By COLlive reporter
Educational Institute Oholei Torah, which bills itself as the “standard bearer” Chabad school for boys, has admitted for the first time that it has been faltering on teaching the language it has become synonymous with.
In an open letter to parents on the opening of the new school year, Oholei Torah’s board has written that “the issue of language and literacy” was discussed at length with the principals and educators of the Yeshiva.
Yiddish, despite losing most of its speakers because of the Holocaust and assimilation, it commonly used in Chassidic Jewish communities around the world. Most of the Rebbe‘s talks were said and are written in Yiddish.
“Despite the fact that the principle of Chinuch Al Taharas Hakoidesh and the Primacy of Yiddish was always assumed to be part and parcel of Oholei Torah, the fact is that there was tremendous confusion regarding the actual language teachers should use when in the classroom,” the Board consented.
With an enrollment of 1,850 students in 7 divisions, the “confusion also led to a general lack of literacy so that the students were not necessarily fluent and able to read, write and communicate properly in any one language,” they said.
In an effort to remedy the situation, and part of a list of steps to restore the school’s administrative and financial standing, the Board said their faculty of 200 will be “formally re-installing Yiddish as the language of Oholei Torah.”
This is being done as additional changes were announced to the faculty:
The Beis Medrash, which opened the beginning of the week and is full to capacity, welcomed Rabbi Fishel Oster as Assistant Dean to Rabbi Elchanan Lesches. Rabbi Oster will continue his position as a maggid Shiur.
The Mesivta Division underwent major building renovations, making the building more comfortable and welcoming for its talmidim. Rabbi Zalman Laufer will now be the Assistant Principal to Rabbi Zushe Wilhelm.
In the Elementary Division, Oholei Torah welcomes two new principals, Rabbi Sender Wilschanski and Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Wilhelm, as reported on COLlive.com.
They all will be in on the new Yiddish policy that will start from bottom up “in order to ensure that this long-standing policy becomes fact rather than an unachievable ideal.”
The plan is for classes in kindergarten and Pre-1A to speak only in Yiddish. The following year, this class will move to first grade and will continue to learn in Yiddish. “Over the next 9 years, the entire institution will have been eased into a fully Yiddish language program,” the Board said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Oholei Torah’s long-time Executive Director Rabbi Joseph Rosenfeld welcomes the talmdim, faculty and staff. “As we enter Shnas Hakhel, we have implemented the increase in achdus, limud and Yiras Shomayim throughout our mossad,” he said.
Members of its Board of Directors are Mordechai Deitch, Laibel Motchkin, Boruch Brikman, Kalman Brikman Laizer Teielbaum, Yankel Pinson, Yosef Brikman, Shmuel Brook, Zalman Chein, Avremel Lokshin, Shalom Ber Rabkin, and Sholom Rosenfeld.
As someone mentioned above,
in ChederMenachem I have observed thatYiddish is not just a language for the classroom,
but i have seen Rabbi Greenbaum, the principal speaking to my father in Yiddish very often! as well as many of the rebbeim!
yasher koach!
Yiddish was my first language because I was taught only in Yiddish. Though my parents couldn’t speak it I still thought and therefore wrote and read in Yiddish like most people do in English. The only way to be successful in Yiddish is to start in preschool.
#15 note the words “…and does not understand Hebrew or Yiddish…” nu, vegen dos redt men; to change that premise! Yidden! These disapproving sentiments towards going Yiddish – where is it *really* coming from? “S’iz tiff in Elul”, tracht zich arain be’emes, yoda inish benafshei, you might find the little “Misyavnim” inside/around you are the source of these voices… #26 You are completely right! Yiddishkeit and Chassidishkeit are not only about academic education. Chinuch is training for a way of life, Yiddish/Chassidish-keit is as much about the subjects we learn as it is the “culture”, the arum, the varimkeit, the… Read more »
Keep strong with teaching the Yiddish well and the students will surely succeed! Yiddish is the language of our holy Rabbeim.
Ten Years ago at the age of 16 my son went to Brunoy Yeshiva in France. He spoke English at home and did not know any Yiddish other than 10 simple words. The Rebbeim and staff only spoke Yiddish and Hebrew. It was very overwhelming for my son and he let us know how he felt. Slowly and gradually after the first few months my son caught on and continued to immerse in the language. He spent 3 years in Brunoy and today he speaks a beautiful Yiddish! The key is to be patient and of course to start at… Read more »
In order for the kids to have Yiddish as their mother tongue they have to start speaking Yiddish in Nursery and Kindergarten. I know first hand. When we had our first child we spoke to him in Yiddish at home until he started going to Oholei Torah Nursery and came home speaking in English. We then became an English speaking family.
