I was discussing the crisis of rejection from schools with a friend. I was sharing about the calls I receive from frantic parents who are looking for schools for their children without success and calling me, asking for my help. We were lamenting over how many boys and girls who are getting rejected or expelled, would leave the fold because of this.

My friend then shared with me his personal story of what happened to his own father, Yaakov, as a child.

Yaakov lived in Bukabrany, a small village in Hungary. Unfortunately, his mother passed away when he was only 7 years old and his father died when he was 13. He then had no choice but to go out in the world and work for his keep, living with families who took him in. They tried to teach him how to daven, a little Chumash and Mishnayos but it did not add up to much.

When Yaakov was 23 years old in 1936, he decided he wanted to go back and learn what he had missed growing up and decided to try to join the Verpelet Yeshivah. He approached the Rosh HaYeshiva, Rabbi Yosef Asher HaLevi Pollack, who said he would be able to join the yeshiva. However, because of his level in Torah learning, they had to put Yaakov in a class with young bochurim to start learning Mishnayos but he was so happy to be there, that he didn’t mind being with little kids as long as he could learn Torah.

When it came to Pesach, Yaakov was invited to Rabbi Pollack’s seder and was placed right next to the Rabbi. Both the baalebatim and the older bochurim were shocked and somewhat annoyed why they weren’t placed next to the Rabbi. Rabbi Pollack, noticing the commotion, got up and stated that any man who voluntarily comes to Yeshiva and is not embarrassed to sit with young boys, is the most chosheve talmid in the yeshiva.

By being in the yeshiva, it had generated such love and connection for Torah and Yiddishkeit that when the Russians invaded Hungary in 1956, Yaakov realized that he couldn’t practice Yiddishkeit and decided to escape. He left his houses and all the wealth he had garnered and immigrated to Canada penniless and had to start from scratch again. He did all this so that his own son could get a Jewish education in Canada.

Today B”H my friend has four children and 18 grandchildren who are all shomrei Torah umitzvos and that could only have happened because Rabbi Pollack accepted Yaakov and did not turn him away. As my friend says “beautiful generations would not be here today, and I would not be a frum yid.”

Rabbi Pollack was a true model of a mechanech. He could easily have said “ sorry he is not our type or level” or “we don’t have the resources for such a person”. These are the answers these rejected parents are getting. Rabbi Pollack though understood the ramifications of rejecting any child and thus destroying their future.

Rabbi Pollack created generations of Torah Jews. This is a true Jewish leader who loves every yid and accepts without precautions.

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Rabbi Abenson is the founder and director of ShaarHatalmud, a unique yeshivah-based online program, which incorporates learning all Kodesh subjects, from Kriah up to learning Gemara, Rishonim, and Shulchan Aruch. He also conducts evaluations, remediation, and training, and consults with school principals to improve students’ underdeveloped skills.