In a rare appearance at a public event, HaRav Avrohom Pam,
rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Brooklyn and
founder of Shuvu, addressed the packed audience at the annual
Shuvu dinner with strong emotion and emphatic purpose: "Are
we to stop now, at seven thousand children in Shuvu? Are we
to say we've done our share -- let's stop here? No! No! No!
We will go ahead and add more schools. We will build more and
more, throughout the length and breadth of Eretz Yisroel!"
It was an inspiring exhortation to expand on the work the
Rosh Yeshiva began eight years ago when Shuvu was formed at
an Agudath Yisroel Convention. Recalling the early days of
mass immigration into Eretz Yisroel of tens of thousands of
Russian immigrants yearly who, after 70 years of atheist
rulers, came with virtually no knowledge of what it means to
be a Jew, HaRav Pam described the choice that askonim
would have to make about the spiritual future of this
segment of Jewry.
"Will they be on the side of the Ribono Shel Olom and
his Torah or on the side of the Sitra Achra? That is
the underlying factor that prompted the creation of Shuvu.
This is the factor that provided the total dedication and
commitment of the Tomche Teshuvah -- the total outpouring of
support for Shuvu that is unprecedented. The family of Shuvu
is imbued with a sense of mission to change the tzura
of Eretz Yisroel, to bring back the kedusha, vechol
bonayich limudei Hashem."
Two individuals who gave the organization the wherewithal and
impetus to become the largest nationwide network of schools
for Russian children in Eretz Yisroel today, were remembered
at the dinner. Mr. Sheldon Beren, whose yahrtzeit
coincidentally fell on the night of the dinner was
described by Avrohom Biderman, Shuvu Co-Chairman, as the man
who gave Shuvu its start. "Mr. Beren's generosity gave us
immediate credibility and allowed us to start on the road to
becoming a nationwide school system, which was what the Rosh
Yeshiva had envisioned."
Another pioneer was Dr. Yaakov Ebin a"h. "Yaakov was a
man who always thought big," Mr. Biderman said. "He always
envisioned Shuvu as a network of schools that would provide a
Torah education for thousands of children one day. He gave us
the impetus to forge ahead and accomplish what we could only
have dreamed at that time would become a reality."
In fact, thanks to askonim like these, the reality is
that thousands of children who might otherwise never have
known the alef bais let alone how to translate a
posuk in Chumash, are learning and growing
spiritually, to the extent that they have become, as Rav Pam,
shlita, called them, "like jewels."
Quoting from the Haftorah in Parshas Eikev, the
Rosh Yeshiva said, "Open your eyes and look around, the
novi says, all the children are coming back. Then, as
if the Ribono Shel Olom anticipates the question, what
kind of baggage will they be carrying? They're coming back
infected with the culture of golus, with the
philosophies of the umos ho'olom. What nachas
can we expect from them?
"The Ribono Shel Olom answers, I swear to you, they
will be jewels, to be shown off like a kallah shows
off her ring and her bracelet.
"Why does the Ribono Shel Olom make a shevuah?"
asked the Torah sage, "Because there is room for doubt.
Perhaps we are we wasting our time. The Ribono Shel
Olom says, no, they will be jewels. And this is what we
see in Shuvu. People felt what are we going to waste our time
for? They're not going to be frumma Yidden. We see
that these children are full of a special strength because
Shuvu has taken them by the hand and given them
chinuch."
One of the most instrumental people, who has literally taken
thousands of children by the hand and brought them back to
the ways of Torah, was the International Awardee, Rabbi Chaim
Michoel Gutterman, Director of Shuvu in Eretz Yisroel. Rabbi
Gutterman's presence at the dinner contributed to the
emotional high of the evening. "After I recuperated from an
illness so serious that the doctors had already told my wife
to come in and spend the last half hour of my life at my
bedside, I told the Rosh Yeshiva, `It is in the zechus
of the Tehillim of the children of Shuvu.' The
Rosh Yeshiva answered me, `Maybe yes, but there's another
zechus of the simcha of the children learning
Torah in the Shuvu schools in Eretz Yisroel.'"
A little boy, asked by Rabbi Gutterman what he would want to
tell the six hundred people at the Shuvu dinner this year,
jumped up and exclaimed. "Tell them, thank you for making me
into a mentsch. In my old school I was a pereh
odom."
A powerful theme, that repeated itself in most of the
speaker's remarks was the overwhelming support for Shuvu from
the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avrohom Pam shlita. Rabbi Moshe
Silberberg, staunch Shuvu supporter since its inception,
thundered from the podium, "In our days, Rav Avrohom HaKohen
Pam shlita has provided us with the clear, clarion
call of mi LaHashem eilai."
The Guest of Honor, Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, in his brief
acceptance speech said, "Shuvu is an organization of
talmidim dedicated to their Rebbe and his vision. I'm
here tonight because I wanted to be part of that dedication
and vision. I'm here to say thank you to my Rebbe, Moreinu
HaRav Pam for the time and wisdom that he has shared with me.
I'm here to say thank you to Rebbetzin Pam who has nurtured
our Rebbe back to health."
This year's dinner was especially distinguished by the
presence of Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz, Chairman of the Israeli
Knesset Finance Committee, who established a matching dollar
for shekel program last year. Rabbi Ravitz delineated the
difficulty of apportioning funds for religious education in
Israel. "To take Russian children and make special schools
for them, is to go against the Israeli educational system,"
he explained. "The only obstacle to saving many more children
is the financial problem."
Another special guest from Israel included HaRav Meir Luria,
Director General of Chinuch Atzmai schools. Rav Luria was
enthusiastic in his praise of Shuvu's accomplishments. "I
could tell you many stories. Shuvu is constantly busy
rescuing Russian children who have no idea what being a Jew
is all about." Rav Luria's colleague, Rav Shraga Rosenberg,
Associate Director of Chinuch Atzmai, said the challenge in
bringing back the children is to fight the terrible influence
of the street.
In keeping with the emotional highs of the evening, a
surprise Kesser Shem Tov Award was presented to Mr. Jerry
Weissman, a longstanding and stalwart Shuvu supporter.
The annual Shuvu dinner is a means to a positive end, which
is to register thousands more into the Shuvu school system.
In fact, it coincides with the kickoff of the annual
registration drive in Israel. Without question, the
neshomos of thousands depend on the success of the
dinner as its financial success determines how many children
will be able to register in Shuvu this September.
"The support for Shuvu is unprecedented." HaRav Pam said.
"People give again and again with simcha and with a
sense of zechus. Where will the money continue to come
from? I don't know. Harbei sheluchim LaMokom, don't be
surprised if it comes from you! You will have to double your
support and the Aibishter will give you a tosfos
brocho vehatzlocha for the tosfos of your support
to Shuvu. By the tenth anniversary of Shuvu we will see ten
thousand children in Shuvu."
