I am pleased to inform you that there will be 6 teams taking part in this year's Flag Football Tournament. 56 boys have signed up to play.

This year's lineup:

Allied Funding
Sunpride Nutrition
Tov Pizza
Knish Shop
Pariser's Bakery
National Photo

If you know anyone who will be able to help referee and volunteer on Friday afternoons from approximately 12:15pm - 1:30pm, please have them contact me gcohn@torahyouth.org or 443-857-4304.

Let the games begin!

TORAH YOUTH IS PROUD TO ONCE AGAIN PRESENT MOTZAI SHABBOS TENNIS!!
SEE FLYER BELOW:

The following is a letter I wrote and submitted to the Yated as a reaction to R' Teitelbaum's article. I do not know if the Yated will publish this, but I felt that it was a good read for all:

GC

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I was very pleased to read R’ Eli Teitelbaum’s article regarding the need to provide kids with constructive extracurricular activities. As a former camper (3 years) of S’dei Chemed under R’ Teitelbaum’s leadership, I have a great respect for R’ Teitelbaum and the passion with which he was able to run this outstanding summer success; I have Hakaras Hatov for all he did for my fellow campers and me.

Over the past few years, my experience with teen-centered extracurricular programs has expanded and deepened from my own S’dei Chemed years. It is clear that we are in an era with more distractions and with what seems to be more neglect for “regular” frum kids. In his article, R’ Teitelbaum mentions that these kids are “at-risk.” That is true to some extent, but I believe that the bulk of the kids to whom he refers are “potentially” at-risk.

The frum community at large has been asleep at the wheel ignoring the needs of these kids under the premise that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It has incorrectly presumed that these good, “trouble-free” kids are always occupied with only wholesome and enriching activities; this is NOT SO!

While meaning well, the frum community has not provided healthy outlets where our children can “blow off steam” after a jam packed schedule filled with learning, chazara, b’chinos, and, oh yes, a few hours of homework and night Seder.

That is why, four years ago, my good friend & chavrusa, Moshe Starkman, and I, created an organization for “frum” kids called Torah Youth Association (TYA). Torah Youth was created with the purpose of creating positive environments for Middle & High School students. The opportunities we create allow these teens to experience Torah, play sports, do chesed, perform community service activities, and build lasting friendships within a positive, growth oriented culture.

We provide our students with an environment that promotes religious exploration, responsible social interaction, and leadership development within the framework of Halacha. The values of our schools are not being reinforced within the confines of society and, therefore, can not be sustained in a real-world environment that bombards our students with numerous challenges.

We stand, in support of the Orthodox Jewish day school system, as an organization dedicated to bringing "real life" Judaism to our students in a way that is engaging and meaningful. If even one Jewish student feels Torah is oppressive and inhibits self-growth, that is one student too many! Unfortunately, in today’s society and “free” culture, too many of our children have become disenchanted with the Torah lifestyle resulting in devastating consequences.

Torah Youth Association consists of parents, teachers, students, and supporters working together to empower our children and students. Through developing stronger decision makers grounded in a Torah education fortified through real-world experiences, our children are better prepared to succeed both personally and morally. Some of our “kosher” supervised outlets include working with local chesed organizations, Motzai Shabbos activities, weekend Flag Football, BBQ’s, and many other exciting events and programs.

Notable gedolim are in support of this program, and are very excited that action is being taken to provide activities and a support system for these kids. As one Rosh HaYeshiva noted, “Kids have to have fun.”

TYA is a national program which currently operates in Baltimore and Silver Spring, MD as well as Philadelphia, PA. All programs are gender specific and each city has a different strength. For example, Baltimore has a tremendous program for High School boys and a more recent program for High School girls. The Torah Youth program in Philadelphia for middle school boys has replaced the local Pirchei.

Our motto is “Learning Life, Living Torah and Loving It.” Our goal is to develop kids who live Torah while engaging in other activities outside of seder or the classroom. We provide a focus on “Derech Eretz Kadma LaTorah.”

It is important to express the concern as R’ Teitelbaum has done and even more important to take action. If you would like to be involved in fighting the tide of losing our children to drugs, violence and other inappropriate behavior chas v’shalom, step up today. Become an active member of the Torah Youth Association and help us protect the Jewish tomorrow. Please contact me at 443-857-4304 or gcohn@torahyouth.org. Be a part of this great mitzvah. Save a Life – Save a world!

Rabbi Teitelbaum, thank you for doing your part in providing a unique outlet for thousands of youth. I am just one of many, but feel I speak for all. Our Torah Youth thank you as well!

