Ma'alot Yeshiva Celebrates 20 Years, Urges Educators to Connect with Youth
The Ma'alot Secondary Yeshiva marked its 20th anniversary with an event attended by approximately 120 alumni, students, parents, and guests. The yeshiva, which began in a single caravan, now educates 410 students.
Rabbi Yehoshua Weitzman, head of the Ma'alot Hesder Yeshiva and the city's rabbi, Rabbi Meir Segev, were in attendance. Rabbi Weitzman delivered a speech focusing on youth education, referencing Rabbi Kook's teachings on "educating a youth according to his way." He emphasized that each young person has a unique path and that adults and educators must strive to reconnect with the younger generation's world.
"We need to penetrate the soul of the youth, that innocence, that strength, that good will, those ideals that the youth longs for," Rabbi Weitzman stated, urging adults to look into the "soul of the youth" and understand their aspirations. He also touched upon Rabbi Kook's comments about a "generation in whom life is noisy," linking this to the challenge of internal listening amidst external distractions.
Addressing the students directly, Rabbi Weitzman praised them, saying, "Dear and beloved youth, take these words of Rabbi Kook. You are tremendous, giants, greater than us. We need a very great effort to be like you, with the innocence, the strengths, and the desires."
