Morristown Appoints New Menahel

A number of institutional changes are underway at Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch of Morristown, NJ, amid recent hardships the veteran Chabad establishment has been undergoing.

Effective immediately, Rabbi Chaim Schapiro, who leads the Smicha program, will assume the position of Menahel Ruchni of the entire Yeshiva. He will retain his position at the helm of the Smicha program as well.

Rabbi Aharon Dovid Gancz, previously Mashgiach in the Yeshiva, will transfer to the Smicha program as a Maggid Shiur and Shoel Umeishiv. He will continue to give Halachah Shiurim to select students of the Yeshiva as well.

Rabbi Elimelech Zweibel, head Mashpia of the Yeshiva, and Rabbi Mendy Herson, Shliach to Basking Ridge, NJ, have pledged to assume a greater role in the day-to-day management of the Yeshiva, to ensure its continued survival and success.

Following is the complete text of a letter that was sent out by the Yeshiva’s administration:

To past and present parents and students, Sheyichyu

Substantial changes and improvements are already being implemented in the Morristown mosdos.

Rabbi Mendy Herson will assist his father, Rabbi Moshe, in the implementation of major programs and staff shifts. Rabbi Mendy will substantially focus his daily attention to the personal needs of the students. This will start with Tomchei Temimim and Smicha and later expand to Tiferes Bachurim.

We are pleased to advise you that:

Rabbi Chaim Schapiro has been appointed Menahel to head the entire Tomchei Temimim program for the school year 2015/16, starting ASAP.  He shall continue as Menahel of Smicha.

Student applications for entrance to Tomchei Temimim will immediately be directed to Rabbi Schapiro for his review, even before Pesach.

At a staff meeting on the eve of 27 Adar, every staff member of TT pledged full compliance and full cooperation to Rabbi Schapiro, the new program Menahel for the sake of the Rebbe’s institution.

Rabbi Aharon Gancz will be transferred to assist Rabbi Schapiro in the day-to-day successful leadership of the Smicha class. Rabbi Gancz will also lead the Part-Time Halacha Program to selected TT Talmidim.

BEZ’H, starting Elul, the Smicha Class will be consisted of Rabbis: Chaim Schapiro (Menahel, Magid Shiur, Meishiv), Avrohom Levin and Aharon Gancz (Meishivim).

Rabbi Elimelech Zwiebel will undertake new needed responsibilities and shall continue as Head Mashpia.

Further staffing changes and additions will be announced in due time.

Interested parents and students may turn to our office for applications to Tomchei Temimim as well as to the Smicha class.

Tiferes Bochurim – New Direction Program: staff will continue its increasingly successful program.  Innovations and further improvements in Tiferes Bochurim will be announced before or immediately after Pesach.

Please continue your moral and financial support to enable the RCA to immediately transfer our positive “dreams” into “reality.”

The chinuch of our children must be the priority of the entire Chabad Community. Parents, students, administration and faculty must constantly work together in the vigil of our children.  Concerned parents must become more involved.  I plead to you with respect – do not abdicate the chinuch details of our children.

May we turn 27 Adar into a day of constructive, positive steps.

Warmest regards and best wishes for a Chag Kosher V’someach in all aspects of your life.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Mosher Herson, Dean

35 Comments

  • most probably this means

    Teachers who have been dedicated for the past 30 or more years will be receiving a severance package in the event they are not invited to come back and teach.
    I’m hoping that this statement that would come out as well shortly.

  • past student

    Rabbi Schapiro will be a great menahal. And Morristown is a great yeshiva keep up the great work

  • Great news!

