061511 C4-5 Community Connection.qxd

C4 HAMODIA
13 SIVAN 5771
Community Connection
Community
JUNE 15, 2011
/ By Devorah Klein
Finding a Place for Every Talmid
An Interview with Rabbi Leib Schulman of Mesivta Neimus HaTorah in Baltimore
n some recent issues of
Hamodia, there appeared
several letters to the editor
addressing the painful question
of children who are not
enrolled in any yeshivah. One
letter, entitled “A Cry for Help,”
expressed the pain of a grandmother whose grandson was in
this situation.
Hamodia received a letter in
response from Rabbi Leib
Schulman, who stated that he
had opened Mesivta Neimus
HaTorah for exactly this type of
boy.
We spoke with Rabbi
Schulman to find out more
about the mesivta and to gain
some insights and guidance for
parents who are struggling with
this tremendous nisayon.
I
Tell us about the founding of Mesivta Neimus
HaTorah.
Many young men and boys
with different learning styles
wonder, “Where is the sweetness of Torah for me? Where is
the ne’imus haTorah? Why is it
that my friends are sitting and
learning and they have so much
enjoyment, and I am sitting and
getting frustrated?”
These boys simply need to be
taught al pi darkam, with a level
of attention that can only be
provided in a small, nurturing
atmosphere
by
specially
trained mechanchim. In this
way, they can achieve new
breakthroughs in learning,
which has an effect on selfesteem and enables them to
begin to see themselves on par
with their friends.
It was to address the needs
Rabbi Leib Schulman teaching a class.
of this type of bachur that the
yeshivah was established five
years ago. Mesivta Neimus
HaTorah is dedicated in memory of Dr. Allan Schulman, z”l, a
remarkable individual who personified the type of kiddush
Hashem we encourage in our
boys
—
a
responsible,
admirable, baal habayis who
was thoroughly dedicated to
Torah and mitzvos.
We seek to attract bachurim
who want to be headed in the
right direction of growth in
Torah, avodah, and yiras
Shamayim but have no other
yeshivah to attend. These are
shtarke boys who try and work
hard.
What is the yeshivah’s
approach to the
talmidim, both in and out
of the classroom?
Our approach is to look at
the wholesomeness of each
bachur and treat each one as an
individual. We work on building each boy’s success, both in
and out of the classroom.
Some bachurim face social
challenges, and we help them
grow and develop properly. Our
small classes allow us to constantly adjust our approach to
meet the developing needs of
the talmidim.
We offer trips and special
programs as well. For example,
right now, as the year is drawing to a close, the talmidim
needed some chizuk in coming
on time for davening, so we created an incentive where those
who come on time to davening
for the next few days are treated to a special pizza lunch.
We are housed in the
Baltimore Community Kollel,
which has been very helpful to
us these past five years. The kollel also creates a Torahdig
atmosphere that influences the
bachurim.
What do you think is the
root of the problem of
boys not being accepted
into a yeshivah?
Talmidim of Yeshivah Neimus Hatorah
How has the yeshivah
been accepted in the
community?
The
Rabbanim
and
mechanchim in Baltimore are
all very warm and helpful to the
yeshivah. Most have come to
visit the yeshivah and have
been impressed. Mechanchim
have visited from other cities,
seen the warm and accepting
atmosphere of the yeshivah,
and then sent their own students.
How many students do
you have, and what kind
of accommodations do
you offer?
We have twenty-six talmidim
in four grades. In a few weeks,
we will be graduating our first
twelfth-grade class. We accept a
maximum of twelve per class.
Forty percent of our talmidim
are from Baltimore; the rest are
from cities across the United
States, including Cleveland,
Columbus,
Philadelphia,
Monsey, Brooklyn, Queens,
Detroit, and Lakewood. We
have even had bachurim from
Eretz Yisrael. We are basically a
Litvishe yeshivah, although we
have had chassidishe boys as
well.
Out-of-town talmidim board
with families that are carefully
selected and take a personal
interest in each student. These
families work with the yeshivah
to help the talmidim grow and
develop.
What about your program and your staff ?
