Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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THE ELCHJXI TE Tl11'rty- One knowledge will always be ready to answer the attacks of the anti-Sem- ites who. with their mud slinging tactics. have. heretofore. found us largely unable to combat their attaeks due to the lack of such leaders. More- over. this gap in the Jewish ranks further encouraged them in their ef- forts towards broadening the scopc of their work. Now, however. with the protection of such educated lead- ers. the Jewish people will be secure against the false accusations which have been levelled against it. The existence of the Yeshiva is, therefore. of prime importance to every Jew who honestly adheres to the principles of orthodox Judaism. It is his solemn and most sacred du- ty to uphold and even strengthen an institution which furnishes the great- est Jewish leaders of tomorrow.-the Yeshiva. Thoughts at Graduation l'iMANl'l:iL ltl'lIti'H, '2I'. LL of us have, at some time. thought of graduation. VVVe all have rather hopefully looked forward to it as 'a most joyful event. Upon entering high school. fresh from the element- ary school commencement exercises. we could just vaguely imagine our future graduation. sa vaguely indeed. that the thought had to be dismissed from our minds as too remote or un- believable. How we envied those seniors who were fortunate enough to be graduated! How we wished our- selves in their positions! The thought of so many years of work and harship before we could reach our goal dis- mayed us. How many, we wondered. would we leave behind us on the road before finally reaching our goal.- victorious? Such thoughts assailed ns before we set to work in our Freshman year. Following the beginning of the first term. and during the greater part of our high immediate and School life. more more pressing thoughts and fears occupied our minds. The teachers were relentless, always pressing. never. so we felt. lenient. The work they showered upon us seemed too great for a human being to accomplish. It seemed to some of us that we would be crushed by the downpourg that the Sweeping flood of examin- ations would overwhclm us and leave us behind. At such moments did we feel discouraged and gloomy. and the world looked black to us. However, when the storm was weathered. when the port had been reached, when the crisis had been safely passed. then did the rainbow that comes after every storm seem doubly bright and beautiful... Now. that we can survey our four years at high school through a non- partisan glass we see a picture. ditt- erent from what it seemed at the time the scenes were being enacted. Perhaps it is that now, being out ot' high school. we can look back with our prejudices swept away. and ad-

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Til fr-ty THE ELCH,1.N'ITE Yeshiva and Leadership INITTCHHL ESKOLSKY. ANY are the qualitieations whieh the Yeshiva instills in the students whom it graduates. The Yeshiva gives them a thorough Hebraie and seeular edu- eation through its two hranehes of learning. the Hebrew and the high sehool departments. It keeps them in a salutary environment in whieh they are hrought up as Jews, firm he- lievers in God and the Torah and upholders of traditional Judaismg and, eonsequently, it wards off the many lures and temptations with which the street-that demon of so- eiety-is invariably associated. How- ever. there is a. still greater value attaehed to the Yeshiva heeause its graduates have been ineuleated with an indefinahle spirit of moral lead- ership and deep teaching. The last statement does not mean that every one who is graduated will enter the liahhinate. Perhaps only a few will direet their eourse to- wards a Rabbinieal eareer. The re- maining graduates, on the other hand. will. also heeonie leaders. hut in the different spheres of endeavor which they may enter. As a general who also is a soldier is the proper head of his army. so a Yeshiva grad- uate, in whatever profession or hus- iness he may enter. will beeome a. leader of that partieular group. In produeing these future leaders of Judaism. the Yeshiva is ereating a twofold henetit for Judaism. At the present time. there is dire need of eompetent Jewish leaders who, he- sides having an excellent Hehrew ed- ueation shall also he at home with seeular knowledge. XYith the rising of the younger generation, there is an impending fear that orthodox Juda- ism will lose mueh of its guiding' in- tluenee. There is fear that the Torah will not he studied as it has heen and the traditions of our forefathers will he disregarded. This inundating tlood of ignorance must he dannned or it may prove serious. This ean be aeeomplished only under the tirni and faithful guidanee of Jewish or- thodox leaders whose duty it will he to guide the Jewish people in the liight of our God and Torah. The Yeshiva. therefore. is eontrihuting mueh to this nohle eause of upholil- ing the religion to whieh our an- eestors have elung so steadfastly for almost two thousand years of exile. Her g'ra.duates will not only direet their own ehildren in an orthodox Jewish path hut. as leaders. will in- iiuenee their respeetive and individ- ual eommunities to ahide hy the Jew- ish. orthodox religion. They will or- ganize eluhs where the young' Jews may aequire knowledge of Jewish learning. sueh as the Talmud, Jewish history and the liihle. One primary aeeomplishment of the Yeshiva' therefore. is the stemming of the tide of apostasy from orthodox Judaism. Another and just as important ae- eomplishment is the faet that these young graduates with their seeular

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Tlz frty- Two THE ELCHJNITE mit'our errors and misapprehensions. Perhaps it is that now we are older. more mature. and ean perceive a thing in its true sense. XYe anticipat- ed this and now really do ehange our views. At all events. in this new pieture. we see our teaehers in a. new light. Foolishly, we l1ad marked out some teachers as taskmasters, as tyrants. C onsequently. we looked forward to the time when we eould throw off the heavy yoke of bondage whieh we felt had been imposed upon us by our taskmasters-our teachers. How we hoped for the time when we would be free of our teaehers' merei- less. zero-lashing' peng when we would be free forever. from the neeessity of pestering' Mr. Grinstein for an admit slip. Yet now. when we are to gain our rightly earned freedom. we do not feel exultant at the thought of leaving our teachers. The former thought. that we would no longer be obliged to eudure their tyranny. is now no joy. XYe are not happy with the assuranee that we will not reeeive any more supposed- ly unfair marks. ,Vile do not feel. as formerly. that some teaehers are tyrants or despots. eontriving' all for our harm. Our points ofview and thoughts in this matter have ehanged. XYe see things now in their true sense: we realize that we have judged hastily' unreasonably, and now feel regret at parting' from our sehool. XVe realize that. after all, they never meant any harm: on the eontrary. they are our true friends and advisers, who have desired only our general welfare and well-being. So. at the thought of leaving our teaehers. we feel that we are losing not only assiduous instruetors. but also true friends and advisors... Graduation has always been thought of and imagined to be an event most joyous and happy. And truly. it is a time for eelebra- tion. It is a step. a turning point, a eorner stone. in the life of the graduate. Yet. it is not without its pangs of bitterness and regret.. VVith graduation. most of us will leave the Yeshiva. Our lives will heneeforth never be the same: our rela- tions with eaeh other will be ehanged. Graduation is truly a turning point in our lives. and. as eaeh graduate turns the eorner. he leaves behind what has been dearest and elosest to him during his stay at the Yeshiva. He will sever friendships that only the Yeshiva with its friendly. invit- ing atmosphere can nourish. Friends will separate. enemies will be reeon- eiled brushing' away all misunder- standings... Yow. that the time when most of us will leave the Yeshiva it at hand, our thoughts and feelings mingle. Our four years of study have not been in vain-they are invaluable. It was only our enduranee and per- severance. I may say so without boasting, that merits us this reward. YYe go out into the world taking with us. in addition to the seeular knowledge imparted to us in the Engilsh department of the Yeshiva. an uiulerstanding of the Torah and Talmud. ' The Yeshiva has not only prepared ns I-sr American Citizenship. but also for the future leadership of the Jew-