Boy Scout is Bar Mitzvah’d

By Y. Raices
Photos: Chaim F.

Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh’s summer program is in its second year, and is turning out to be a resounding success. The program is for shiur alef and shiur beis bochurim.

Under the directorship of Rabbi Chonie Friedman, the program is staffed by some of this past year’s Shluchim to the Yeshiva, and some new staff.

The Bochurim have a daily learning schedule starting with Chassidus in the morning, followed by Nigleh.

A wide range of sports keeps the boys busy in the afternoon, and Chassidus is studied at night. In YKPGH the bochurim are surrounded with a constant Chassidishe atmosphere, farbrengens, and special Shiurim given by Anash and gifted Magidei Shiurim.

The Bochurim have gone on exciting trips including: watching Shchita, an overnight followed by white water rafting in Ohiopyle, horseback riding, paintball shooting, and this past Shabbos, they had a Shabbaton in Greenfield, PA.

During their overnight in Ohiopyle, the Bochurim chanced upon several Yidden at a nearby camping site. It was a group of Boy Scouts, all the way from Long Island. The Bochurim helped them put on Tefillin and played ball with them. Later on the boy scouts returned with some friends and it was discovered that one of them had never put on Teffilin before! How lucky they were to have an instant BBQ Bar Mitzvah – quite a lebedike celebration! The Boy Scouts had a grand evening with the Rebbe’s Army!

Special mention goes to the Shluchim: Yossi Eilfort, Aryeh Gajer, Aron Reyder and Yisroel Raices, working together with Henoch Rosenfeld, Dovid Kotlarsky, Shmulik Greenberg, and Levi Freedman.