arranged by Merkaz Anash.

Chaim

I was hoping they would discuss the unnecessary and damaging 10 week summer “vacation” we take from yeshiva.

If they are looking for an answer as to how things are the way they are in our education. I suggest they focus on keeping our schools open 12 months a year, as the Rebbe suggested.

Lubavitcher Rebbe 12th Day Of Tammuz, 5745:

Now is a time of year when for some reason schools are closed. This is against the reality — Torah is our life — learning Torah is the life force of every child. Who has the right to make a distinction, that for nine and a half or ten months when school is open the child has to get life — but when school closes he must rest from studying Torah?! Torah is his life! This fact is uncivilized! Close school for two months or eight weeks or six weeks? For what reason? Actually the school should not even close! How can we close a “house of life” even for one day — let alone weeks or months.

If the point is money — life is worth much more. We speak of the life of the children and all the generations to come. Give him strength now so that he will have the ability — years later — to establish a family.

There is another argument — that the teachers need to rest, or maybe the children need a rest. They worked hard for 10 months, 6 days a week, studying — have pity, let them rest. The answer is there is no resting from life!! It is the opposite of rest!

For someone who must devote his time everyday to earning a living etc., for him we say, let him learn a short period in the morning and evening. For a father to say that the child worked hard for 10 months and needs a rest, tell them that the child lived these ten months through the Torah he learned and when he will grow up he will also not turn from it. Yet some wish to call this, “tired-out” and needful of rest.

Well if the teachers are tired, the Gemara tells us of Rabbi Yochanan. When he was tired he set himself in a place where he would influence the beauty of the future generation.

Torah is given for good life — it promises us: “I will provide you with rain at the right time.” (Vayikra 26:4) And all the other blessings listed in Torah. Of course one must not make this a condition, but it is promised to us. So Torah is a Torah of life.

When one sees a spiritually blind person — even if he put an obstacle in his own way; you have to do everything possible to remove the obstacle! This idea is universal. Any person knows that when someone wants to hurt himself we mobilize all the forces available to stop him — although he screams that it is undemocratic. In every town or city where the people are civilized, all will be done to remove such a person from potential danger.
So now that summer is here — there is free time — does it mean to be free from Torah, Yiddishkeit? G-d forbid, he is enslaving himself to his yetzer hora and to the Goyishkeit (opp. of Yiddishkeit), the opposite of freedom. He thinks that slavery is freedom. Well, since this is only darkness — it can be dispelled by a bit of light. Bring the light to any Jew — and he will run to do the will of Hashem! When a parent realizes that something is good for his child, we see that a father and mother give everything to provide their child more pleasure, more life and certainly more strength in his life.
Just show them the truth. When this day of liberation comes, we recall the sacrifice for the sake of the children and we see the results and fruits of that work which will go on and have a good influence for many generations.

If we speak words from the heart they will penetrate the heart, — and it will accomplish that all Jewish children will not minimize their Torah study during vacation, on the contrary — they are free of secular studies, and must increase Torah study.
Time for play, to strengthen the body; this, too, is holy. But some time must be added to Torah study and mitzvah observance. And even if this is done in the manner of education then:
Educate the child according to his way, even when he will be old he will not depart from it. (Mishlei 22:6)

This will be a preparation. As mentioned in Chassidus and Mussar, our mitzvos today give and provide us with a signal for the mitzvos in the future. For those who wish to know the reward — the reward will be to do more mitzvos — added Torah for the children, and everyone will do more mitzvos.

It will also bring the time when we will offer sacrifices in the third Bais Hamikdosh. This will be built by G-d’s hand. And may it come speedily — it is ready and waiting to be brought down on this world — it can happen in one instant. So too, may we be redeemed instantly.

For more:

http://www.lmaanyishmeu.com/pdf/Haderech%20Hayeshara%2017.pdf

Link to sicha:

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/554142/jewish/12-Tammuz-5745.htm

Hanocho:

http://jemedia.org/Farbrengen/12_Tammuz_5745/Booklets/Hebrew.pdf

Sicha in English:

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/sichos-in-english/27/05.htm

10 Comments

Chaim

I was hoping they would discuss the unnecessary and damaging 10 week summer “vacation” we take from yeshiva.

If they are looking for an answer as to how things are the way they are in our education. I suggest they focus on keeping our schools open 12 months a year, as the Rebbe suggested.

Lubavitcher Rebbe 12th Day Of Tammuz, 5745:

Now is a time of year when for some reason schools are closed. This is against the reality — Torah is our life — learning Torah is the life force of every child. Who has the right to make a distinction, that for nine and a half or ten months when school is open the child has to get life — but when school closes he must rest from studying Torah?! Torah is his life! This fact is uncivilized! Close school for two months or eight weeks or six weeks? For what reason? Actually the school should not even close! How can we close a “house of life” even for one day — let alone weeks or months.

If the point is money — life is worth much more. We speak of the life of the children and all the generations to come. Give him strength now so that he will have the ability — years later — to establish a family.

