Weekly Story: Battling For Proper Jewish Education
by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon
Last week I mentioned that one of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s contributions to Jewish education in America is that Limudei Kodesh (religious studies) is in the morning followed by secular studies in the afternoon. I noted that the New York Board of Education wanted to implement a decision that would have mandated that the day begins with secular education.
Some people asked me what is the source for this, while other people asked me why I didn’t spell out the entire story.
I must admit I don’t know all the details and therefore I decided to post it and ask those who know additional details to please fill me in.
In Igros Kodesh vol. 6, p. 376, dated 24th of Tammuz 5702, the Rebbe writes a letter to Rabbi Rosenberg of Agudas Yisroel informing him that a battle has to be waged against this decree and to make sure that the Yeshivos are not represented by Jewish activists who would try to reach some compromise with the authorities.[1] There can be no compromise on this point! The Rebbe then asks Rabbi Rosenberg to come and they will discuss how to combat this resolution.
A few pages later there is a letter to Rabbi Silver, where the Rebbe bemoans the point that those Jewish activists did not allow Rabbi Rosenberg to speak and present his firm opposition to this guideline.
However, the Rebbe did not suffice with this, he waged this battle on many fronts. He wrote to Rabbi Nissin Telushkin that he should get at least ten Rabbonim who would go to various shuls and thunder about the dangers of this guideline. Evidently, the Rebbe was trying to not only bring this to the attention of the people but that they should join the opposition and the weight of public opinion would cause the Board of Education to rescind this resolution.
Furthermore, in the Rebbe’s magazine Hakriah V’Hakedusha in the issue of Menachem Av 5702 (pp. 376 – 377 in the bound edition), there is an entire article in bold letters with the blaring title NIT (NO!). There the Rebbe articulates why this resolution is not only not good for the Yeshivos, but that it is against the spirit of the United States that gives everyone Freedom to practice their religion without any inhibitions.
He then explained in his talks that Reishis Arisoseichem, also has the meaning that the first thing one is supposed to do when they get out of their bed, is to designate the time to Hashem. In a yeshiva that means that the day begins with Limmudei Kodesh and in general a person should not work before they daven Shacharis
The above is documented in the above-mentioned letters.
Now comes the part that I heard many years ago, and this past Shabbos someone who read the article asked me why I didn’t write the following story. He then added that he heard it from Rabbi Dovid Edelman a”h, who was a bochur in 770 around that time. If I am missing some details please let me know.
As noted the Rebbe wanted other yeshivos to protest against this decree and he specified which yeshivos he wants. [I am not mentioning them by name, as I am not positive if my memory serves me correctly which ones he wanted and which ones he said should not be involved, and because in the end some of them partially backed out].
Evidently, this proposal by the Board of Education was first made around the time the Rebbe came to America (almost three years earlier),[2] and in the summer of 5702 (1942) after some discussion, the New York State Board of Education declared that they are going forward with this decision. In order to implement it, they threatened that the principal of any school that disobeys would be arrested.
Some representatives of Agudas Chassidei Chabad (possibly Rabbi Kazarnovsky (Rabbi Nissan Telushkin) and one of the Kramer brothers (who was a lawyer) and others)[3] went to Albany to discuss it but to no avail. The BoE was firm in its decision and they showed letters from some yeshivos that they signed that they will abide to this guideline/regulation.
So Agudas Chassidei Chabad informed them, that in 5687 (1927) the Lubavitcher Rebbe was imprisoned in Russia because he established schools that the Soviet government didn’t approve of. The US congress and President Hoover intervened and demanded that he be freed.
And now you are going to make America the laughing stock of the world.
You are going to arrest Rabbi Schneersohn and the Russian government is going to publish the hypocrisy and irony of the matter. America demanded that we free him, and then two years after he is in America, America imprisons him for the same crime we imprisoned him.
Seeing that the Rebbe was not backing down in face of this threat, and mindful of the international backlash this action can create, they rescinded and all Yeshivos and Day Schools benefit from this.
In the journal Hapardes (of Tishrei 5703) it is noted that the efforts of the Yeshivos was successful and an agreement was reached that the day can begin with Limmudei Kodesh.[4]
Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com
[1] I am not positive who these activists were. However, on pp. 12-13 of vol. 6 in his Igros, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote a letter to Judge Rosenman, who was the President of the [Jewish] Education Committee thanking him for his impressive proclamation about the importance of a Jewish Education.
At the same time the Rebbe demanded that they become involved in ensuring that all Talmud Torah’s teach about Torah and Mitzvos and that all the instructors be observant.
The Judge replied that the Committee doesn’t get involved in what the Talmud Torah does.
So if this committee was dealing with the state, one can understand why the Rebbe wanted others to discuss and argue against the ruling with them.
[2] As is evident from his letter that he states it is going on for three years.
[3] I mentioned them as Rabbi Kazarnovsky was involved in many of the activities of Aguch. While the Kramers were the lawyers and helped both with the expertise and financial support and Rabbi Telushkin because the Rebbe asked him to become involved in this battle.
[4] Toldos Chabad B’artzos HaBris, p. 364.