    Wow! What an amazing shock!!!! B’H it looks like the yeshiva has figured it all out and is now heading in the right direction. Rabbi Shapiro brings unmatched chayus and proper hadracha to the yeshiva. Rabbi Gancz is a total genius in halacha, and will fit in smoothly with the smicha program. Reb Meilich (s’guuuuut) Obviously needs no introduction, we are talking about a chossid who’s ingantzen ibergegeben to the Rebbe. Rabbi Mendy Herson is a responsible and trusted shliach who will without-a-doubt flourish in ensuring a firm structure and foundation for the yeshiva. In all, this is a brilliant move, and I’m very excited to see the yeshiva in action at the beginning of the next zman. Yashar koach to all those who made this happen, B’H there will be many bochurim who’ll benefit tremendously from the guidance of the caring staff of the yeshiva. Morristown was always a powerhouse of a chassidishe yeshiva, and with hashem’s help will continue to be one. Hatzlacha rabba to all the privileged bochurim who will be a part of al this next year.

  • mom

    i hope you have payed all of your old staff what is owed (going back 40 years+) and not missed anyone out in this department or any other . mazel is only had when doing thing right. good luck.if you had a over site you can pay them now .

  • Great news!

    That is very exciting. I can’t wait to send my son there next year!!

  • Ha' Goan Rabbi C Shapiro

    I never found someone like him. Great mind with a massive heart. He understands the younger generation like no one does. Hatzlacha!!

  • this is so stupid

    Why is gamcz being recycled to the only successful program in Morristown?

  • goodbye

    I wave a sad goodbye to Morristown’s smicha program. Why fool around with the one good program going on over there.

  • As the saying goes.....

    ….. when you need something done ,ask a busy person.
    Rabbi Mendy Herson is amazing! Between running Chabad of Basking Ridge, being on the board of Merkos, the Va’ad of the Cheder, being a parent of a large family, I’m amazed how he unrtakes new initiatives!!
    Good luck to him and the whole staff of Morristown, and lange gezunte yoren to Rabbi Moshe Herson.

  • to #3

    I see that you are a great writer as well as a very optimistic person. However, some of the above changes can be detrimental to the yeshiva. Let’s start off with Rabbi Schapiro taking the helm of menahel ruchni in the yehiva; it sounds like a very smart move, however, who can promise that the successful smicha program won’t be affected negatively as a result? 2nd question I have: who has the utter chutzpah to tell meilech that he must take new and added responsibilities, as if what he’s been doing the past 50 years has been below par? Next question, what about all the many other staff in the yeshiva, what will their role be in all of this…. or will they just sit idle and hope for a miracle? My point is very simple, all of the above mentioned changes may sound very brilliant, however, there are many possible consequences which can very much occur as a direct result of this decision. However, my personal opinion aside, I’d like to wish hatzlacha rabba to the yeshiva in all of their operations. Sincerely- a very proud but concerned bochur.

  • to all the nay-sayers

    I see a lot of unconstructive criticsm in the above comments. If you really have a smarter idea tell us about it. it’s very easy to bash people from your computer. The nay-sayers just want to make the yeshiva look bad, and don’t even plan on attending the yeshiva anyways

  • To # 12

    I agree

    Why tinker with a money making Semicha Program and its sucess was only because of shapiro now he will be hardly spending any time with it.

    It seems like Herson didnt get it.

    THe place needs a reset not a shuffle…

    You cant reshuffle the same players you need new people to run the place.

    I think Rabbi Herson just doesn’t get it or he realizes to reset you need to fire and if you fire you need to pay chodesh Lashanah and he is not the person who pays any extra.

    So same old Motown

  • Mosher Herson

    Typical Morristown…. They believe in the noise of a big splash but pay no attention to the details that actually make the difference. They can’t even spell the name of the head Shliach!! That being said, Rabbi Schapiro is amazing and I wish him much Hatzlacha.

  • right path

    I think that with some of the past hanhola and rabbi schpiro leading the way Morristown can and will return to its glory days.

    The only problem is bouchrim these days want to be where the action is, around restaurants and dont care to much for caring hanhola. We shall see how this plays out

  • Skeptical

    I agree with all the skeptical comments. This is akin to re-arranging pieces on a chess board. The announcement here has no mention of new names or new blood that were not there previously. The current staff are probably amazing people but there must be a reason why bochurim are “voting with their feet” and staying away.

