Reply To: Seminary help!

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#2232203
FrumWhere
Participant

You are a very confused teenager. This is clearly not a criticism, since it is not your fault. In order to have a real “hashkafa”, you first must be somewhat grounded, and you clearly are not, as evidenced by the silly “chumros” you have adopted. And as made obvious by your choice of high schools (it is assumable from your description that there is a better high school available to you, since otherwise a confusing albeit sketchy explanation of why you are in the school you are in would be unnecessary).

While chalav yisrael is a valid “chumra”, it probably is wrong to adopt if you live in a place where its availability is questionable, since young people need the nourishment milk products provide (as Rav Moshe zt”l discusses in regard to his heter for chalav stam). It is assumable that your community qualifies as a place of chalav yisrael scarcity. Pas yisrael is not a chumra with any validity for the ignorant, as evident in various discussions about the issue amongst contemporary poskim. Waiting 1 or 3 or 6 hours is not a “churma” issue, it is a minhag issue. If your Father’s family from way back had a minhag to wait 3 hours, that’s what you should do. If you have no way of ascertaining your family’s true custom, ask the local Rabbi, who will probably be able to figure out where you come from, or will tell you to keep your family’s custom if he can’t figure anything out. “Zibitzig Shtrimp” is a foolishness in your case, unless you are a descendant of serious Satmar chassidim. So your “churmros” need to go away.

If your hashkafa in regard to choice of Seminary could “go either way”, that is a clear sign that your are a confused child, and you need guidance from someone with experience in dealing with such situations. Which is why I responded to your post. I happen to know such a person. She is an Israeli American who runs much of the program (particularly the night program) at Seminar, a seminary in Jerusalem. She is a wise woman, which is a rarity in this world in general, edited  If you can reach her, tell her that her close relative in Los Angeles suggested you call her. I obviously can’t give more information in this forum, but if your post is real, I am trying to help as best as I can.

Good luck!