A bunch of yeshiva seventh-grade boys respond to a challenge from their rebbe and decide to get together on the weekends to learn Torah, for bonus points—admirable, yes, but perhaps not so unusual.
The same group of young men keep learning together, on Shabbat afternoons, through the eighth grade, past junior high school graduation, and now well into the ninth grade, even though they’re now going to different schools. Now that’s truly remarkable.
Such is the story with a large group of boys in the Highland Park/Edison area who attended the Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva (RPRY) in Edison together and graduated from the school in June 2021.
When they were in the seventh grade their limudei kodesh rebbe, Rabbi Steven Miodownik (who also serves as the rav of Congregation Ahavas Achim in Highland Park), invited them to participate in the Mishna Incentive Program (MIP). The students who learned all the Mishnayot in Mishna Pesachim on their own, and took a set of exams to demonstrate their mastery of the material, would get to go with him to a Yankees game at the end of the school year.
Many of his students signed up and regularly studied Mishnayot together on Shabbat afternoons. And then, in March 2020, the pandemic set in and everything changed.
The planned group expedition to a Yankee game got scrapped. But the students remained committed to the weekly Shabbat afternoon learning and, when it was safe to do so, they continued to learn together—first outside, when the weather permitted, and later (as restrictions eased) they resumed learning together indoors.
As Netanel Renna (one of the boys in the group) explained to The Jewish Link, everyone in the group helps organize when and where the group meets each Shabbat via a WhatsApp chat group with 17 members. They decide who will host the group that week and what time they will meet. Sam Blau of Highland Park often serves as the “rebbe” and teaches that week’s material to the group.
Blau shared that the group started learning Mishnayot Pesachim, per the MIP challenge, then went on to learn the Mishnayot of Bava Kama, Taanit, Rosh HaShana and Berachot.
“Now that we are in high school, we figured we’d learn Gemara, so now we’re learning Gemara Berachos,” he said. “The idea behind learning Berachos is simply that it’s the first mesechta but in addition to that it is extremely practical to our everyday lives. The more one learns Gemara, and in this case Berachos, the more possible everyday situations he realizes there are, and the more he has to ask what the halacha is. Also Gemara Berachos has fascinating aggadita.”
Sharing a sentiment that is apparently quite common to the group members, Renna said: “It has been very inspirational to learn together every Shabbos, and it is a great use of our Shabbos afternoon.”
“I think what makes our get-togethers so special is that we come out each week, and people walk across town, just to learn with each other, in a group that’s friendly and is open to asking questions,” said Moshe Jaman. “It’s not just learning but also spending time with good friends. After we graduated RPRY, we went to different schools. This group gives us a continued connection, a way to still be in touch and to learn together.”
Parents of the ninth graders’ weekly study group are impressed with their sons’ continued weekly commitment to voluntary Torah learning. And they are thankful to RPRY for helping to instill a passion for learning in their children.
“I really like that the boys organize the shiurim themselves without any parental input (other than buying snacks, of course),” said Rena Blau, Sam’s mom. “And I’m really impressed by how far some of the boys walk to be there, even in terrible weather.”
“We are so grateful to Rabbi Miodownik and to RPRY for creating an environment in which our children have gained not only the skills to learn but also a true love of learning,” said Rebecca Cypess, mother of Joey (one of the chavruta members). “The dedication that this class has shown in continuing to meet every week to share Torah together is truly remarkable. We could not be prouder.”
“It’s really given this great chevra a place and a time to get together with Torah learning at the center,” said Jeremy Renna, Netanel’s dad. “They have fun, they play games as well, but I know that after Shabbos lunch Netanel is going to a great environment—that he and his friends have built for themselves. Then they all go to Mincha, have shalosh seudos together and come back for Maariv. Just tremendous!”
By Harry Glazer
