The following article was posted in the Reader Write section of The Yated in the January 16th, 2013 issue:
CREATIVE CHINUCH
Dear Editor,
A number of years ago, you ran a wonderful series of articles by Rabbi Schwartz describing the benefits of the sleep-away camp experience. The articles conveyed the idea that perhaps our mosdos hachinuch should adopt some of the summer learning programs to enhance their curriculums.
In the yeshiva where I am a rebbi, a number of these ideas, such as a Torah bowl for yedios klalios and a grand bechinah on hilchos brachos, were instituted.
How excited I was when a number of my dear talmidim presented me with a progress card sent to them by Camp Agudah to be filled out. The card stated that my talmid had learned geshmak and well that week and required my signature. My talmidim explained to me that Camp Agudah was running a Chinese auction with exciting prizes such as an audio system, a 26-inch bicycle, a silver becher and seforim, and the way to earn “dollars” to be spent was by leaming well in yeshiva, being maavir sedra or going to Avos Ubonim. What a brilliant chinuch idea! This is a great incentive to get talmidim to learn more and better.
The chinuch of our children in today’s challenging times requires new initiatives on our part to reenergize our talmidim in their hasmadah. New ideas and exciting learning programs planned properly and administered correctly will go a long way toward helping realize our goals.
I thank the Yated for permitting and enabling us to spread the news about these programs, thus encouraging our future doros to become gedolei Yisroel.
Thank you.
An Appreciative Melamed
