CHOOSE TO SHINE

I recently returned from an inspiring trip to Israel. I was fortunate to join the USA Friends of Shuvu Annual Mission to Israel. On the first day we were greeted by enthusiastic children in the city of Ashkelon. We all witnessed the excited children learning at such a high level. Classes were conducted in Hebrew. The majority of the students are Russian, however there is a growing contingent of French children whose families are fleeing persecution. We listened in on a 7th grade rebbe who was learning Bava Metzia. He was asking questions that I am sure were at high school level or even appropriate for bais medrash students. His talmidim were answering confidently and their proficiency truly impressed us. We also attended the bar mitzvah celebration of a young Russian student named David. His proud father was in attendance as well. Rav Aharon Pam was honored with the first (kohain) Aliyah. Rav Pam’s father, Rav Avraham Yaakov Pam, founded Shuvu. 

I remember going every year to the summer fundraiser at Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger’s house.  Rav Pam would come to raise funds for his beloved Shuvu. He would make heartfelt, impassioned pleas that Shuvu is not just another institution nor just another charity. It is not bound by the normal limits of tithing or even for chomesh, the 20% limit for giving charity. Shuvu is nothing less than a movement to change the face of Eretz Yisrael. By providing high-level Jewish and secular education to immigrant children, we are able to influence them and provide for those who were denied their heritage for over 70 years under Russian rule. 

This is a unique opportunity, and one which will not last forever. He said that Hashem is providing us with this special merit to take care of his children. The parents are begging for more Shuvu schools. Kids who go through the Shuvu system are well behaved, better educated, and closer to yiddishkeit than children raised in the Mamlachti (Israeli secular public school) system.  The interest is there. It far exceeds Shuvu’s ability to provide for every child who wants to enroll. The only thing missing is the funding to open more schools, and to increase the size of the 74 already in existence. Rav Pam asked if we can save Jewish children with money, can we live with ourselves if we let Hashem’s children fall to the wayside? Can we go to sleep at night if these precious children are lost forever because we failed to do everything in our collective power to give them the Torah education which is their birthright? We cannot allow them to go into the Israeli public school system, where they learn to resent religious Jews. Every single one of these souls is precious. How can we allow them to slip from our grasp? I picture Rav Pam speaking these words so beautifully. Shuvu has these videos.  I encourage you to watch them if you can. They will break any heart.

The most powerful recollection I have was at the Shuvu Summer Fundraiser during the last year of Rav Pam’s life. It was 2001. He came to the summer fundraiser in an ambulance shortly before his petira. They wheeled in his stretcher and he could barely get a word out. All he could say was, “The children, the children, the children…” He was crying with every breath. His superhuman sacrifice made an indelible impression on everyone. Rav Pam always expressed his gratitude to HaShem for having the merit to start the Shuvu school system.  It was the thing he held most dear.

That was over 17 years ago. As Rav Pam’s talmidim reach retirement age, there must be a brand new infusion of energetic younger people to help carry the torch and continue this vital mission for the Jewish people. If you care about the future of Eretz Yisroel, if you are ready to step up and volunteer to be part of the Shuvu family, I strongly encourage you to call them at (212) 425-3500 right now.