How can a yeshiva student have a relaxing vacation, enjoy a
stimulating learning program and strengthen the
Yiddishkeit of high-school age youths all at the same
time?
The answer: participants in Ateres Yisroel's Bnei Torah
Movement one week summer camp program did just this. This
summer saw the Bnei Torah Movement's summer camp held on the
Kfar Galim campus, located on the slope of Haifa opposite the
Tirat Hacarmel.
For 40 years, the Bnei Torah Movement has been organizing
summer camps bringing together yeshiva students with secular
high school students. In an atmosphere of achdus, and
with programs combined of learning, sport activities and
outings, they succeed in inspiring the high school youths to
enter mainstream yeshivos. This idea was formulated and put
into action by HaRav B. M. Ezrachi, with the help of his son
Rav Benzion Ezrachi. The importance of the camp was brought
back to Rav Ezrachi when on a trip abroad he met a
distinguished Torah personality who told him, "Were it not
for Bnei Torah summer camp, I doubt I would today be a
religious Jew!"
The tremendous effect of this camp was acknowledged by HaRav
Shach, who gave Rav Ezrachi $1,000 to open the camp during
one difficult year, telling him, "This is not your private
matter, but it belongs to Klal Yisroel." Rav Yissochor Meyer,
the rosh yeshiva of the Netivot yeshiva, said that he saw a
large drop in registration in his yeshiva one fall, and he
attributed it to the fact that the Bnei Torah camp didn't
open that year.
It is not a simple matter to attract several hundred boys
from high school backgrounds. Many schools oppose their
students attending a strictly religious summer framework.
However, due to the perseverance of the recruiters, a large
crowd of high school students signed on.
Since Kfar Galim does not have a synagogue of its own, Rav
Benzion Ezrachi arranged for a massive air-conditioned tent
to be set up on the grounds where prayers and learning were
held throughout the day.
The day's schedule included a wide variety of activities.
Tefillas shacharis was followed by a shiur in
halacha. After breakfast, the yeshiva students studied
together with the high school students in the tent, followed
by swimming and lunch. Bircas Hamozone was usually
concluded with spirited singing and dancing. Students
commented how the electrified, joyous atmosphere of simcha
was palpable.
After mincha, all the camp participants divided into
14 different "discussion groups" including one in Russian
which were one of the important goals of the camp's program.
The groups discussed such weighty issues as why Hashem
created mankind, and what is a Jew's purpose in life?
Students were divided into groups according to who needed
chizuk in emunah and other essentials of Torah
hashkofoh, those who felt they were "OK" and needed to
be challenged to seek greater goals, and more. The
coordinators for the discussion groups were drawn from
Ateres's best students, who were trained to direct the
students in the correct Torah hashkofoh.
Shabbos was the highlight of the camp. The HaRav Yitzchak
Peretz, the rav of Ra'anana who is a close disciple of HaRav
Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, graced the camp with his presence.
During the Shabbos night meal, HaRav Ezrachi proposed several
difficulties in a gemora, and this elicited a storm of
discussion from the young audience, who exerted themselves to
find solutions. The Rosh Yeshiva was surrounded by dozens of
students who tried their best to find satisfying answers to
the questions.
More discussion groups were held on Shabbos and then everyone
united to hear the Rosh Yeshiva's riveting talk at Sholosh
Seudos time which left a powerful impact on the
listeners. Many of the high school students publicly declared
that their priorities in life had changed, and some even
decided to switch from their high schools to a yeshiva.
For the duration of the camp, many of the participants were
working on "Vehogiso" -- a compilation of chaburos
and chiddushei Torah on a sugya which begin
with simple pshat and progress to in-depth
understandings propounded by gedolei Torah. The
purpose of this project is to generate enthusiasm for the
study of gemora, and to develop the thought processes.
Tens of chaburos were submitted, and the best ones
were awarded prizes.
On the last day of the camp, campers were quizzed on the
material in a halacha booklet which had been printed
specially for this year's camp. Among the 100s who were
tested, 15 students reached the final competition which was
held in public, and the winner and runners-up were awarded
valuable prizes. HaRav Aaron Weiner presided over the
examinations.
At the end of the camp, the participants dispersed after
having thanked the organizers for the uplifting and enjoyable
program. The yeshiva's students will maintain contact
throughout the year with the high school students who
participated. They will be invited to visit the yeshiva, and
there will be special Shabbatons for them.
