Community Magazine October 2014

42 Community magazine R abbi Menachem Schmelczer, Learning Director and Rebbi at Camp Toras Chaim Tashbar, relates, “I can’t believe the impact Dirshu’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Program…is making on these kids. After we finish learning that day’s daf [page], I am surrounded by 13, 14 and 15-year-old bachurim asking, kvetching over every word in the Mishnah Berurah . Throughout the day, I have been fielding questions on the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha material learned! “Recently, we went on a trip. While watching the boys board the bus, I noticed how the participants in the program invariably brought their Mishnah Berurahs along! They are reviewing for the test en route to an outing. I had to pinch myself and ask, ‘Is this camp?’” “The Torah is Readily Available for All of Us!” Rabbi Feuer and Rabbi Schmelczer are not alone in raving about the Daf HaYomi B’Halacha Camp Program, the newest project launched by the Dirshu organization that helps motivate students around the globe to study and master Talmud and halachah. Veteran Rebbeim and educators in camps have admitted that they had not anticipated the tremendous success and colossal impact that the Dirshu program would have on the young campers. The camps’ leadership, staff and campers had an opportunity to express their gratitude to Rav Dovid Hofstedter, founder and director of the Dirshu organization, when he visited Camp Agudah and Camp Toras Chaim Tashbar toward the end of the summer. It was inspiring to watch so many campers taking the initiative to go over and thank him for enhancing the spiritual quality of their summer. At Camp Toras Chaim, over 170 boys gathered in the bet midrash to hear words of inspiration from Rav Hofstedter. He said, “The same kol [voice] that was heard at Har Sinai exists today, we just have to open our ears. If we want to do the retzon Hashem [will of Gd] and know what He wants, the Torah is readily available for all of us!” Dirshu’s US Director, Rabbi Ahron Gobioff, explained that the organization’s Daf HaYomi B’Halacha daily Mishna Berurah program is now in the middle of the sixth and final section of the Mishnah Berurah , which deals with the laws of the festivals. The onset of summer coincided with the study of the laws of Rosh Hashanah, which was completed over the course of the summer and followed by the study of the laws of Yom Kippur. Rabbi Gobioff said that the administration of Dirshu felt that teenage campers would derive immense benefit from a daily program studying the halachot of the holidays which will be observed soon after the summer. Dirshu’s trademark accountability system, which includes regular testing that motivates students to review and master the material, seemed ideal for the camp setting. It would also immeasurably enrich the upcoming holidays for the students who will have mastered the relevant halachot . The program began this year with five camps: Camp Agudah, Camp Toras Chaim-Tashbar, Camp Degel HaTorah, Camp Rayim Mesivta and Camp Rayim Junior Staff. Rabbi Gobioff describes the response as “nothing short of amazing.” Dirshu published a special booklet with all of the required learning material and distributed it to the hundreds of participants, along with weekly review questions with multiple choice answers to help them review the material. The students enthusiastically embarked upon the demanding program, which requires studying approximately one page CHAIM GOLD Dirshu Introduces Special Sukkot Study Program “It’s a revolution!” exclaimedRabbi Eliezer Feuer, LearningDirector andRebbi at CampAgudah. “When I see young bachurim [boys] asking the rabbi a question on the laws of Yom Kippur in the middle of a major trip, I realize how effective and powerful being part of Dirshu is for these young talmidim .” Bochurim in the Dirshu program at Camp Degel HaTorah. Bochurim greeting Rav Hofstedter at Camp Toras Chaim Tashbar. IN LIGHT OF THE TREMENDOUS SUCCESS OF DIRSHU’S CAMP PROGRAM, DIRSHU WILL BE SPONSORING A SPECIAL SUKKOT DAF HAYOMI B’HALACHA PROGRAM FOR THIS COMING SUKKOT VACATION!