The aims and achievements of South Africa's youngest Jewish
day school, the Johannesburg Cheder, were showcased last week
at a siyum Bereishis on the campus of the Union of
Orthodox Synagogues. The Cheder was established shortly after
Rosh Hashana, two years ago, on the personal recommendation
of HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman.
Speaking by telephonic linkup during the siyum from
Bnei Brak and Philadelphia respectively, both HaRav Steinman
and HaRav Elyah Svei, another staunch supporter of the
Cheder, strongly endorsed its establishment and stressed the
important role it could play in advancing the cause of Torah-
true Judaism in South Africa.
HaRav Steinman stressed the crucial importance of chinuch
in ensuring Jewish continuity and the importance in this
regard of the age-old, tried-and- tested methods of imparting
authentic Torah knowledge that the Cheder engaged in. As was
well known, he said, Avraham Ovinu brought many people closer
to service of Hashem, yet ultimately their descendants went
astray. Only one family, that of Avraham himself, continued
on the path through the generations.
Similarly, when Jews first came to South Africa, there were
many learned and observant people amongst them, but because
they failed to establish satisfactory Torah institutions,
their descendants did not continue the tradition. Rabbi
Steinman gave a brochoh that the Cheder should return
the crown of Torah to what it used to be and that South
Africa should produce a generation steeped in Torah and
mitzvos.
Following on HaRav Steinman, HaRav Svei emphasized how the
combination of understanding with love and enjoyment of Torah
made the Cheder so unique and significant an institution and
gave a brochoh that it should prosper.
The evening began with the boys of all three primary school
classes leining together the final chapter of sefer
Bereishis, which the Grade II pupils have just completed.
It was followed by a slide show highlighting the various
facets of the school and a quiz conducted by Rabbi Yitzchok
Lewenstein, founder and principal of the Cheder. Rabbi
Lewenstein remains in constant touch with HaRav Steinman
regarding the Cheder, seeking his advice and guidance.
The Johannesburg Cheder employs constant leining and
revision of the Torah combined with a subsequent deep
learning of the language and the meaning of the text. This
method of instruction, employed for centuries in the old
European yeshivas, is today increasingly being applied once
more in many Torah institutions worldwide, and is believed to
give young pupils deep insights into their learning far
beyond any of the standard learning methods.
Rabbi Shmuel Steinhaus, one of the kodesh staff, said
that the evident joy with which the pupils approached their
learning was a special sign that something was taking place
at the Cheder that was very right, which had a ring of
emes about it. It represented the learning of Torah
from Sinai in its purest form, combining a sense of
discipline and structure together with the kind of freedom
that is needed to generate true ahavas Torah.
The system of learning is ageless, and yet in a sense very
new as it had only recently been rediscovered and was also
increasingly surfacing in modern-day teaching methods. The
child's natural energies are used to propel him forward both
spiritually and intellectually. Rabbi Steinhaus believed that
the introduction of a Cheder in Johannesburg represented a
new level in the community's growth. The community prides
itself on being one of the main centers in the world of
people who had returned to Jewish observance, and now it can
build on these foundations to create true bnei and
bnos Torah.