Very sad to read about the choice to teach Yiddish, NO one said the school needs 1500 Students they should have a test on day 1 and if the kids are not fluent in yiddish they should not be accepted.
much nachas to all the parents beautiful
hashem zal gebben gezunte lange yaren to all
a gut gebentched yar to one and all
1. If the teachers don’t speak Yiddish amongst themselves, the children won’t either. 2. If the principles don’t speak Yiddish amongst themselves the teachers won’t either… 3. If the board doesn’t speak Yiddish amongst themselves the principles won’t either In which language was the decision quoted in the above discussed and made? In Cheder Menachem LA the principle and teachers chat in Yiddish and the students learn a language called Yiddish. This language is very alive for the students because they constantly hear the Rebbe speaking it, they constantly hear the teachers speaking it and they learn it themselves. Oholei… Read more »
So sad to hear this new development…. We are losing a whole generation of kids who will not understand or deeply dislike to learn torah. Teaching in a language that the teachers don’t even speak properly is a real shame!! Will not be sending my boys there as I am not willing to take any chances….
If you read what they are planning to do, all the classroom and talk between students should be in Yiddish. The actual studying should be in English. I hope I am correct
I feel lucky that boys attend this incredible moised!!!
און איך קען שרייבן אין אידיש נאר וויבאלד זיי האבן מיר אויסגעלערנט!
א דיינק אהלי תורה!
70% of parents DON’T speak yiddish, its just confusing for a kids to read the chumash in Hebrew a language that he do NOT know and to translate it in yiddish another language he doesn’t know (or doesn’t control well) – Kids need to control ONE language fully – How you want to teach a NEW language to a kids without giving proper lesson in Yiddish, any school in the world who teach a language to a class they give lesson and teach the kids the grammar of the language, this demand time and effort its not going to take… Read more »
There is a difference in teaching Yoddish as a language class versus teaching in Yiddish. Teaching in Yiddish results in students not learning the language and not understanding the material
Also, As an earlier commentator mentioned, the common language amongst Jews nowadays is Hebrew and English. I have many Jewish business clients from all the world and most do not speak Yoddish but rather Common English and Hebrew.
Thank you, thank you, thank you oholei torah for bringing the YIDDISH back!! As a parent of oholei torah for over 25 years, this slide in learning and speaking in yiddish was very troublingto me. This is such good news and so refreshing to hear!! Together with yiddish comes the varimkeit and chasdidishkeit that we so desperately want and need to maintain! Thank you Rabbi Rosenfeld for taking this stand! The Rebbe is certainly proud! You and your family should be gebentcht with gezunt, we need you, and together with your thousands of talmidim kah, jump right into the goulash!!… Read more »
I’m pleased that they decided to address the fundamentally flawed system of a zero language foundation, but it appears they chose the less painful and less constructive route.
Teaching English would require, well, teaching English – a chosid-shote tarfus, and require teachers who could teach it, and books, etc.
Teaching IN Yiddish is one thing. Teaching the language Yiddish, is quite another.
Unfortunatley, the well-intentioned board is going to evetually have to backpedal on this one as well.
Can someone please confirm the following.
Did the Rashag spend his entire day in Lubavitcher Yishiva on Ocean Parkway (the main school that was overseen by the Fridieker Rebbi’s Son in law)) and under his (reporting to the rebbi ALL) watch was the official language in English??. -Meyer Clapman
thank u!!
It seems to me that all that want Yiddish are more culturally than educationally motivated….
Keep strong with teaching the Yiddish well and the students will surely succeed! Yiddish is the language of our holy Rabbeim.
Yasher koach to the hard work of the pta member who worked the last few weeks to make sure the renovations for mesivta happened and were completed on time!
