We’re Like Steve Jobs’ Ad

Yeshivas Beis Menachem of Wilkes-Barre, PA, was all suited up and decorated on Thursday night to celebrate its 13th anniversary and the birthday of the founder/Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Uri Perelman.

The event was MC’d by Shneur Chein, a shliach in the Yeshiva. After a few nigunim, Hatomim Shmuli Bell, a second year student in the Yeshiva, got up to say a few words.

He refused to speak about how much the Yeshiva has had a positive effect on him, because, as Shmuli put it, “that’s obvious.”

Instead he spoke about how the Yeshiva was founded during Rabbi Uri’s birthday farbrengen 13 years prior, he and a few of his friends decided, “enough talking about the troubles facing our youth, we have to do something about it.” They started the Yeshiva the next morning.

Attempting to explain what these bochurim accomplished, he brought an example from an old commercial for Steve Jobs‘ iconic Apple:

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, Are the ones who do.”

Shmuli went on to say that for the last 13 years Uri and his all-star faculty (Pinny Levitin, Mendy Seewald, and others) have taken those misfits and uncovered their genius. He then wished Uri and the Yeshiva a Shnas Hatzlacha.

Next up was the Menahel Rabbi Yossi Shulman, the newest edition to the Yeshiva’s faculty. He said a sicha where the Rebbe describes the Avoda of Lech Lecha, how a Yid must go into himself and find his strengths. He explained how that is exactly the mission statement of Beis Menachem, to find the strengths of each student and show him how he can succeed.

During all this time Hatomim Nissan Goldman, a 3rd year student, went around gathering Hachlotos from all the Bochurim as a present to Uri, he then went over each bochur’s hachloto.

After the speeches, all the formalities came to an end, the podium was put away and Uri started to Farbreng. He chazered a maamer from Parshas Lech Lecha 1978, about the avoda of Lech Lecha. He went on to farbreng and say stories of the yeshiva, with the crowd glued to his every word.

In appreciation for all the sacrifice that Uri has given to the yeshiva, for all the lives he has touched and continues to affect in our community, the Bochurim have come together to get Uri a special gift, a small token of appreciation for all that he’s done for the “Rebbe’s Kinder.”

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For more information on Yeshivas Beis Meachem Youth Development Program Please visit baismenachem.com

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