The following article was posted on theyeshivaworld.com and was previously published in the Yated. I would like to thank my father for bringing it to my attention. I went to Camp S'dei Chemed for three years and R' Teitelbaum's inspiration has helped me create the Torah Youth program.
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I give great credit to the Mirer Yeshivah in Yerushalayim that has realized the great problem of what happens when their bochurim have nothing to do during bein hazmanim. The yeshiva organizes trips at subsidized prices which take their talmidim around Eretz Yisroel. If only other yeshivas would follow their example, many tragedies would be avoided.

When sports and concerts are forbidden, and all forms of kosher entertainment are off limits, we are asking for trouble. If our kids cant find a place to vent their energy within a kosher environment, then they will find it elsewhere. In a time of war even the Torah itself permitted one to marry a captive non-Jewish girl under certain conditions. Chazal explain the logic behind this law. The Torah understood that a person is only human and therefore in this instance, while fighting a war, it gave him some leeway. The Gemora tells us that for everything the Torah forbade it gave us something similar that was permitted. Today’s war with the Yetzer Horah is far greater than ever before.

But in every generation we have the likes of Doeg and Achitofel who misled great people such as Shaul and Avshalom with falsehoods and lies that caused them to try to kill Dovid. Doeg even succeeded in getting Shaul to kill all the Kohanim in the city of Nov. This shows how falsehoods can be spread, how easily they are believed, and the terrible damage that can result. Even the greatest of the great are vulnerable to such camouflaged slander and can be misled by advisors they trust. Just turn to Shmuel II chapter 16 and read the story of how Dovid who knew better than anyone else of the great dangers of an evil tongue was himself taken in by Tziva who fabricated a false story about Mefiboshes. If even the greatest of the great can be misled, then wed all better be very careful and constantly on our guard least we too fall into the same trap.

Things haven’t changed much since ancient times. Today, too, we have self proclaimed agitators and charlatans who have nothing to do with their time but to go around to our leading Torah sages and try to convince them that separate-seating concerts are a threat to our Yiddishkeit and to ban them. They falsely claim that there is pritzus in the hallways plus other fabrications. Exaggeration is a blood relative to falsehood, and almost as bad. A gossip is one who can give you all the details without knowing all the facts. Unfortunately, they often succeed in their mission. All it took was one Korach to convince the 250 heads of Sanhedrin of the holiness and purity of his mission.

Some have organized special activities and places for these "at risk kids? to get together under proper supervision, but this is not the real solution. The problem must be addressed long before young people reach the "at risk? stage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If the money we spent on rehabilitation where to be spent on prevention, wed get far more for our money, and fewer people who need intensive intervention

It must be clearly noted that despite all that was said, one is required to follow the ruling of our sages even when they say "Right is left and left is right”. Nowadays when there is no Sanhedrin, one must seek a leading posek and follow his ruling on all matters and not go "posek hopping”. This applies not only in the above case but in all other areas as well. There are some disagreements among our leading poskim in Hilchos Shabbos which can be an isur sekilah. One can’t pick and choose stringencies from one or leniencies from another. (Gemora ) The Agudas Yisroel follows the ruling of the Moetzes Gedolai HaTorah. Others can decide on their posek whom they wish to follow. But whoever it is, the psak must be followed even if it hurts.

Yes, there are legitimate concerns that must be addressed in order to make sure that concerts are conducted in a true Yiddish atmosphere and flavor. Performers should not be Jewish rock or rap singers and the music should not imitate todays street hip-hop culture as some performers unfortunately do. Sadly, I’ve gone to frum weddings where the music and dancing felt like one was in a disco with only the flashing lights missing. Roshei yeshivas and rabbonim danced in the middle of the circle having no idea as what type of music they were dancing to. I hope no one is going to ban music at weddings because of this, but rather the msader kidushin or rabbonim should meet with the band leaders as well as the mechutonim to rectify this outrage. Serious concerns must be discussed between the concert organizers and rabbonim beforehand. Instead of seeking to ban these concerts, we must make sure that they are a kiddush Shem Shomayim. Music has a powerful effect upon the listener and we must ensure that it follows in the footsteps and style of Dovid Hamelech the "nim zemiros Yisroel”, to whose words our music is often put.

We definitely need our gedolim to guide us, and if we come to them with sincere requests to teach us to run activities al pi Torah, they would respond wisely and constructively. We should no longer leave the field open to those few agitators and connivers who choose to deprive our young people of positive outlets. For if we close the doors to that which is permitted they’ll unfortunately, soon find other places to fill the void!

2007 Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum.