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October 3, 2003
Yeshivah fits in "seamlessly"
Pacific Torah Institute includes eight local and 10 out-of-town
students.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
For many in the relatively small Jewish community of Greater Vancouver,
just a few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine a full-fledged
yeshivah school for boys in the middle of the Lower Mainland.
In a city that is so used to hearing about Jewish educational facilities
fighting for enrolment and financial survival, there are few who
would even consider the need for an additional institute, focused
on the highest level of Judaic studies.
So, when rabbis Noam Abramchik and Dovid Davidowitz moved to Vancouver
in order to serve as deans for the Pacific Torah Institute (PTI),
the first yeshivah in the Pacific Northwest, they found themselves
answering a lot of questions about the school's needs.
"A lot of times the question that we got was, 'Since we have
a Talmud Torah high school, why do we need a yeshivah?' " Abramchik
said. "They weren't trying to be confrontational or antagonistic,
they were asking because they didn't necessarily know what we are
about. But when we explained that the yeshivah provides a certain
type of education that the Talmud Torah is not providing, they said,
'That's great. Now we have options.' "
Several months later, and four weeks into the 2003/'04 school year,
PTI is running a full-service yeshivah for 18 boys, 10 of whom have
come from as far away as Toronto and Los Angeles for this particular
type of education.
With school days that start at 7:30 a.m. and run until 6:30 p.m.,
PTI, which is modelled after the Chofetz Chaim Yeshivah in Queens,
N.Y., provides a combination of talmudic and Judaic studies, lifestyle
philosophies and high-level secular education for male Jewish high
school students.
According to Davidowitz, the first few weeks of operation have gone
as smoothly as they could have hoped.
"We've almost seamlessly fit in," he said, during a Wednesday
afternoon lunch break. "The community has been extremely warm
to us and the students have been doing really well."
The rabbis admitted that, before the school year began, there were
a few registered students who were unsure of their ability or willingness
to accept the school's rigorous schedule, which includes half a
day of studies on Sundays. However, they explained, not one student
has shown any sign of dissatisfaction with the program.
"We told their parents that we ourselves have done it, that
there are thousands who do it and it's just a question of giving
it a try and seeing what you're capable of," Abramchik said
of the traditional style of learning. "We have breaks dispersed
throughout the day to help with stress, exercise and relaxation.
"They're tired at the end of the day," he continued, "but
it's the kind of tired that comes from accomplishing a lot."
Helping to create the atmosphere of a genuine yeshivah, PTI also
hosts four post-secondary students who are training to be rabbis.
The older students, who also study under the guidance of Abramchik
and Davidowitz, interact and learn with the younger students, serving
as role models and educational aids.
"[The four post-secondary students] have agreed to do the yeshivah
a favor by studying here," Davidowitz said. "It kind of
sets the tone for the yeshivah as an institution of higher learning."
Acknowledging an excellent relationship with Talmud Torah high school
(TTHS) principal Perry Seidelman, Abramchik said PTI plans on sharing
resources with Talmud Torah.
"We've had their boys come over and ask us to help them with
a kosher food program and we've been trying to work out the potential
for using their bus," he said. "One of the Talmud Torah
boys comes and spends some casual time studying with us as well."
Abramchik and Davidowitz said their hope is that PTI can work with
the entire Jewish community in the same way, to help spur on growth.
"The more opportunities and the more options [the community
offers] people when it comes to education, the more the community
can grow," said Davidowitz. "We want to help create a
greater Jewish presence."
Until a permanent facility is found, the PTI shares space with a
French language school on Baillie Street, next to TTHS. The 10 out-of-town
students live in dorm rooms located in the homes of Abramchik, Davidowitz
and Ellen Freedman, who played a significant role in the establishment
of the yeshivah.
While PTI has no official relationship with the Vancouver Hebrew
Academy (VHA), the two schools are sharing the services of principals
Anne Thompson and Ken Clausen. VHA has also moved to a new space
in a Vancouver School Board building at 1545 West 62nd Ave., allowing
PTI to use the facilities on Baillie Street, which include a kosher
kitchen and dining room.
For more information about PTI, call 604-261-3062.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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