THE JEWISH BSERVER in this issue • • • Letters and Responses Charity and Scholarship I The Unexceptional Failure I Truth in Advertising I The Teshuva Movement ............. 3 And 'Darkness' - That is Greece, A. Scheinman .............. 6 Mishnayos - For Young and Old, Avi Shulman .............. 7 Memo to an Unidentified P.R. Agency, Elkanah Schwartz 11 A Sh'liach Tzibbur in Williamsburg, Gershon Kranzler ... 12 THE JEWISH OBSERVER (ISSN A Lesser Dunkirk, a review article by Dr. Joseph 0021-6615) is published monthly, Kaminetzky , ......................................................... 15 except July and August, by the Agudath Israel of America, 5 Chumash and its Commentaries - in Translation Beekman Street, New York, N. Y. (a review article) .................................................... 18 10038. Second class postage paid The Call of Torah I The ArtScroll Series I The Torah at New York, N.Y. 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ERNST BooENHEIMER Post Scripts Chairman ls There Really a Teshuva Movement?, Hanoch RABBI NATHAN BULMAN Teller ............ ,, ......... , .......... , ........ , ................... , 29 RABBI JOSEPH ELIAS More on the Kamenitzer Partnership, Chaim JosEPH FRIEDENSON Shapiro ................... , .... , .................. , ................. 31 RABBI MosHE SHERER Second Looks at the Jewish Scene MICHAEL ROTHSCHILD Business Manager After the Elections: Back to Old Times? .................... 33 "Hamavdil": Without Intelligence, How Does One THE }Ew1stt OBSERVER does not assume responsibility for the Differentiate? .............................. , ...................... 35 Kashrus of any product or ser­ (continued) ............................. , .... vice advertised in its pages. Letters to the Editor 38 i NOV., 1980, VOL. XV, NO. 2 ~ KISLEV 5741 As we go to press, we note with a profound sense of loss the passing of Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner, :i:ii:i7 f''1~ 1:lT, on 20 Kislev/November 27, in Jerusalem. Rabbi Hutner leaves an irreplaceable void: as a molder of men, in the tradition of his great mentor, Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel (the Alter of Slobodka); as a builder of Torah institutions - Mesivta Chaim Berlin-Kolle! Cur Arye, in Brooklyn, and Pachad Yitzchok, in Jerusalem; as a creative thinker and master teacher, opening up to thousands, aspects of Torah thought, hitherto unaccessible, with un­ equaled grace and clarity - both in his lectures and his published works, Taras Hanazir and Pachad Yitzchok; and as a deeply concerned leader of Kial Yisroel, as expressed in his involvement in Agudath Israel, as an active member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages), its policy making body. Letters & Responses Several articles dealing with problems lt is certainly unfair-even counter­ in our yeshivas featured in recent issues productive-simply to focus on alleged of THE JEWISH OBSERVER attracted shortcomings of our yeshivas. Beyond much comment: Dr. Bernard Fryshman's doubt, if the general attitude of all con­ "When Charity Begins at Home" (April cern were one of: "This is my obligation; '80 ), which maintained that tuition pay­ how can l best discharge my responsi­ ments must take top-most priority in bilities to our yeshiva system?"-then every Jew's list of obligations, while many of the problems besetting it would scholarship must be considered loans to be mitigated. ln this spirit, then, con­ be repaid in later years by the recipient; cerned, responsible discussion can contri­ and Dr. Joel Rosenshein's "The Unexcep­ bute to the resolution of problems, in the tional Failure" (Sept. '80 )-addressing the vein of "A wise query is half a solution." need to recognize that the child of less­ With this in mind, we present some of the than-average abilities in the yeshiva set­ discussion that reached our letters' desk, ting may well be average or better by as well as two additional articles on relat­ national standards, and should not be ed subjects, among this month's articles. J i relegated to failure. I The Exceptional Failure tion that it is the child of intelli­ tude-a kind of conditioning pro­ gence below average (by yeshiva cess-to a rebbe's inspiration, a standards) I above-average (by Pirchei contest's excitement, or To the Editor: national norms) who is being over­ positive peer example. We all Dr. Rosenshein's concern over looked in our yeshivos. Fifteen remember pluggers from our "the unexceptional failure" (Sept. years of teaching experience, and at yeshiva days who by sheer will '80) is well-placed. Somewhere least as many years before that as a