Many of Eretz Yisroel's greatest Torah authorities and
spiritual leaders issued a joint declaration on Sunday 15
Sivan (May 30) urging members of the Torah community to
support P'eylim / Lev L'Achim's current campaign to enroll
thousands of children from nonobservant backgrounds into
religious schools.
Following one of the ugliest election campaigns ever, one
would think that the chasm between the religious and non-
religious segments of Israeli society has grown wider and
more unbridgeable than ever. Yet the gedolei Torah of
Eretz Yisroel do not see things this way. As they proved so
dramatically last year, the Jewish spark in the souls of most
Israelis is still burning brightly. The duty of the Torah
community is to make sure that spark stays lit -- especially
among the youth. It was with this goal in mind that many of
Eretz Yisroel's Torah authorities and spiritual leaders
issued a joint declaration on Sunday urging support for Lev
L'Achim's current enrollment campaign.
Similar in scope to last year's effort -- which resulted in
an influx of 6,500 children into the religious school system
and the establishment of fifty Torah educational facilities --
this year's drive was launched over two months ago. However,
in light of the extremely caustic anti-religious propaganda
that left-wing parties such as Meretz and Shinui conducted in
the course of the recent election campaign, organizers
decided to withhold publication of the current school
enrollment campaign until the political situation
stabilized.
Two prominent roshei yeshiva were sent as the personal
emissaries of the gedolei Yisroel to present the
signed declaration to the Torah community of America: HaRav
Shmuel Yaakov Borenstein, rosh yeshivas Chevron Geula;
and HaRav Boruch Shapira of Yeshivas Kol Torah, a member of
Lev L'Achim's directorate. HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman, in a
separate letter addressed to Lakewood's Torah community,
regrets lacking the physical strength to undertake the
journey to America so as to deliver the message in person, as
he did last year during his visit to America.
The declaration calls attention to the astounding success of
last year's school enrollment campaign, which "surpassed all
expectations." It calls on all members of the Torah community
to help share of the huge costs involved in waging a massive,
nationwide effort of this magnitude. In this declaration the
gedolim repeatedly stress that enrolling these
children from nonobservant backgrounds into Torah schools is
"hatzolas nefoshos mamesh -- an act of literally
saving a life," and that "ein lecho hatzolah gedola
mizu -- there is no greater deed of saving a life than
this."
A full translation of the declaration follows:
Great is the reward of P'eylim / Lev L'Achim's members, who
responded to our plea last year and did a magnificent job
enrolling children to Torah educational institutions with
mesiras nefesh, expertise and total dedication.
They witnessed tremendous blessing in their endeavors, far
beyond their expectations, "taking the precious out of the
vile" (Yirmiyohu 15:19). At the outset of the current
school year they brought thousands of Jewish children -- "new
[students] recently arrived" (Devorim 32:17) -- to
Torah educational facilities.
As the enrollment season for the coming year approaches, we
ask to strengthen and encourage them, thus enabling them to
fulfill our shlichus this year as well, and do their
holy work which literally comprises an act of hatzolas
nefoshos -- saving the life of a fellow Jew.
We call upon every man with a heart to join in partnership
with them and assume a share of the tremendous expenses that
this effort entails. Joyous is he who accepts upon himself
the cost of saving at least one child. There can be no
greater act of hatzolah.
We hereby bless all those who share in this effort, and those
who encourage others to share in this effort, to help provide
a Torah education to Jewish children. [May they be blessed
with] yiras Shomayim and all kinds of worldly reward --
children, life, a livelihood, physical health and lofty
vision.
The letter is signed by (names appear here in English
alphabetical order):
HaRav Shmuel Auerbach, the Belzer Rebbe, HaRav Avrohom Chaim
Brim, HaRav Simcha Zissel Broide, HaRav Yosef Sholom
Eliashiv, HaRav Yechiel Michel Feinstein, HaRav Nissim
Karelitz, HaRav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, HaRav Tzvi
Markowitz, HaRav Zalman Rotenberg, HaRav Boruch Rosenberg,
HaRav Moshe Shmuel Shapira, HaRav Pinchos Scheinberg, HaRav
Aharon Leib Steinman, the Vishnitzer Rebbe, HaRav Shmuel
Halevi Wosner, HaRav Shlomo Wolbe, and HaRav Avrohom Yaakov
Zalesnick
