In the sanctuary of Rosenbaum Yeshiva New Jersey (RYNJ), in the early morning of a school day, seats filled with excited middle school students eager to hear from YU Roshei Yeshiva Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky and Rabbi Mordechai Willig. The rebbeim are all part of RYNJ’s Vaad Ha’Rabbonim, and visited RYNJ’s River Edge campus on January 8, for exclusive Q&A panels with both the middle school boys and middle school girls.

“One of the things that makes our yeshiva unique is the connection we have to these rebbeim and the understanding that the previous generation has something of value that we should cherish and appreciate,” Head of School Rabbi Daniel Price shared with The Jewish Link. In Rabbi Price’s opening remarks, he told the students that “there are people in the Jewish world who have a wealth of knowledge and broad perspectives that we don’t have … and when we ask them questions, we can expand our horizons to understand the depth of these questions and channel it.”

The sixth, seventh and eighth grade students submitted their questions for the rabbonim ahead of time, and out of 50 or so questions from both boys and girls, 10 were selected to be answered at each panel. Each question was prominently displayed on a screen next to the rabbonim, and then thoughtfully answered by one rav at a time, who alternated among themselves depending on the topic.

“The question form was sent directly to the students via email, so that they couldn’t be influenced by their parents,” explained Rabbi Price. “The kids jumped right on it, and while it was a challenge to narrow it down, we selected questions based on whichever recurring themes we saw for each group.”

In the boys’ Q&A, topics of questions ranged from halachic (wearing tzitzit) to philosophical (free choice and predestination), with multiple questions revolving around popular subjects for middle school boys: playing sports, listening to music and learning. RYNJ’s middle school boys remained engaged throughout the entire panel, interacting with the rabbonim and laughing along with their anecdotes.

When asked whether loving athletes is akin to idol worship, Rabbi Neuberger posed the following: “How many of you have pictures of gedolim hanging in your room?” A majority of the students’ hands went up, a poignant showcase of their love for learning and yiddishkeit, impressing the Vaad and making Rabbi Price proud of the environment that RYNJ has fostered.

In the girls’ Q&A, questions leaned to the more existential, exploring topics like Mashiach and Matan Torah. Notably, the RYNJ girls asked multiple questions regarding social inclusion—such as whether it’s OK to listen to lashon hara in a group chat or to leave someone out of a social hangout if not everyone gets along—which Rabbi Price described as “developmentally perfect.”

“Both the boys and girls had similar questions about including and excluding others, because that’s what happens with children today. I’ve always felt that our children are sensitive to it, and seeing that these are the types of questions that they wanted to ask shows that they’re really thinking about it and considering each other’s feelings,” said Rabbi Price.

In the past, RYNJ has hosted a similar Q&A session with its Vaad Ha’Rabbonim for parents, but last week’s event was the first time the opportunity was given to the students. Doing this has been a passion project for Rabbi Price, who wants to teach RYNJ students about the importance of asking questions and how to do it in a way that they can carry with them for life.

“When we look at children, we’re looking at preparing them for adulthood. We’re supposed to be training them with skills they will need for their lives,” Rabbi Price shared. “In Judaism, we learn to not just let things be—we should always ask. Setting up this panel has been another way to encourage children to practice Judaism by learning how to ask questions. And the more you ask, the more you’ll know, and the more you’ll be engaged in what you’re doing because you’ll have a greater understanding.”

Rabbi Price was also adamant that these Q&A panels be done with the RYNJ Vaad—leading rabbinic authorities—to demonstrate how the “chain of command” works when it comes to asking questions. “We wanted to demonstrate that none of us have all of the answers, and that educators and community rabbis ask questions too … and these are the people that we ask.”

In order to ensure this event would fit into the busy schedules of the rabbonim, Rabbi Price has been coordinating since the summer. Knowing that they usually give their finals at YU in the beginning of January, RYNJ made sure to get this event on the calendar, giving the middle schoolers a rare morning with the Vaad.

“It’s really a blessing,” said Rabbi Price. “The time and care that we get from Rabbi Willig, Rabbi Neuberger and Rabbi Sobolofsky is truly amazing.”

At the end of the 90-minute back-to-back sessions, students were buzzing with positive feedback. Many of the boys reported to Rabbi Price that they really enjoyed the event and were thrilled to meet the rabbonim. Mrs. Cindy Zucker, the middle school girls principal, shared that the girls asked as soon as the panel was over: “When can we do this again?”

Channa Fischer is digital editor of The Jewish Link and is the resident 20-something in the office. She lives in Washington Heights.