power and exemplary hasmoda suc­ along the line, children are being student in the classroom, have indi­ ceeded in their studies, later passed over in our educational sys­ cated otherwise. Exceptionally excelled, and eventually became tem. His statistics demonstrating bright boys are prominent among outstanding teachers, rebbes or the average yeshiva student's the failures, and others of barely morei hora'a. I cannot say for sure above-aver;;ge placement by average ability (by any norm) fre­ whether or not they actually raised national norms, were interesting, quently do exceptionally well. The their measurable IQ scores, but but hardly surprising to anyone success factor is motivation, quite there surely is a "MD no,~no factor at with experience in yeshiva educa­ apart from intelligence. The source work ("The precepts of G-d are tion. of this motivation is varied, ranging reliable to make the fool wise"). I do contest, however, his conten- from home orientation and atti- If the failing student's problem I The Jewish Observer I November, 1980 3 j ···"'1 is basically not one of intelligence As a father whose six year old son yeshiva to accept only the best and but attitude, the onus is no longer now attends first grade in public the brightest so its alumni might exclusively on the school. A posi­ school because no Yeshiva or climb the highest academic rung: to tive, ambitious attitude toward Hebrew Day School could be found reach our country's most elitist learning must begin as early in life with a curriculum that makes universities (M.l.T., Harvard, as possible, and be nurtured as the allowances for a "slow" learner and Columbia, etc.). Yet ... for so many child grows. At the start, this can as an adminstrator of a hospital­ years children had no alternate only be done in the home, and later based child development center, I yeshivas to go to-no school was must still rely heavily on home would like to elaborate on some of prepared to teach (not just environment. A dynamic, resource­ the points made in Dr. Rosenshein's "accept") slower students. ful, sensitive rebbe can be extremely excellent article. It is only recently that hotlines effective as the child enters In his popular book, V' she­ exist for giving free referral service school-and every rebbe worth his Non-Tom, Rabbi Elias Schwartz to parents who want to send their salt tries to be that rebbe-but it says: child to a yeshiva or a Hebrew Day would be illogical and unfair to all "No Yeshiva has the right to School. Here Lubavitch must be concerned to rely only on the rebbe. exclude a student because of a low applauded because they are calling I must add that while an atmos­ LQ. After all, his neshama is part of the families whose children par­ phere of positive feeling toward G-d, just like everyone else's ticipated in last year's Matzah Ball learning can often be generated in neshama. Contest to see which school the great measure by a family deeply "No one can fortell when G-d's child is currently attending. involved in Torah study (a Rosh gift will become manifested! Per­ Dr. Rosenshein is correct when Yeshiva's home, for instance), this haps a weaker student will be able he notes that it is easier for a atmosphere is not exclusively the to learn better than the student with yeshiva with a large student-body domain of the homes of talmidei the more natural ability and higher to enroll children with different chachomim. In fact, an opposite LQ. Don't ever give up on Torah capabilities: because such a school reaction can set in when such learning." can have more than one class on a household members overlook the Rabbi Nasson Scherman, editor grade level and thereby have the individual child's needs. And by the of the Art Scroll Series, as well as of means to place children in different same token, a "baale-battishe" Olomeinu (Torah Umesorah's groupings. home can-and often does-succeed magazine for children), makes a Any yeshiva that decides to in motivating children strongly for similar point: "The ninth-grade accept children with a wide range of learning. misfit can become an inspiration, capabilities will then, ideally, place Raising a child as a successful even a Gadol B'Yisroel a age 50 or as much emphasis on midas as it student is complicated. Scientists 60. I know it's true, because I've does on winning the national merit are fond of citing statistics and clini­ seen it." scholarship. As a case in point, may i cal factors .... Folk wisdom attri­ If both Rabbis are correct, what is I draw from my own experiences? butes success to "mazal." the justification for the I.Q. test as In the mid 1950's when I was I' ..