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This took place in a well known top elementary yeshiva in Brooklyn. There was a third grade teacher who wanted to take a picture of her class for a yearbook. After finally setting everyone up, the teacher took out her smartphone to snap the picture. Just as she pulled out her phone, a bunch of seventh grade kids came by and started yelling “No smartphones! No smartphones!” and convinced the kids to make funny faces and not allow the picture to be taken. The teacher tried to yell “Derech Eretz”, to no avail. Luckily, the principle known for his toughness, and who nobody would dare start up with was walking by and was able to settle things.
These seventh grade kids went to their rebbe who is a Gerer chassid and he congratulated them for what they did. This is outrageous. Yes, the smartphone issue is not something to take lightly, but we focus too much on the “smartphones are bad” aspect, and don’t talk about how to deal with someone that has a smartphone especially when it’s someone who you owe respect to such as a parent or teacher. If the rabbeim don’t start teaching derech eretz, all the great chinuch and hashkafa you are instilling in them is good for nothing. If they use it against their parents and teachers, or against older people, it is good for nothing. This is just one of many stories that happen today. If we will not fix this, who will?
A big part of the problem is that we fail to differentiate between chamur and assur. The way the teacher was using the phone wasn’t assur, but the kids must have thought it was because all they know is that “smartphones are bad” and chutzpa is מותר במקום סמארטפון.
We also need to stop this madness that smartphones are bad. If you want that extra chumra to live without one so be it. But its just one of these technologies like cars that are here to stay. Or like going to Manhattan full of priztus. Or the idea that we can’t look at a moving screen. Who still never sees any videos of any sort? This idea that we need to live in a cave or live like the Amish is just ridiculous. Now if the smartphones were unflitered then yes you have a very valid point.
This has gotten so silly that I know a hatzalah guy who told me a patient needed to sign a form on his device and the pateint refused because she was mekabel to never touch a smart phone. So he had to wait and delay her much needed care. The world has gone mad.
While the issue is a complicated nuanced topic, I am not sure I agree with your assessment of the situation in the story you tell.
Since you chose to describe the school as a “well known top elementary yeshiva in Brooklyn”, I presume that they have a standard for staff which the teacher was likely violating.
The seventh grade Rebbe was merely reinforcing the lessons he taught the students before.
The teacher yelling “Derech Eretz” is a great way to absolutely lose class decorum.
The PrinciPAL (that is how you spell it) getting involved was how you support your employee seven when said employee is making a mistake.
As far as children using it against parents/teachers, you have a concern that is not easily addressed.If the same story happened in a place that all the students happily took the picture and didnt say anything I guarantee you that the reason why they kept quite is NOT because they have more derech eretz but because all of them have smartphones in their homes that they use either their siblings or parents…. And they are the type that most of them will have their own smartphone within a few years.
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