A guest post I wrote on R' Harry Maryles' Blog on Yeshivas HaOlim

Is it possible to start a new yeshiva without a rich backer(s)?

My personal hero, R' Avrohom Eliyahu Kaplan zt”l, writes in one of his essays:

Oh Hashem Elokim! Who would grant that we would for a moment forget this oppressing thought: That everything has happened before, thousands upon thousands of time. That the great ones have already spoken, and that the small ones have already closed their ears. That all was without benefit, without blessing... that nothing can fix distorted hearts, that there is no escape from twisted concepts. Who would grant that we would for a moment forget this!...

In forgetting this smallness we would suddenly remember greatness. In destroying this despair we would suddenly renew souls. Evil would dissipate. Stupidity would dissipate. Surely a bridge would be built between man and his brother, a ladder would rise between Earth and Heaven.

A moment... Yes, that is what I said: “That they would forget for a moment!” For greater is the glory of one short moment than vast stretches of time enwrapped in desolation. What a moment can achieve years cannot...

Let us not wait [for this moment] till we come to shame... If it does not exist, let us create it...

“If the tzaddikim desire, they can create worlds” - if they desire...

It is told about the Gr”a zt”l that anyone who overheard him at the time of Kabbolas Shabbos saying: “Today, if you listen to His voice,” would immediately become a Ba’al Teshuva.
Today! This moment! Immediately - and eternally.

But when will this moment come? When will it be sought? When will it be found? In every generation they ask this same question, and every generation answers with greater despair than
its predecessors: “Who knows?”

But one [truth] I know! This response can only suffice for all Mankind, or for Israel as a whole. For an individual, the specific person who sits and writes or reads these simple lines, can he respond any other way to the question “when?” than with the reply of Hillel: “If not now... when?”

Now. Immediately. For now - and for all generations...eat ones have already spoken, and that the small ones have already closed their ears. That all was without benefit, without blessing... that nothing can fix distorted hearts, that there is no escape from twisted concepts. Who would grant that we would for a moment forget this!...
In forgetting this smallness we would suddenly remember greatness. In destroying this despair we would suddenly renew souls. Evil would dissipate. Stupidity would dissipate. Surely a bridge would be built between man and his brother, a ladder would rise between Earth and Heaven.

A moment... Yes, that is what I said: “That they would forget for a moment!” For greater is the glory of one short moment than vast stretches of time enwrapped in desolation. What a moment can achieve years cannot...

Let us not wait [for this moment] till we come to shame... If it does not exist, let us create it...

“If the tzaddikim desire, they can create worlds” - if they desire...

It is told about the Gr”a zt”l that anyone who overheard him at the time of Kabbolas Shabbos saying: “Today, if you listen to His voice,” would immediately become a Ba’al Teshuva.
Today! This moment! Immediately - and eternally.

But when will this moment come? When will it be sought? When will it be found? In every generation they ask this same question, and every generation answers with greater despair than
its predecessors: “Who knows?”

But one [truth] I know! This response can only suffice for all Mankind, or for Israel as a whole. For an individual, the specific person who sits and writes or reads these simple lines, can he respond any other way to the question “when?” than with the reply of Hillel: “If not now... when?”

Now. Immediately. For now - and for all generations...

Beautiful sentiments. But are they applicable to the “real” world?

There is a need in the greater New York area for a new yeshiva high school for boys. One with the learning that is ostensibly exclusive to the “Charedi” world and with the breadth that is ostensibly exclusive to the “Modern” world. One in which talmidim will be empowered to actively pursue a truly well rounded approach to learning. In short, a Torah Im Derech Eretz yeshiva high school. (Note, that since Rav Mantel shlita, the Rav of KAJ and head of YRSRH renounced T.I.D.E. last year, there no longer is – even officially – a yeshiva in America that proudly flies the T.I.D.E. banner.)

There are definite populations that would love such a yeshiva for their children: The more “yeshivish” YU alumnus who wants his son to enjoy intensive Gemara; the “Charedi” yeshiva alumnus desperately seeking “braitkeit,” the “Ba'al Teshuvah” seeking a holistic, positive educational environment.

There is even a web-group, started by a driven, idealistic talmid of mine, which you are invited to join and to whose discussions you are invited to contribute:

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Yeshivas-HaOlim-New-Dynamic-TIDE-3814427

There you will find its tentative name and logo (and their background in the educational program of Dr. Nathan Birnbaum zt”l), and a tentative mission statement as well (with significant basis emerging from the writings of R' Avrohom Elya zt”l).

Now, I happened to know of an individual – let us call him XYZ – who had attempted within the past year to found a yeshiva high school with a similar perspective, philosophy and program – and with the moral support of some “big names” in the both the rabbinic and human the development communities. I had not formally heard, but nevertheless understood, that the attempt at proved abortive, so I asked him why:

Reb XYZ, shlita,

Forgive me if this is intrusive, but I had heard the name XYZ from _______ in connection with the evidently stillborn new... high school, which – from my conversations with Rabbi ABC and Dr. DEF – certainly sounded like it was along the same lines as the [new yeshiva described above], and which sounded wonderful. If this is you, may I ask what happened? If not, please forgive my inquiry.

XYZ responded:

Yes, that was me. What happened is we were not going to do go ahead with it unless we had the money to do it right, and we couldn't get the amount of money needed. To do it without being well funded up front will inevitably result in compromises that will render the school not fundamentally better than all the other b'di'eveds that are already out there, and lots of time and resources of Klal Yisroel will have been wasted to just create another b'di'eved.

I wrote back:

I don't want to sound frum, but if we perceive this to be Ratzon Hashem, shouldn't we proceed with some measure of Bitachon? Moreover, if the ideals of the parents and of the faculty are in sync, why should the school not work, even if its resources might be somewhat limited?

To which XYZ responded:

1) See Chazon Ish Emunah U'Bitachon perek 2: Bitachon doesn't mean that we assume things work out as we want them to.

2a) In any economy, kal vachomer the current economy, a small group of interested parents don't have the resources to pay for a new school without serious backing of a very big gvir.

2b) One would have to be a fool to send his child to a brand new school that lacks serious gvir backing and has no track record.

Perhaps this exchange is but a furtherance of my education, and a further chipping away at my childish naivete, but I always believed what R' Avrohom Elya wrote. Was I wrong? Evidently. Although the thought depresses me, it is also oddly comforting. I tend to think of myself as a coward – that it was my fault that a dream that I had for many years, of opening my own yeshiva, never came to fruition. That if I had the “right stuff” I would cry out Me laHashem Elai! and do what I thought right regardless of lack of finances. But, if I was wrong, and without a gvir – preferably gvirim – one cannot found a yeshiva, then I have been justified in not pursuing dreams I once had – it was just fate, since none of my friends have become gvirim (yet)!

Of course, I still hope this is not true. Because if it is, it means that the geulah is really in the hands of the gvirim. Not the rabbonim, not the nashim tzidkaniyos, and certainly not you and me. The “moment” for which R' Avrohom Elya yearns is very expensive, and can only be produced with the cooperation of the wealthiest individuals.

I would have loved to have the concept of Yeshivas HaOlim around for my kids. I would love to have it around for the kids I still have in the system. I think it would be an extraordinary to'eles for vast number of boys. I am sure many readers would agree with me.

Can we prove XYZ wrong?