  • Former Talmid

    I can’t see how these changes benefit anyone. Also, is Rabbi Wilshansky still teaching there?

  • with the old breed

    this has been going on for the last 30 years and more…why not make a real change…..oh but first a nap….do you think this is how a good yeshiva works…it does not take a genius but it takes people who care.

  • In the know

    Amazing move.

    R.C.A will be flooded next year, won’t be surprised if they have 150-200 bochurim next year.

  • problem solved

    The absence of a proper menahel ruchni is what has plagued the yeshiva for years. Rabbi shapiro is very respected and well-liked by all of the bochurim. under his leadership the yeshiva is sure to flourish. Good luck!

  • rabbi perlow is the best

    As a former student of Rabbi Perlow, I can say that I learned the most in that year then I learned all my years in school.
    Rabbi Perlow cares about all his bachurim, and is totally dedicated to them.
    Wish I could do that year again!!!

  • Rabbi PERLOW, best teacher

    I don’t care who is principal. I went just to be in Rabbi Perlow’s shiur!!!

  • Current student

    Rabbi schepiro has told he knows how this can impact smicha majorly, which is why he said he will be bringing in new staff to help as well. After spending a year with rabbi schepiro you see how his a perfectionist. Yes it will take time to perfect this system, but he’s going to put every ounce of strength he has into it and not hold anything back. As someone posted earlier, he understands today’s bochurim better than anyone else! הצלחה רבה

  • to #4 (mom)

    Hey mom, I hope you teach your kids not to speak until they get their facts straight:).
    Has anyone who works in TT Morristown over the past 40 years EVER said they got paid a day late? If u knew anything about he world of yeshivas you’d know you were picking on the wrong place with that one

  • יאריך ימים על ממלכתו

    Well Deserved “People don’t care what you know, till they know that you care”

  • Morristown Bochur

    Rabbi Perlow is a talmid chochom who really gets the bochurim and gives them a real love for learning.

  • Father of former talmid

    Rabbi Perlow has his bochurim learning with a geshmak. He has a keen ability to make simple that which might otherwise be hard and complicated. Lubavitch needs many more like him. A true dugmo of a chosid, yirei shomayim and a lamdon.

    I truly hope my younger sons can learn by as well.

    Keep up the great work, Reb Leible!

  • Zalmy Schapiro

    Mazel tov it doesn’t matter who is the principle as long as the students are happy that is the most important thing good luck Yeshivas Morristown New Jersey and good luck cousin rabbi Chaim Schapiro and yes I agree it is growing you should all be happy and be proud of yourselves they are doing what’s best for you and what’s best for the Yeshiva

  • To #8 & #9

    They’re not planning on destroying the Semicha program, or give Gancz any power. The issue @ had is with such a large Semicha program 1 שואל ומשיב won’t be enough. & being that rabbi Schapiro (aka rachash) won’t be available as much for questions, they needed another body as a שואל ומשיב. The shiurim etc will still be rachash & he’ll have a lot more paperwork to deal with. End of story

  • alumnus

    While this does sound like a possible improvement, I don’t think a new menahel, even Rabbi Schapiro, can turn this yeshiva around. One of the main issues was that the hanhalla was out of touch with the bochurim. There were a few exceptions, but as a whole, they did not take any interested in the bochurims personal lives. This wasn’t necessarily due to apathy, but could just be they couldn’t relate to the bouchurim due to a generational gap.

    Instead of sending our brightest minds out on shlichus and fundraising, they should recruit them to educating and inspiring our youth. If Morristown would announce that they were bringing in a new younger staff I would put a lot more faith in their turn-around efforts. I’ve seen other yeshivos (chabad and litfish) take this approach and it has worked with amazing results.