CORRESPONDENCE
Chinuch
with Vision
A European Educator’s
Encounter with Yeshiva
Darchei Torah
A
lthough I am not a talmid of
Yeshiva Darchei Torah, it some-
times seems to me as if I am an
alumnus. I have heard many stories
extolling the virtues of the hanhalah
of Yeshiva Darchei Torah from my
close yedid, Dovi Safier. My brother,
HaRav Naftoli Weitz shlit”a, Rov
of Beis Medrash Ishei Yisroel in
Woodmere, started off his married
life in the koslei Bais HaMedrash of
Mesivta Chaim Shlomo. I have ben-
efited personally from the wisdom
and hashkofos that can be found
on every page of HaRav Yaakov
Bender shlit”a’s books. More re-
cently, Europe was fortunate to host
the Rosh HaYeshiva shlit”a as a
keynote speaker at our first Chinuch
Convention in Amsterdam, attended
by close to 500 anshei chinuch – from
cities as far as Moscow and Berlin
to the larger kehillos of London,
Manchester and Antwerp.
A few weeks ago, as a mem-
ber of the European Chinuch
Convention Steering Committee and
as menahel of Beis Yaakov Primary
School in Golders Green, London,
the largest Jewish Orthodox girls
school in Europe, I attended the
Torah Umesorah Convention at the
Kalahari Resort in Pennsylvania. I
landed at JFK Airport and stayed
with my brother and his family in
Woodmere. Being in the vicinity of
Yeshiva Darchei Torah, described
by many as the crown jewel of the
38
BEDARCHEI HATORAH
WINTER 5780/2020
RABBI YITZCHOK WEITZ, MENAHEL,
BEIS YAAKOV PRIMARY SCHOOL,
NORTH WEST LONDON
American chinuch world, it was too
tempting for me to pass up on the op-
portunity to visit – even if just for the
few minutes that I had.
I was overwhelmed by the hospi-
tality shown to me by Rabbi Benoliel
and the faculty members whom I had
the privilege of meeting. Words can-
not do justice to the ruach that pul-
sates in the hallways of this grand
campus. Wherever we went, we wit-
nessed talmidim of all ages living life
to the fullest in an atmosphere of in-
novation, growth, and pure simchas
hachaim. I was humbled to hear how
involved the Rosh HaYeshiva shlit”a
was in the minutiae of the build-
ing design and of how no cost was
spared to ensure that the building
provided the best possible learning
environment for the talmidim.
When I entered one of the class-
rooms and saw a Gemara class in full
swing, I asked the rebbe if I could
speak to the talmidim for just a min-
ute. I said to them that it is natural
to take for granted the things that we
experience every day. I advised them,
however, to take a step back from
time to time and thank the Ribbono
shel Olam for giving them the zechus
to be educated in such a prestigious
institution and for being able to
count themselves as talmidim of a
world-famous Rosh Yeshiva, talmid
chacham, and mechanech whose ad-
vice and counsel is sought through-
out the Torah world.
vru,v ,frcc
Yitzchok Weitz
Menahel, Beis Yaakov Primary
School, North West London
Steering Committee, European
Chinuch Convention