Krasna Cheder Boys Choose Torah During Snow Day

By Yehudit Garmaise

   Rabbi Duvid Shimel, shlita, the 4th grade rebbe at the Krasna Cheder on 1613 44th St., often tells his talmidim that nothing worthwhile in life comes easily.

    Teachers don’t often get to see that their lessons have penetrated their students’ minds and souls, but on a day on which school was voluntary, when Rabbi Shimel saw 91% of his kita daled class arrive at morning seder, drenched in snow and ready to learn, he was so moved that he sent the boys home with signs that celebrated their mesirus nefesh.

    “The boys all arrived at cheder covered from head to toe with snow,” said Rabbi David Vogel, the cheder’s administrator.  “Some of the boys trudged a mile or a mile and a half in the wet snow. They really looked like Yidden from back in the days when doing things for Torah was really done with mesirus nefesh.”

      How did the boys respond after the signs were made and distributed by Rabbi Shimel?

     “The boys said, “We are so proud to be in a school that teaches us what meisirus nefesh means,’” recounted Rabbi Vogel who called Rabbi Shimel “a phenomenal, outstanding, star teacher in our kehilla.” “’It is not just our great grandparents who showed mesirus nefesh for Torah, but today in 2021, we can show meisirus nefesh for Torah, and show that we love Torah and Yiddishkeit.’”

     As a reward to coming to cheder today, did the boys get a little extra time for recess?

     “Absolutely,” said Rabbi Vogel, who said after the boys had extra time to play in the snow on the school’s roof, Rabbi Shimel told his talmidim that they should come back inside and learn with the same geshmak with which the boys played in the snow.

      “After the boys came in, they were learning Mishnais, Mesechtes Yimmel, all about the Kohan Gadol, and what he did on Yom Kippur, so well, that they extended their Torah learning into their lunch time,” Rabbi Vogel said with pride. “When the boys remember this day, I want them to remember that when they were little children, they chose to come in and learn Torah on a fun snow day.

    "The photos of our 4th grade boys express the overall message of what we teach in this yeshiva, which is to love Torah, to love mitzvahs, and to love Hashem.”