There is another argument — that the teachers need to rest, or maybe the children need a rest. They worked hard for 10 months, 6 days a week, studying — have pity, let them rest. The answer is there is no resting from life!! It is the opposite of rest!

For someone who must devote his time everyday to earning a living etc., for him we say, let him learn a short period in the morning and evening. For a father to say that the child worked hard for 10 months and needs a rest, tell them that the child lived these ten months through the Torah he learned and when he will grow up he will also not turn from it. Yet some wish to call this, “tired-out” and needful of rest.

Well if the teachers are tired, the Gemara tells us of Rabbi Yochanan. When he was tired he set himself in a place where he would influence the beauty of the future generation.

Torah is given for good life — it promises us: “I will provide you with rain at the right time.” (Vayikra 26:4) And all the other blessings listed in Torah. Of course one must not make this a condition, but it is promised to us. So Torah is a Torah of life.

When one sees a spiritually blind person — even if he put an obstacle in his own way; you have to do everything possible to remove the obstacle! This idea is universal. Any person knows that when someone wants to hurt himself we mobilize all the forces available to stop him — although he screams that it is undemocratic. In every town or city where the people are civilized, all will be done to remove such a person from potential danger.
So now that summer is here — there is free time — does it mean to be free from Torah, Yiddishkeit? G-d forbid, he is enslaving himself to his yetzer hora and to the Goyishkeit (opp. of Yiddishkeit), the opposite of freedom. He thinks that slavery is freedom. Well, since this is only darkness — it can be dispelled by a bit of light. Bring the light to any Jew — and he will run to do the will of Hashem! When a parent realizes that something is good for his child, we see that a father and mother give everything to provide their child more pleasure, more life and certainly more strength in his life.
Just show them the truth. When this day of liberation comes, we recall the sacrifice for the sake of the children and we see the results and fruits of that work which will go on and have a good influence for many generations.

If we speak words from the heart they will penetrate the heart, — and it will accomplish that all Jewish children will not minimize their Torah study during vacation, on the contrary — they are free of secular studies, and must increase Torah study.
Time for play, to strengthen the body; this, too, is holy. But some time must be added to Torah study and mitzvah observance. And even if this is done in the manner of education then:
Educate the child according to his way, even when he will be old he will not depart from it. (Mishlei 22:6)

This will be a preparation. As mentioned in Chassidus and Mussar, our mitzvos today give and provide us with a signal for the mitzvos in the future. For those who wish to know the reward — the reward will be to do more mitzvos — added Torah for the children, and everyone will do more mitzvos.

It will also bring the time when we will offer sacrifices in the third Bais Hamikdosh. This will be built by G-d’s hand. And may it come speedily — it is ready and waiting to be brought down on this world — it can happen in one instant. So too, may we be redeemed instantly.

For more:

http://www.lmaanyishmeu.com/pdf/Haderech%20Hayeshara%2017.pdf

Link to sicha:

http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/554142/jewish/12-Tammuz-5745.htm

Hanocho:

http://jemedia.org/Farbrengen/12_Tammuz_5745/Booklets/Hebrew.pdf

Sicha in English:

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/sichos-in-english/27/05.htm

March 11, 2014 1:47pm
really?

we have 14000 people living in crown heights and 100 show?

chabad will be history in 10 years

March 11, 2014 1:51pm
- Drama Queen
  
  I Agree!
  
  March 11, 2014 2:06pm
Just Sayin

The problem isn’t that we don’t know how to raise chassidishe children. Judging by the empty seats, and the amount of grandfathers in the occupied seats, the problem is that we just don’t care. Someone should hold a seminar for the rabbonim, mashpiim, and community leaders on how to get people to WANT chassidishe children.

March 11, 2014 1:52pm
- Really?
  
  Or maybe people don’t believe that by attending this event they would have a better understanding of how to raise Chassidisher kids.
  
  Perhaps we have all been to yeshiva for many years, and have already heard and been through thousands of hours of these Mashpiim’s talks, shiurim and farbrengens.
  
  March 12, 2014 10:37am
Appeal

The speakers don’t appeal to average CHer. Need Simon Jacobson, Rabbi Schochat, etc.

March 11, 2014 3:03pm
online

look how many people watched online

March 11, 2014 7:43pm
hersh

Remember, the topic was how to raise Chasidishe children… for that you need a dugma chaya, hence the choice of speakers.

March 11, 2014 8:54pm
medel

reb pinyah is a special chosid and my favorite. how did they choose the perfect topic for him..”bridging the generation gap with today’s youth”!!
too bad a missed that lecture.

my two sense, the problem in ch is we dont have respect for leaders becuase every leader is affliated with a political twist so when a child or a young adult see’s a mashpia or a ram ect. that is affilaited with yechi ect. he says you know they are all nuts dont want to have anything to do with them….

additionally a rav needs to have a certain shtel a certain class thats above the rest that brings self respect. not to mention true ahavas yisroel a true chosid , and a true yiras shmaim

March 11, 2014 10:05pm
proud Lubavitcher

Lubavitch will be here for ever and ever and very soon we will greet Moshiach!!!

March 12, 2014 12:16am

Comments are closed.