d i n n e r a n d S i y u m H a g a d o l
HARBOTZAS TORAH AWARD
Rabbi and Mrs . Shragie and Rachel Polter
Building children . Building parents . Building worlds . This is beloved fifth-grade rebbi Rabbi Shragie Polter ’ s life mission . Throughout his thirty-six years in chinuch , with the backing of his wonderful wife Rachel , he has left an indelible impression on hundreds of talmidim . It is a kavod for Yeshiva Darchei Torah to pay tribute to the Polters with this year ’ s Harbotzas Torah Award .
Rabbi Polter grew up in Montreal , where his parents , Mr . and Mrs . Mendel and Carol Polter , laid the strong , healthy foundation upon which he would build a career of molding tinokos shel bais raban . The seeds of that calling were planted even before R ’ Shragie ’ s bar mitzvah , when the indefatigable Mr . Bob Ament , z ” l , invited him to serve as a Pirchei leader and encouraged his efforts for years to follow . As a camp counselor , his love for children and harbotzas Torah led him to run a pre-davening learning program and cocoa club . It was during his stint as a counselor in Camp Munk that he was further inspired by the unforgettable Rabbi Josh Silbermintz , zt ” l .
Following his graduation from Yeshivah Gedolah of Montreal , Rabbi Polter moved on to Yeshiva Ner Yisrael in Baltimore , where he was privileged to learn under Rav Yaakov Kulefsky , zt ” l , and ybl ” c , Rabbi Yissocher Frand , with whom he built a strong kesher . Still driven by his passion for teaching children , he used his precious free time to run Pirchei for the young boys living on the yeshivah ’ s campus .
In 1988 , R ’ Shragie married his wife Rachel , a native of Far Rockaway . Her parents , Rabbi and
Mrs . Nechemia and Rheta Zabrowsky , currently of Ramat Beit Shemesh , were one of the founding families of Yeshiva Darchei Torah ; Rachel ’ s older brother R ’ Eliezer was a member of the yeshiva ’ s first graduating class . The Zabrowskys ingrained in their children a love for learning and Yiddishkeit and helping those in need of extra warmth and a helping hand . Rachel ’ s wholehearted support and excitement for her husband ’ s avodas hakodesh is no doubt an outgrowth of the ideals with which she was raised .
Shortly after their marriage , the Polters moved to Denver , where Rabbi Polter was a very successful thirdgrade rebbi in Hillel Academy for nine years . Rabbi Polter ’ s transition to Darchei in 1997 was simply the continuation of his calling to build Yiddishe kinder and infuse them with a love for learning and simchas hachayim . For more than twenty-five years , Rabbi Polter ’ s talmidim , first in third grade and now in fifth grade , where he gives them their first delightful taste of Gemara , respond to his positivity and understanding of what each one needs to succeed . R ’ Shragie describes Darchei as a “ happy , well-run place to be . There ’ s nothing like it .” Certainly , his demeanor contributes immeasurably to this unique atmosphere .
The Polters ’ five sons are all graduates of the yeshiva , benefiting from the vision of their grandparents many decades earlier . With the special , inside perspective they are privy to , the Polters appreciate the exceptional brand of chinuch their children gained from during their years in Darchei .
Rabbi Polter also works with talmidim one-onone . In this capacity he has seen tremendous hatzlachah developing learning skills and working hand-in-hand with parents , encouraging them and guiding them on the path to their children ’ s success .
It is easy to see that Rabbi Polter truly loves what the does . He arrives early each morning so that he can give his students his all , invests his entire neshamah in each child and values the opportunity to partner with their parents – which he sees as the key to maximizing a child ’ s school experience .
No doubt , there are many , many parents and former talmidim who can attest to Rabbi Polter ’ s special touch , augmented by his wife ’ s encouragement and enthusiastic support . Surely , they all agree that the Polters are exceptionally fitting recipients for this year ’ s Harbotzas Torah Award .
10 BEDARCHEI HATORAH WINTER 5784 / 2024