Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey’s annual Media Awareness program began this past week. The program, which continues for two weeks until Lag B’Omer, encourages students to turn off the media with the hope and expectation that they will understand that the lifestyles and trends depicted by television, movies and other electronic media are often contrary to Torah values. By scheduling the Media Awareness Weeks in the weeks leading up to Shavuot, RYNJ aims to teach its students to prepare spiritually and intellectually for receiving the Torah. The program includes students from Early Childhood through Grade 8. Those who turn off the media, for even one day, earn a chance to win a prize. The more one participates, the more chances the student has to win.

Throughout the past years, this program has been overwhelmingly successful with hundreds of students turning off their media for the entire two weeks. To kick off the program, Rabbi Larry Rothwachs and Rabbi Yehoshua Fulda addressed the students, encouraging them to participate.

Rabbi Rothwachs extended the theme of freedom that began on Pesach and applied it to the freedom that one really achieves when he/she no longer becomes a slave to the media.

Rabbi Fulda discussed how refraining from the electronic devices that we encounter nowadays can invigorate the spiritual and intellectual of development of children. Both speakers gave examples of how students can use their newfound time by engaging in meaningful pursuits, such as learning Torah and participating in chesed projects.