From page 39 in the Yated parshas Noach about Rav Yisroel Kanarek ZT”L:

The Rosh Hayeshiva (Rav Kanarek ZT”L) felt that it was very important for a Rosh Hayeshiva to have a warm, personal relationship with each individual bochur. During the years when the yeshiva was located in New Rochelle, it was relativley small with nearly 40 bochurim. During the last few years there, the number of bochurim increased to 60. When the yeshiva moved to Peekskill in 1986, the yeshiva expanded to include more than 100 bochurim. One of his former talmidim remarked to the Rosh Hayeshiva, “Boruch Hashem the yeshiva has grown”. The Rosh Yeshiva retorted, “Who said that more people is considered ‘growing’? When I had a yeshiva with fewer bochurim, I had a close connection with each bochur, I knew each bochur’s individual needs and I was thus able to guide him. Today, however, there are so many bochurim and I am not able to have a relationship with all of them.”

Many years ago, there was an indicent with Lakewood with a bochur who fell into a terrible depression leading to very negative consequences. The hanhala of the yeshiva was not aware of the crisis. Rav Yisroel said at the time, “There is no purpose in having such a large yeshiva if one is unable to keep abreast of the progress of each talmid”. Rav Yisroel continued, “This was not Rav Aharon’s intention when he established the Lakewood Yeshiva. A Yeshiva is only successful if the Rosh Yeshiva knows every bochur!”

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