12 New Teachers Join the ‘School-Force’

Frustrated with our chinuch system? Don’t see any hope for forward progress? Here’s something to make you smile.

This Tuesday night our chinuch system got a powerful boost. After a year of being instructed by expert educators and psychologists, giving model lessons to peers as well as in local schools, and spending many hours observing and being mentored by some of our finest teachers, twelve young men were introduced by the Menachem Education Foundation into the world of chinuch.

Upon graduating they received certificates from M.E.F. as well as Medgar Evers college, the graduation ceremony took place in Beis Eliezer Yitzchok, the crowd was first addressed by the rosh kollel of midtown Manhattan kollel, Rabbi Asher Webb.

Rabbi Webb praised the use of technology and training in chinuch, as the ultimate answer to the maskilim of Eastern Europe, who saw formal education and technology as a reason to run away from yiddishkeit.

Rabbi Eli Simpson, a graduate of this year’s program, presented an in depth class on the words “Lech Lecha.” He explained the essence of a Jew as being a part of the creator, and how that is expressed in a Jews emunah. The interactive class, complete with a worksheet, treated the audience to a taste of some of the skills and methods learned throughout the course.

The featured Speaker, Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum, gave some important advice for parents and teachers. Some of the points which Rabbi Rosenblum stressed were:

1) BE A DUGMA CHAYA:

Some things can’t be taught or demanded. When it comes to being a mentch, and being a chossid, our children learn from what we do, not what we tell them to do.

The Kotzker Rebbe once told this to someone. The man replied “you mean when I nudged my boy to learn all these years I was wasting my time?!”

“Chas v’shalom,” The Kotzker replied. “Your son will soon have his own children, and he himself will not learn, but he will definitely nudge them to learn!”

2) KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILD IS NOW, AND WHERE YOU’D LIKE HIM TO REACH

Reb Shlomo Chaim Kesselman once said “one must know how he is presently, at which state he can possibly be, and how he truly needs to be.”

3) TEACHABLE MOMENTS

The Alter Rebbe once paused to think before responding with an answer to a question from his young grandson, the Tzemach Tzedek. The Rebbe explains that when your child is having a receptive moment (e.g. asking you for an answer,) it is a unique opportunity for you to impart a lesson.

When a child tells his mother about an accomplishment in learning and she does something special in honor of the occasion, a unique opportunity was used to display the dearness of learning Torah.

The many wonderful and talented mechanchim in our schools are about to be joined by 12 more.

The Menachem Education Foundation works to enhance yiddishe chinuch by training teachers, principals, and through many other programs. For more information about M.E.F. and all that it is doing for the betterment of our children’s chinuch, visit mymef.org.