Rabbi Dovid Abenson’s response to criticism he received from the comments posted in the Lakewood Scoop regarding his new continuous series called The Jewish educational crisis in the 21st century.
“Rabbi Abenson once again bashing, blustering, and criticizing our amazing rabbeim…. or The arrogance in this piece is astonishing….. Hashem suspended every Rebbe and teacher and you were busier than ever?….. I assume you mean well but this article is disgusting and blatant lashon hara about a rabbi. You owe a public apology to all the devoted rebbeim and morahs out there. They don’t need, it but you have a major din vcheshbon to give leasid lavo.”
My Rebbe, Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon shlita, told me 25 years ago that if you get criticism from everyone or hearsay against what you do for the Jewish people, throw it in the garbage. It is a good sign you are doing the right thing for Hashem. Keep it up. He also told me a few years ago, before his operation that after his surgery he would go around with me in North America promoting my programs so that every school/yeshiva would have access to it. However, due to his illness, he was no longer be able to do that. Instead, he gave me a second recommendation for my forthcoming sefer on this important subject called “I Can’t Read and Learn”.
Humbly, I would like to say to all those who posted criticism towards what I wrote, that you did not internalize, and correctly read my articles on this crucial subject. I would be very happy to speak to you on a personal level. Please feel free to phone or WhatsApp me to clarify the situation.
I am enclosing to all my readership in the Lakewood Scoop the recommendations and forward on my upcoming sefer from my rebbe, Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon shlita, who has been my Daas Torah and mentor for the past 40 years.
If any parents/yeshiva/school would like to speak to me, please do not hesitate to contact my office to make an appointment.
We have to stop being in denial and fix the Jewish Education System. Reinstituting our true Mesorah as it is meant to be and throwing away all non-Jewish methodology in teaching our children Torah, which has crept even in the most religious organizations and schools throughout the Torah world. This is the Jewish educational crisis of the 21st century!
WE CAN DO IT IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER.
Click HERE to view the virtual booklet or order a free physical copy HERE.
To contact me or sponsor my seforim please contact my office at Tel. 15147393629
Cell/Whatsapp 15149935300
Email: [email protected]
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.
I believe that you have SOME valid points, but If you would present your ideas with a little more עניוות, they may cause people to give them more consideration than they are giving them now. I am talking as an experienced מחנך who agrees with a lot of what you say.
You have not answered any of the criticism you just seem to need more people to fill your appointment book.
In my 25 years in chinuch I’ve come across many like you, that ignore the major overall success of the system and use the ones that fell through the cracks to fund their agenda. I’m sure there are many things that you can do to help a student that needs extra assistance and please continue doing it, but not at the expense of feeding the anti chinuch generation we have become. When you reach 100% success rate or even a higher percentage rate then our Yeshiva system for that matter then talk.
You have lost focus of your tafkid to help boys and lost all those zechusim by saying loshon harah on a group of Hashem’s messengers. May Hashem enlighten you on the true derech of making your parnasah in a positive way through kovod hatorah vlomideha,
To get full context on this response, I went back and found the original article that this commenter quoted in this article was commenting on.
Firstly, you didn’t actually respond to that comment. Responding that the commentor didn’t understand your article and the fact that there’s any critique shows your right, is shallow and of pure arrogance. Secondly, I have no experience with any of the points you made in the original article, so I have no comment on that.
That being said, the tone of the article was incredibly condescending towards the system as a whole. I don’t think anyone would contend the system is perfect, but the article definitely didn’t come across as you genuinely having the answers and trying to help; it seemed to be more of an ad for your work. Part of the thrust of the article was that because you were “busy” during the height of COVID and most rebbeim “weren’t”, that proves you’re the ONLY solution to any existing crises. I don’t have to explain how that is so objectively ridiculous, but the attitude here may be part of the root of most issues in our system not the solution.
L’kavod Horav Shlit”a –
NO one is saying you have a bad system or technique. We’re just saying you don’t need to bash every Rebbe & Morah out there.
Overall, the fact that our current Yeshiva system gets through to over 95% of the students is an astonishing success. And you can’t bash that. Now, you have an eitzah for the 5% falling through the cracks ? Beautiful !!
Promote it, sell it and may HKBH give you the strength to help His beautiful, precious children.
But don’t bash the current, enormously succesful establishment.
Thank you & have a great day.
I commented and repeat what I said. Your system might be amazing. You are right that we need to return to mesorah and throw away non Jewish practices. Nobody was discussing your chinuch methodologies, just your treatment of Rebbeim and Morohs.
You can say all that without bashing and trashing our devoted mechanchim. I don’t understand why you do. Do they reach every child? No. But if they reach even 80%, they’re still reaching many more than you are.
And to say they were suspended for a year and you were busier than ever is mind boggling. Nobody was suspended. They all did phone conferences and zoom. There were pictures EVERYWHERE including here of haschalas chumash/gemara celebrations. Of individual student visits, multiple that by a full classroom. How can you talk about “suspended “?
I challenge you to show that article to Rabbi M Solomon and see what he says to the way you talk abt mechanchim.
According to your logic the Mechanchim are all doing the right thing and should just throw all your words in the garbage with the amount of criticism you write about them