The end of an article I was sent from the "Jewish Link Of New Jersey" - by a high school senior, questioning the "year in Israel":
The Modern Orthodox system is failing its successors because it solely depends on yeshivos and seminaries to straighten out their children before college arrives and the yarmulke comes off. The yeshiva is a last resort, a pleading hope that cries, “Perhaps this will convince him that this is the right way.” So, I ask, why should I submit to this desperate “Plan B” ideology? Maybe I’ll just stay home.
When you are 17 - you think you understand a lot about life. You understand so much more than you did when you were five that it seems to you that you really get it.
Then you turn 27, 37 and 47 and realize that when you were 17 you really didn't understand much at all. It is a combination of very little life experience, incomplete maturity and other factors.
You should come to Israel and learn because the job of a Jew in this world is to cleave to Hashem. There is NO mitzva to attend college. The GREATEST mitzva and chiyuv is to study Torah and the optimal place is a yeshiva. One cleaves to Hashem in the deepest way when he learns [as the Nefesh Hachayim and other sfarim explain at length].
Staying "home" implies that Bergenfield [where this young man lives] is home. When you come to Israel you will hopefully realize that Bergenfeild is not home. It is just a place where you get free room and board. Home is the Holy Land of Israel. אויר נשמות ארצך.
Maybe a 17 year old Americanized MO kid with a smartphone in hand doesn't realize this but once you immerse yourself [without the smartphone] in the deep sugyos of Shas, maseches after maseches, you learn Tanya and Sifrei Pnimiyus, you learn how to daven and mean what you say, you connect to true tzadikei elyon - your perspective changes drastically.
I am ill at ease with kids being given such a public forum to express anti-torah views at such a tender age.
I don't like it when older people do, either......
