To the Editor,

As bein hazmanim approaches once again, I want to raise an issue that deserves more attention from our community: the need for greater awareness and preparation around safety during this break.

For so many bochurim and yungeleit, bein hazmanim is a welcome change of pace after months of intensive sedorim. But that same shift — less structure, more travel, later nights, unfamiliar activities — is exactly what makes this period higher-risk. Every year we hear of tragedies during bein hazmanim: car accidents on long trips and drowning incidents at pools and lakes.

Sadly, this is not theoretical. Past years have brought real tragedies during bein hazmanim — losses that shook entire communities and that many of us still think about. We owe it to those neshamos, and to our own families, to do everything we can to avoid a repeat this year.

I’d like to see more organizations, rabbanim, and parents treat bein hazmanim safety as seriously as we treat safety during the zman itself. A few concrete ideas:

• Parents and Roshei Yeshiva should know where their bochurim are going — which trips, which chevra, which destinations — rather than leaving it vague. A simple conversation before bein hazmanim starts can make all the difference if something goes wrong and someone needs to be reached quickly.
• Ask what activities are actually planned. Are they doing anything higher-risk, like ATVing, off-roading, or other extreme sports? These activities have caused serious injuries and worse in past years, and too often parents only find out afterward. A little bit of upfront knowledge lets parents raise concerns or set ground rules before, not after.
• • For younger bochurim especially, I would suggest that the Rosh Yeshiva arrange for an older bochur to supervise the trip.Someone with a bit more experience and maturity along for the ride can make judgment calls, keep an eye on the group, and step in before a risky situation turns into a tragedy. It doesn’t need to be complicated — just one responsible presence can change the whole dynamic of a trip.
  • Safe driving reminders before bochurim hit the road for camps, trips, or visits home — especially around fatigue and late-night driving.
  • Water safety awareness, since drowning remains one of the most preventable yet recurring causes of tragedy over the summer months.

  None of this is meant to cast a shadow over what should be a refreshing and meaningful break. But a few honest conversations and some basic precautions before the zman ends could prevent heartbreak. We’ve seen what happens when we don’t take these steps seriously.

  Let’s make this bein hazmanim great again — full of simcha, achdus, and, above all, safety.

• a concerned yid