In 1964, British author Roald Dahl published “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The book described how Mr. Willy Wonka, owner of the Wonka Chocolate Factory, hid five golden tickets in the wrappers of his chocolate bars. The finders of those tickets were awarded an amazing visit to the chocolate factory and a secret opportunity of a lifetime—to take over from Mr. Wonka as the factory’s owner.
Something very similar is happening in the yeshivishe olam today, but this time the golden tickets are real, and the winners are talented avreichim who are awarded an unprecedented chance to grow in Torah and Yiras Shamayim. Of course, we are speaking about the Center for Kehillah Development (CKD) and its annual awards for talented avreichim. For the last two years, exceptional avreichim interested in eventually working in rabbanus, chinuch or kiruv have been given a five-year stipend to learn in the CKD kollel in Yerushalayim—known as one of the most serious kollelim in Israel. CKD just launched their third awards campaign, and its winners will be given a ben-Torah’s dream starting this coming Elul.
The CKD was founded by Rabbi Leib Kelemen, שלט”א, and its staff includes Rav Yosef Kamenetsky, שליט”א, Rav Asher Weiss שליט”א , Rav Efrayim Kirshenbaum, שליט”א, and other well-known talmidei chachamim and poskim in Israel. Avreichim at CKD learn Halacha during morning seder and Shas in afternoon seder. They also get serious shimush in inyanei chinuch and sholom bayis from bikei’im in Eretz Yisrael. They even get special seminars in counseling and crisis intervention from some of the biggest experts in the world.
Last year, all CKD avreichim received smicha from Rav Shlomo Zalman Ulman, שליט”א, of Bnei Brak and earned some of the highest marks on the smicha exams given by the Rabbanut (known to be among the most difficult in the world). The CKD winners from previous years, who are now enjoying the privilege of five years of learning in Yerushalayim ih”k, are hardworking, idealistic and will take communal positions upon graduation from the program.
If you are age 25-30, married, headed for rabbanus, chinuch or kiruv, and interested in spending five years in an amazing kollel in Yerushalayim, check out the 3rd-annual CKD awards at www.c4kd.org.
