Even if yeshivah is on vacation, chinuch is not

It was a long zeman at Far Rockaway’s Yeshiva Ateres Shimon, with shiurim from early in the morning until late at night, and it continued until well after Tishah B’av — talmidim were less than eager for a vacation after having missed their yeshivah during months of closure in the spring.

And when the rosh yeshivah, Rav Mordechai Yehuda Groner, finally did make it up to the Catskills for a brief respite, he got right back to work, spending his day spearheading the annual fundraising drive for “Klal Yisrael’s shul” at the tip of Woodbourne, led so capably by the Nikolsburger Rebbe.

The Rosh Yeshivah was not alone. He enlisted his talmidim to join him in manning the laptops, soliciting mispallelim, and helping raise funds for the upkeep of the popular shul — because investing young men with the feeling of accomplishment that comes with helping others is also chinuch, and even if yeshivah is on vacation, chinuch is not.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 825)