It was a brilliant Sunday afternoon and race cars were lined up waiting for go time. Car makers who had spent weeks designing, painting, and cutting were anxious to see just how fast their creations could go. Men and women were on the edge of their seats. Did the Indianapolis 500 come to North Jersey? Not quite. This was the annual Pinewood Derby, hosted by Cub Scout Pack 613 at Congregation Ahavat Achim in Fair Lawn.
Cub Scouts across the country have been participating in the Pinewood Derby since its inception in California in 1953. In a 1999 interview with Scouting magazine, creator Donald Murphy said he envisioned The Pinewood Derby as a “constructive activity that would foster a closer father-son relationship and promote craftsmanship and good sportsmanship through competition.” The only materials scouts are given to make the cars are four wheels, four nails, and a block of wood. The Cub Scout will then design, carve, paint, weigh, refine, and race the car. Of course, parents, den leaders, and other adults are available to help. Cars can reach a speed of nearly 20 miles per hour.
Noah Greenbaum, of Fair Lawn, is a Webelo. He’s a veteran Pinewood Derby participant and has seen his car take high honors in the past. “It’s very exciting. I’ve been doing this since I started scouts,” he says. “I like making the car. My dad helps me.” Asher Jacobson is also a Webelo. He says of the Pinewood Derby, “I made the car with my dad, and it was fun. It took a few weeks.” Yehuda Pfeiffer, a Bear, is in his second year of being a Cub Scout. While Yehuda likes all the activities, the Pinewood Derby is the one he enjoys most. “You get to see if your car is in first place,” he says. “I liked cutting the wood and making the car.”
Activities such as the Pinewood Derby are just part of the reason Jonathan Schachter formed Pack 613. He says, “I’m carrying on a legacy. My father started a Boy Scout troop so that I could continue on after completing Cub Scouts.” Schachter went on and earned the ranking of Eagle Scout—the highest rank a scout can earn. He says one way he benefitted from being a scout was finding role models and learning important traits such as the need to help others. “Helping other people at all times became part of my nature. If not for scouting, I don’t know if I would be such a person.”
It wasn’t Schachter’s intention to continue his father’s legacy. His goal was simply to get his oldest son, Eli, who was in second grade at the time, involved in scouts. Schachter searched for a pack, but found none that observed Shabbat and kashrut. While Eli could have joined other packs, it would mean missing out on many of the activities that are often scheduled on Shabbat. So, Schachter started his own pack, approaching friends to get the core minimum of five scouts. Once he received those commitments, he began advertising and reached out to the Boy Scout Council for support.
Today the troop is made up of 36 boys and has excellent den leaders. One of those den leaders is Rabbi Tanchum Cohen of Beth Abraham who serves as the Webelos den leader. He says of the scouts, “It’s very wholesome. Children can have fun and learn practical skills as well as work toward age-appropriate goals.” Rabbi Cohen also sees an overlap in what the scouts try to do and Judaism. “When we start a new unit, I often give a Torah perspective on the topic. For example, when we talked about citizenship, I spoke about a Mishna in Avos that is about respect for the government.” Rabbi Cohen believes his sons Yehuda and Shaya have gained much by being part of the scouts. He says, “Each on his own level has learned a lot of outdoor skills and further developed his people skills.” However, it’s the scouting system of working toward age-appropriate goals that Cohen feels has been most valuable.
Ari Farkas of Teaneck is the assistant den leader of the Wolves. Farkas and his son Yonatan attended this year’s opening event back in September. The boys made bird feeders and snacked on S’mores and popcorn. Yonatan had a good time, and Farkas was impressed. He was so impressed that he wanted to take an active role to see how the program was run. “It’s clear that the Boy Scouts of America puts in a lot of effort to organize activities and programming with messages that are age appropriate. It serves as an informal education platform.” Through these lessons, boys can learn about camaraderie and leadership skills. Farkas says Yonatan has learned about being part of a team, using tools more confidently, and achieving goals through work.
One goal Yonatan and the other boys had was preparing their car for the Pinewood Derby. This year there were 29 cars that entered the Pinewood Derby. Some clearly took design seriously. Cars designs included tributes to Angry Birds, a pencil, the Denver Broncos, and NASA. However, only one car could be deemed the fastest. That distinction went to Robert Brenenson—his third straight year. Father of the champion, Aryeh Brenenson says of the Pinewood Derby, “It’s a noncompetitive fun afternoon for everyone to enjoy.” Brenenson is willing to share the secret to his son’s car’s success. He says, “File off the burrs (place where the nail head is connected to the body) to make the car move faster.”
Got that, Cub Scouts? Before you know it, Pinewood Derby preparations will be here again.
If you are interested in signing your son up for the Cub Scouts or have questions, contact Jonathan Schachter at [email protected].
By Larry Bernstein