Our daily schedule includes
morning and afternoon seder, a
strong secular program, and
night seder that ends after an
8:30 Maariv. We have Shabbos
programming and class on
Sundays, so the bachurim are
expected to come to yeshivah
every day, just like their chaverim in other yeshivos.
Our very dedicated group of
rebbeim includes Rabbi Simcha
Hexter, Rabbi Moshe Sandhaus,
Rabbi Shmuel Weissman, Rabbi
Yaakov Lipsky, Rabbi Levi
Mark, Rabbi Dovid Barer, and
Rabbi Mordechai Lurie. Rabbi
Avi Feder is the secular studies
principal.
The bachurim also learn
twice a week with members of
the Ner Yisrael kollel, further
providing them with excellent
role models and assisting them
in improving their skills.
Although our program is
warm and welcoming, it
requires real effort. Our boys
are expected to attend night
seder and Sunday classes, just
like their peers in other yeshivos.
Our bachurim have gone on
to various mainstream yeshivos, including Providence,
Derech Chaim in Brooklyn, Ohr
Yerushalayim, and the Sanzer
yeshivah in Netanyah. All of our
graduating twelfth-graders this
year have been accepted into
yeshivos.
There is no one root to the
problem. Each community has
its own set of circumstances.
But there are some universal
issues, like stereotyping on the
part of parents and schools.
Money may be a major issue. In
addition, parents — and students themselves — may not be
realistic about where the child
is at; many times they are looking in the wrong place, and then
they are stuck with frustration.
What do you see as the
solution?
Part of the solution is that
both the schools and the parents have to look at this process
in much the same way we look
at shidduchim. What are we
really trying to do? We are trying to create a partnership,
where we look out for our own
needs as well as the other one’s
needs. A school has to look out
for its talmidim, and a parent
has to look at the school and
think, “Does my child really fit
in with the other students?” We
must recognize who does and
does not belong. It is a two-way
street. And just like any other
shidduch, it can be disastrous if
it is not right.
What advice would you
give parents who have
younger children who are
struggling?
Get them the help they need
as early as possible. Make sure
they know how to read, and if
not, find out why. It could be a
vision problem, it could be a
processing disorder, or it could
be that they are just not putting
in enough effort. But if they
don’t get the help they need,
they will be very frustrated
down the line.
In addition, we must make
sure that children feel recognized and good about their successes, no matter how small,
because success breeds success.
What advice would you
give parents who are having trouble getting their
children accepted into
appropriate yeshivos or
Bais Yaakovs?
Honestly evaluate your
child. Understand where your
child is holding and what path
he is taking. There are many
Community
13 SIVAN 5771
JUNE 15, 2011
C5
Bachurim of the Yeshivah on the porch of the Baltimore Community Kollel,
which houses the yeshivah.
Rabbi Simcha Hexter teaching a class.
yeshivos in this country that
address a variety of needs, so
most kids should fit in somewhere.
Stop and evaluate the
schools by looking at the end
product, and try to determine if
your child is on the path to that
product. Then advocate for
your child. Explain to the
school why you think this is a
good fit; explain what your
child can add to the school.
Do whatever you can to
HAMODIA
assure that your child is always
in school — because once he is
not in school, it gets much
harder to put him back in. Look
early in the year for an appropriate yeshivah, and apply to
the schools when they have
more slots available. Once a
yeshivah only has a few slots
available, they may be more
particular about whom they
accept.
Would it be better if
yeshivos made more of an
effort to address a variety of needs — if classes
were more heterogenous?
For some children it would
be better, and for some it would
be more difficult. Some children who are not top students
get depressed sitting in a class
with boys who are aleph students. This is not something
that works for all students, and
it is not something that works
for all mechanchim.
What is your perspective
on the fact that so many
children are becoming
disenchanted with
Yiddishkeit?
First of all, I don’t think that
it is so many, but it is definitely
a visible number. And there is
no one root and no one solution. Every case is different and
we cannot define rules. But it is
definitely important to make
sure that every child feels validated and to respect his opinion.
Any final comments?
We must recognize that
every child is different, every
student is different, and each
one needs different things in
order to be able to learn. Every
individual must be built up
using his own strengths and
skills — and everyone must be
validated.