Q&A
Q: What is the motivation behind a packed program, which keeps us going from early morning to late at night?
A: We recognize that the schedule has always been demanding. This has been the case since its inception. The idea is that since participation is entirely voluntary, we aim to provide as many opportunities as possible, allowing participants to choose how much they want to engage.
We strive to maximize opportunities for involvement. Whenever we attempt to ease up, we often receive significant feedback. For example, a few years ago, when we reduced our nightly shiurim, which had been enhancing our learning, we were surprised by the number of heartfelt complaints we received. As a result, we quickly adjusted, and for the past 4-5 years, we’ve been gathering joyfully with at least half of the attendees for these nightly shiurim, which wrap up around 10 o’clock. Such is the power of limud haTorah b’rabim!
Q: For the past three years, we have focused on Choshen Mishpat sugyos. Why is that?
A: The participants have expressed great appreciation for it. The surveys have overwhelmingly supported this focus, so we decided to continue with it. I will admit that it makes my job more challenging, because the sugyos in Choshen Mishpat are often more complex and multi-layered than those in Orach Chaim or Yoreh De’ah, which makes the preparation more demanding, but it is absolutely worth it.
Q: What other programming challenges do you face?
A: We are constantly working to balance the mix of lomdishe shiurim, lomdishe halacha, halacha lema’aseh, and divrei aggada/chizuk throughout the week. We make a distinct effort to include gedolim from all fields, and by Hashem’s grace, we have been able to do so every year. Additionally, we strive to feature a new marbitz Torah each year.
Q: What about the language barrier?
A: We are fully aware of the importance of accommodating our English-only participants. We make a concerted effort to bring in luminaries such as HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, HaRav Dovid Cohen, HaRav Asher Arieli, and, this year, HaRav Isamar Garbuz. While we can’t teach them English, we truly value the priceless opportunity to learn from these gedolim. We are committed to ensuring that everyone gets the most out of the programming, regardless of language.
Q: How do you balance the shiurim schedule with chavrusa/preparation time?
A: Over the past quarter-century, this has arguably been the most challenging aspect. On one hand, people come to learn with a chavrusa or in a chaburah, and the sugyos are complex—there simply isn’t enough time! On the other hand, everyone has their own group of gedolim they want to learn from, and they insist that they’ve come all the way to Eretz Yisroel to bask in their presence. What to do? We are acutely aware of this challenge. We have consistently emphasized that no one needs to view the shiurim schedule as a “chov,” and all participants are encouraged to break off and learn if they wish. We typically have facilities available for this, though due to circumstances, we had fewer rooms available this year. Rest assured, we will make sure to rectify this moving forward.
This is also why we set up the extensive hachanah schedule. From anecdotal evidence, a large percentage of our attendees were able to access the shiurim, both live and archived, and came prepared. This made a significant difference. For example, following Rav Nissan Kaplan or Rav Avrohom Yaakov Cohen was much easier if you reviewed the material in advance.
