(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
The second annual Yeshiva Education Expo organized by the Yeshiva Principals Association which works to unite yeshivos in support of improvements to secular curriculum, took place on Sunday, June 18. The Yeshiva Educational Expo is part of an ongoing campaign established to encourage and inspire student involvement in extracurricular activities and to spotlight the importance of extracurricular in-depth learning in a variety of subjects within the yeshiva education system. Arranged in conjunction with the Boro Park Jewish Community Council, the much anticipated event showcased a successful school year of educational advancement.
The Yeshiva Education Expo highlighted the work of participating students following a year-long competition involving ten New York area schools and hundreds of students in grades four to eight. Sunday’s gathering showcased the winning projects from each school, displaying the vast array of subjects and wide breadth of knowledge the boys had gained over the course of the school year. The selection of displays exhibited throughout the hall in Brooklyn’s Torah Vyirah ballroom included having the students on hand ready to present their findings and to answer questions on their individual topics of expertise in a clear display of educational achievement. The event was attended by Yeshiva Imrei Yosef Spinka, Yeshiva of Klausenburg, Yeshiva Beth Hillel of Krasna, Yeshiva Karlin Stolin, Yeshiva Ohr Moshe,Yeshiva Beth Yitzchok Sqver, Yeshiva Mevakshei Hashem, Yeshiva Yesodei Hotorah and Rockland County’s Yeshiva Adas Yereim and Yeshiva Tiferes Bunim Munkatch.
The expo was attended by Rockland County’s New Square dayan, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Steinmetz, who spoke during the award ceremony. Rabbi Steinmetz weighed in on the importance of utilizing the time spent on getting an English education in yeshiva. Rabbi Steinmetz stressed the importance of continuing to work and improve in this area and of always learning with the goal of achieving the highest standards in the time allotted.
Rabbi Avi Greenstein, executive director of the Yeshiva Principals Association, served as emcee for the afternoon. Rabbi Greenstein spoke about the ongoing mission of the Yeshiva Principals Association’s, which, since its beginning, has been to unite the yeshivos as well as to share successes while continuing to improve. “The Yeshiva Principals Association is dedicated to perfecting the time spent in the pursuit of English studies,” Rabbi Greenstein said, “so as to maximize each moment and create stronger, more educated and knowledgeable students who will be ready to face tomorrow with a level head and sound thinking skills. The Yeshiva Principals Association will keep on making inroads into our schools as we continue to unite and grow and develop and improve our educational prowess to benefit those who matter most of all to us—our children.”
Community leaders in attendance included Councilman David Greenfield as well as Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz and Rockland County Legislator Aron Wieder.
“The entire event shows what kind of work the teachers and principals are doing in the private schools,” Aron Wieder said. “I can see here in this room our future teachers, business people, rabbis and politicians.”
Rabbi Moshe Guttman, educational consultant for nine Chasidish yeshivos in Rockland County, spoke about empowering students. “This event gave students the opportunity to expand beyond their normal horizons by empowering such students. It gave them a sense of purpose and a drive to go that extra step. As teachers, we need to look at ourselves as facilitators of learning. If we provide a learning atmosphere for our students, they will reach heights we can’t even imagine, as this event proved.”
After the speeches, educators, students, parents and other visitors were given an opportunity to view the projects—which covered topics such as history, geography and biology—and awards were distributed to all those in attendance by the Yeshiva Principals Association.
Photos by JDN
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One Response
Parnassah is an important cornerstone of frum survival, and secular education is a cornerstone of parnassah. There should be more engineers, physicians and other “learned professionals” coming out of yeshivas. if not, future generations of frum Jews will have to look for support from prosperous Reform and Conservative Jews, whom the frum have alienated.