Yossi Krausz
Multiple sources confirm that a meeting among a number of American roshei yeshivah took place this past Thursday at the house of the Novominsker Rebbe, in which they committed to stop sending their bachurim to yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael. The roshei yeshivah will no longer be providing bachurim with recommendation letters to gain them access to Israeli yeshivos, nor will they send lists of their bachurim to Israeli roshei yeshivah. Bachurim will instead be directed to a new yeshivah in America, which will serve bachurim before they enter Beth Medrash Govoha, facilitating earlier marriages and a hoped-for end to the shidduch crisis that has been plaguing the yeshivah world. As recently reported in Ami (Issue 103), askanim believe that the central cause of the shidduch crisis is an age gap between men and women when they enter the shidduch stage.
The plan of the roshei yeshivah will reduce the gap. The Thursday meeting, which came after a planning meeting of five roshei yeshivah on Tuesday, was attended by the following roshei yeshivah: the Novominsker Rebbe; Rav Yosef Mermelstein of Yeshivas Novominsk; Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel of Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Moshe of South Fallsburg; Rav Meir Herskowitz of Yeshiva Bais Binyomin of Stamford; Rav Malkiel Kotler of Beth Medrash Govoha; Rav Shlomo Feivel Schustal and Rav Lipa Margolis of Torah Temimah; Rav Kalman Epstein of Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah; Rav Yosef Eichenstein of Yeshiva of Edison; Rav Nissan Goodman of Tiferes Elimelech; Rav Mottel Dick of Hechal Hatorah; Rav Mendel Slomowitz of Yeshiva Toras Chaim of Lakewood; Rav Eli Yagod of Yeshiva Keren Hatorah; Rav Chaim Yehoshua Hoberman of Mesivta of Long Beach; Rav Yosef Frankel of Yeshivas Vyelipol; and Rav Gershon Neumann of Yeshiva Zichron Leyma of Linden.
The roshei yeshivah discussed where the new yeshivah will be established, and under whose auspices. Reportedly, Beth Medrash Govoha offered at the meeting to establish such a yeshivah for younger bachurim in Lakewood, under BMG’s auspices, and would be willing to have such a yeshivah up and running for the coming zman. According to some sources, to establish a yeshivah in any other location would probably take until Elul zman. At the meeting, it was reported, Rav Mottel Dick took the responsibility of making certain that, one way or the other, a yeshivah is established for this purpose. In a recent interview, the rosh kollel, Rav Eliyahu Levine, responded to those who claim that the shidduch crisis cannot be remedied by our actions, because it is a gezeirah, a Divine decree. Rav Levine asked how these people know that it is a gezeirah. Maybe, he said, it is instead a nisayon, a test, to see whether we will help each other. The recent concrete actions of the roshei yeshivah, to stop the crisis, show that American Torah leaders have ratified Rav Levine’s sentiment.
[from April 22]
KOL HAKAVOD to the Roshei Yeshiva Shlita for taking time out from their learning and other responsibilities to try to find solutions for Bnos Yisroel that they shouldn't remain alone!
I will humbly suggest that not sending the bochrim to Eretz Yisrael creates another problem. Namely, that the bochrim won't go to Eretz Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael is the lifeblood of Am Yisrael [with the Torah of course].
The Vilna Gaon wanted very much to repeal the cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom and allow men to have multiple wives but was unsuccessful [as reported in the name of his talmid Rav Yisrael Mishklov by Rav Akiva Yosef Schlesinger ztz"l]. That would solve many problems. It would also create many new ones.....
Bottom line - Every solution creates new problems.
Bribing people to find a match for older girls doesn't seem to be working.
There is only one solution that will solve everything without creating new problems - MOSHIACH!!!!
