Mesivta Ateres Yaakov held their annual Israel yeshiva and college information night last week. Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, Ph.D., menahel, introduced the program which included presentations from Rabbi Elysha Sandler, the mesivta’s senior Israel guidance advisor, and Rabbi Yossi Bennett, assistant menahel/assistant principal and college advisor, as well as presentations from Brooklyn College, Queens College, Lander College, and Yeshiva College.

Rabbi Sandler described how the yeshiva helps each talmid to choose a yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael that best suits his particular needs, abilities, and goals. Rabbi Sandler explained that the process builds on the close relationships forged between each rebbe and his talmid and is further refined by multiple meetings with each talmid and his parents. He described the diversity of the various yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael, from the level of learning and warmth of the rebbeim, down to the dorm life and facilities. He mentioned that currently the mesivta has talmidim learning in more than 50 shiurim in over 30 different yeshivos in Eretz Yisrael, an extension of MAY’s continual efforts to be m’chanech each talmid k’darko.

Rabbi Bennett briefly presented the college application process, including preparing for the SAT/ACT exam, filling out applications, essay writing, and obtaining letters of recommendation. He noted the care, concern, and extensive, expert guidance that MAY provides at this pivotal time in a talmid’s life. He reiterated the importance of devoting time to learning before embarking on a college career and the importance of retaining an anchor in a yeshiva throughout college. He closed by addressing a number of frequently asked questions about the process.

Rabbi Bennett noted, “The strong turnout tonight demonstrates that our parent body understands how important their involvement is to the success of their sons’ chinuch, and that mesivta is just the beginning of the path to their sons becoming well educated, responsible b’nei Torah.”

The assembled crowd then viewed presentations from the invited colleges, each one pitching their school and its benefits, and a presentation on financial aid from Ira Rosenfeld, a mesivta parent who is a financial aid counselor in a local university.

Rabbi Sam Rudansky, J.D., general studies principal, closed the evening with his “Myths about Twelfth Grade” speech, informing parents of the extensive and rigorous program the yeshiva provides for its seniors and emphasizing the importance of seniors maximizing their time during their last year of high school.

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