Part 3
Revealing Notes
For 60 years, an additional interesting correspondence was
maintained, on small notes, which testify to the small
difficulties that make up part of the long and exhausting
fabric of the existence of the school. The notes dealt with
prosaic matters: roll books. The Beis Yaakov Center, as
responsible for the schools, also supplied roll books to the
teachers who filled them out diligently. The roll books were
published in 5705 and sent to the branches.
"The class roll books are worthless," writes R' Meir
Sharansky on 17 Elul 5705 to the Beis Yaakov Center. "The
paper is bad, the pages rip immediately. Look at the
difference between them and the roll books of other schools
(for example Berloi and others) . . .
"Please send us 13 roll books immediately," he requests in Av
5705. "I want to take this opportunity to point out that the
roll books could be of better paper and with a better cover.
By mid-year, the roll books are already torn. If there is a
better type, even if it costs more money, please send me the
better quality." And a note for Av 5707: "Please send me,
today, by express taxi, five roll books and another eight by
regular mail. Please send good quality roll books with a good
cover and make sure that they have enough pages for 13
months, because this year there is the month of Adar
Beis."
An Insightful Tour
In Sivan 5707 there was feverish activity at the Mercaz Beis
Yaakov. The connection with the schools opening up around the
country was becoming stronger. The schools merited ongoing
support from the Beis Yaakov Center. Roll books were sent,
supervisors arrived for a visit, the curriculum was matched
for all the schools and the graduating teachers were very
much in demand. In order to keep their fingers on the
educational pulse, Rav Hillel Lieberman and his colleague and
friend, Rav Pinchas Hacohen Levine, decided to go on a tour
of the country's schools.
They began their tour in Bnei Brak. When they arrived, they
noticed that the Bnei Brak school was lacking appropriate
accommodations: The classes were spread out among three
locations and in small rooms. Rav Hillel and Rav Pinchas
listened to the requests that the principal, Mrs. Katz, put
before them and they made a note to themselves to report this
to the Beis Yaakov Center.
Rav Moshe Foenig, who was at the head of the local municipal
council, was also honored with a visit. He was very dedicated
to the Beis Yaakov cause but because of his weakened state,
all his business was conducted at home. "Rav Moshe complains
that he has no helpers," reported Rav Hillel and Rav Pinchas
after their visit, "aside from Rav Reuven Aharonovitch and
Rav Eliyahu Munk, but even they are very busy and they don't
have enough free time for Beis Yaakov."
A ray of hope lit up Bnei Brak when a plot of land and an
allocation to build a school were apportioned. Even Maran the
Chazon Ish promised a few hundred pounds from the money he
received from America.
Rav Hillel and Rav Pinchas's next stop was Ramat Gan. "They
have a special building for the school but they don't have
students," they wrote. "There isn't anyone to take an
interest in it. There are only eight students in the school
and eight in the kindergarten. There were more at the
beginning of the year."
The next morning, they continued their tour to Petach Tikvah.
There the situation was more encouraging. "They already
placed the roof on the new building," they wrote. "Of course,
they're still short a lot of money to finish the whole
building."
The Rishon LeTzion branch was next in line. "The principal of
the school is Dr. Klein, and the teachers are Mrs. Heineman
and Mrs. Gutsganda. Rav Eliyahu Rozovski, who is the head of
the Beis Yaakov Committee, is a member of PAI and the vice
Chairman of the Regional Council. Thanks to his activity in
the council, next year the school will receive proper support
from the council," they note in the report.
The Rechovot branch was administered by Mrs. Soroh
Koppilovitch. "Very good and powerful," was their notation.
"The important activist, Rav Avrohom Blumfeld, the head of
the committee, is working with all his strength and byond. We
spoke with Rav Tuviah Landau, a member of the local municipal
council, to ask that they augment their support of the
institution in the council. He promised to do the best he
could."
Rav Lieberman and Rav Levine returned to Jerusalem with mixed
emotions: a feeling of satisfaction at the growth and
activities, and a deeper understanding of the many needs and
the, as usual, meager resources.
[to be continued]