For those who are not comfortable with the new change…the best way to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in the language..When I was in Bais Rivka in early grades 45 years ago, we learned Chumash with Yiddish Teitch. Although most of the Parent body had a knowledge of the Yiddish language, We students spoke English at home with few words of Yiddish here and there. We hardly understood…Breishis- in Unfang…Bora Elokim-Di Aibershter hut Bashafen…Sohu,Vovohu-Pust un Vist.. These were not in our Vocabulary…yet we immersed ourselves in the Yiddish language and then it got easier. Till today I… Read more »
Ohelei Torah is acknowledging a problem and fixing it thoughtfully while guarding the Rebbe’s directives. Very proud of this good move.
Hebrew is the new language of Yidin (ask any Sheliach around the world which language he can try to communicate with yidin from Brazil to Russia) and the Yeshivah should teach Hebrew -holding unto Yiddish makes little sense. Chabad should follow Ger Chassidm and pave the way for other Yiddin by teaching in a language that over 5 million yidin (kein yirbu) speak.
Oholei Torah is very lucky to have Rabbi Levin!!! Although unfortunately I didn’t get to be in his class in Shiur Beis, I did slip in to his class here and there, and they were the best Shiurim I’ve heard in my life!!! Wishing you much continued Hatzlocho in your new year!!!
Who will teach the teachers yiddish? I don’t believe that there are more than a handfull of teachers who can really speak in 100% authentic yiddish. If that’s the case who are they fooling?
I love this implemattion of the yiddish teaching and I really hope that it works out so the kids can learn and undertsnad and appreciate the yiddish!
And maybe there could be something to help parents learn yiddish?…
It helps me every time I make a business trip to Germany!
Tachlis, it’s not happening so fast… Think abt it, only a few of the preschool teachers know Yiddish…
כפי שהבטחנו 5732 Yechidus Frank Lautenberg EXCERPT FROM A 2 HOUR YECHIDUS IN ENGLISH [The Rebbe had ask Mr Frank Lautenberg to put on Teffilin. Someone asks: Does he not have to learn the brochos or the language, to read Hebrew?] the Rebbe responds: You can do all these thing in English, [Someone asks: All this in English? and the Rebbe responds: in English!, and then the Rebbe continues]: Every boy or girl that is approaching [Yiddishkeit] and does not understand Hebrew or Yiddish, should do all these things in English, it is a pity on the time loss, I… Read more »
I’m very happy to see what ot is doing, kol hakavod. I wish the mesivta looked like that when I was there, shekoiach for whoever sponsored the renovations.
YIDDISH is very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the Rebbe wanted the boys to learn in Yiddish
Certainly sounds like a good idea to start on pre school where they’re developing their language. Then when they get to school they will already know Yiddish.
It’s a worthy effort, and I wish them hatzlocha rabbah.
Don’t the teachers need training in how to teach in a new language?
Do all of the teachers already speak Yiddish themselves?
If there is a teacher who does not yet speak Yiddish, how will he be helped to succeed so that his students will have the best education possible?
so beautiful to see
Mazel Tov to the flagship school of Lubavitch !!! We all know that it is the Rebbe personally who made Oholei Torah Yiddish has so many benefits in instilling the Varimkeit , Simcho and Geshmak of a Lubavitcher Chossid In today’s world of confusion , it is refreshing to see that the young generation of Lubavitch children are being given the tools and nourishment they need in order to grow up to be happy and proud Lubavitcher Chassidim A life of inner satisfaction We have so much to be thankful for There is no better product, nor life style out… Read more »
Let it be a shnas hatzlacha in learning. Let Moshiach come today and thrill all the sweet bochurim (and maidelach, and the rest of us) with a ride on eagles’ wings to Yerushalayim.
It won’t disrupt good learning among the Talmidim – something the Rebbe wrote about for NOT having the learning done in Yiddish when it would cause learning challenges.
The Rav said one can not teach Yiddish at the expense of teaching Torah. The Rebbe said twice that in a place that the kids speak English one should not teach in Yiddish. That is why Lubavitch Yeshiva teaches in English and that is the place to go. OT is confused over policy
Now just teach the parents Yiddish so we can help our sons!
I thought the professional people decided that Kids understand and learn better when they are taught in English?
why should a kid have to translate the Posuk in his head from Yiddish to English and only then try to understand what the meaning is?
Can someone explain please?
to go through all the pictures remembering all my wonderful years in yeshiva!
Rabbi Levin is the best
From your class in the year we learned baba basra – gave me the push for the rest of my yeshiva years and beyond!
Beautiful. Shepping chassidishe Nachas