I explained Donny’s ultimatum — access to one inappropriate site in return for blocking all the others

ASa general rule, being the filter guy doesn’t make me very popular with teenagers.

Especially not teenagers like the ones in a yeshivah I’ll call Derech Chochmah. The yeshivah is home to boys who are struggling in their Yiddishkeit, at home, and in school, and they often use technology as an outlet, albeit an unhealthy one.

Boys like the one the rosh yeshivah, whom I’ll call Rabbi Feldman, asked me to meet — a tenth-grader who was using his phone to access inappropriate material online.

“He’s waiting for you in here,” Rabbi Feldman said, pointing into the large conference room.

Then he lowered his voice to a whisper. “Donny has a great deal of potential, but it’s buried under a lot of resentment. I’m warning you, Yossie, he’s probably going to be your toughest client. Just do whatever you have to do to help him.”

Rabbi Feldman ushered me into the room and inclined his head toward the far end, where a boy in a black hoodie was sitting, glowering at me.

Like I said, I’m not popular with teens.

Seeing Rabbi Feldman, the boy rose a few inches in his seat and adopted a less confrontational expression.

“This is Donny,” Rabbi Feldman said, gesturing at his talmid.

“Hi, Donny, I’m Yossie Strickman.”

He didn’t respond.

Rabbi Feldman clapped me on my arm. “I’ll leave you to it.”

He walked out, and then it was just me and Donny.