Rabbi Weinberg responds:

I appreciate the responses to my article that have been numerous, varied, and, as expected, passionate. This in itself is an accomplishment, since the goal to engender public debate on this important topic has finally been achieved. As always, when there is public knowledge and discourse, and not just collective behavior running on inertia, there is potential for innovation and improvement.

In this brief reply, I will try to answer some of the more important questions and comments.

First, however, I wish to clarify something which seemed to have bothered a few readers.

The intention of my article was not Chas V’Shalom to belittle any Gadol B’Yisroel, Rosh Yeshiva or Rebbe. I do not doubt for a moment that most of the Roshei Yeshivos who opened those new Yeshivos had anything else in mind besides a desire for Harbotzas HaTorah. They have earned my respect and I am personally close to some of them. If this was understood otherwise, I sincerely regret that and ask Mechila of those who were offended. The purpose of my piece was only to explain how we got to the current situation and, my censure was rather with a specific action of theirs, that is, their insistence that Mesivtos begin on Rosh Chodesh Elul in mid August.

While this too is mostly the result of their L’Shem Shomaym zealous idealism, and  certainly without any malicious intent, (as I implied when I wrote that “they were unaware…. that a result…”),  the outcome nevertheless remains sadly the same. Our once great institution, the boys camps, have been broken forever.

My article was pertinent only to children of the communities of Brooklyn, Queens, Far Rockaway, Staten Island, Passaic and perhaps a few others that have a 10 month school year. Monsey and Lakewood, however, which were founded decades ago in conjunction with a Yeshiva and operate on a one Month of Av Bain Hazmanim, are not relevant to this conversation.

To those who questioned my motives, no, I do not own a camp, nor am I a learning director or Rebbi or Head counselor in any camp. My children too, are all older and out of the camps for many years.

Some of the commenters wondered why can’t we make our camps and vacations during Tamuz and Av and just forget about the old July August season. I thought that I had already explained that sufficiently. Yes, in a perfect world it would be optimal. Unfortunately there are many reasons why in New York that is not yet feasible, chiefly amongst them is because we are subordinate more or less to a NYC Board of Education school calendar. Yeshivos and Bais Yaakovs receive funding, tutoring, regents accreditation and bus service from the B.O.E. and it is they who determine the school year.

Why don’t I take it up with the Gedolim?

I believe that it is too late for that. The die has already been cast. But I ask the same question of those Roshei Yeshivos. Before you decided to deviate from the traditional schedule to begin in mid August on Rosh Chodesh Elul, and put an ax to the camps founded by Gedolim, why didn’t you consult the Gedolim of the Moetzes or of Torah U’Mesorah to see if they agree to this drastic move? Something tells me that back then, if asked, the Gedolim may have advised differently.

If, as one writer suggested, that the time is now finally ripe to emulate Slabodka, Kletzk and Mir, hence the justification for beginning on Elul, then by all means let us be consistent and go all the way. For one, we  should stop our ridiculous dating system, including sharing resumes and photos, and the outrageous demands and expectations of prospective in-laws, that have become so prevalent in our communities. This certainly was not the way back in Kletzk and Brisk. It is the height of hypocrisy to only embrace the Elul Zman which is not even a Minhag and can be done in camp if wanted, but ignore the truly pressing issues that should be foreign to authentic Bnei Torah, and now contribute in no small measure to our devastating shidduch crisis.

Of course I never suggested that camps are perfect, and a fair amount of justifiable criticism has been directed by the readers at  camp owners, namely the exorbitant price of camp and simultaneously about the minimal pay to the Rebbes that lead to a deficiency in the quality of learning. As stated before, I am not in the camp business and don’t speak for the camp owners. Neither am I familiar enough with these particular problems, therefore I cannot judge. Nevertheless, if this is the case in the privately owned camps, it is not clear how much can be done about it. They are, after all, private businesses, and businesses as we know, do what they do to generate maximum revenue while keeping overhead to a minimum…. Still, since they do advertise themselves as Torah / Chinuch oriented camps etc, it could be expected of them to comply with certain standards. Perhaps the Yeshivos that recommend and send a bulk of their Talmidim to specific private camps, should organize and conduct meetings with those camp owners to see if these difficulties can be resolved.

To summarize:

All in all some excellent points were made in the remarks. I myself have also gained from the feedback and acquired new insights into the public’s level of appreciation of camp.  Surprisingly to me, I am discovering that the younger generation of parents seem less enthusiastic about camp than the older generation, and are more ready perhaps to forgo it entirely. Due to demographics and other changes within the Yeshivishe community, boys camps are becoming less practicable and less affordable. Looking towards the future, whether we like it or not, the sun seems to be setting for the Yeshivishe children’s 8 weeks overnight camps. Some of these camps have already been sold to Chassidishe Kehilos (who have no Bein Hazmanim, and thus no Elul, and subsidize their campers ). Others, for the right price will probably soon be sold as well.

This is not necessarily catastrophic, if we acknowledge it, and work towards an appropriate alternative that would still provide our children with healthy outlets and recreation albeit not in a sleep away camp setting.

Times are indeed changing.

 Rabbi Elchonon Weinberg

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