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6 Ellul 5762 - August 14, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Bnei Torah Movement Completes Its 40th Successful Summer Camp
by M. Samsonowitz

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.

 

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