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From an interview that I conducted with Rebbetzin Etel Miller
<font size=3>(<b>"</b>
<a href="http://personal.stevens.edu/%7Ellevine/miller_2.pdf">Rebbetzin
Chana Ettel Miller, a"h</a>" <b>The Hamodia </b>September 24,
2008, page C35.) as well as from Dr. Rivka Teitz Blau's biography of her
father, Rav Mordechai Pinchas Teitz, Learn Torah, Live Torah, Love
Torah, I was aware that there were 3 Yavneh schools in Lithuania.
<br><br>
However, from Ish Yehudi, the biography of Rav Joseph Tzvi Carlebach, I
recently learned that TIDE was brought to Lithuania after the Germans
occupied this county not long after the start of WW I in 1914. This was
done by German Orthodox rabbonim. Rabbi Joseph Tzvi Carlebach played a
key role in this. <br><br>
I have posted almost all of Chapter 14 from Ish Yehudi at
<a href="http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/carlebach/tide_lita.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/rsrh/carlebach/tide_lita.pdf</a>
(There are two pages of pictures that I left out.) This material
describes how TIDE schools were set up in Lithuania and their success.
<br><br>
The following is from this chapter. Note second paragraph that says that
the TIDE schools were established in consultation "with
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>the local rabbinical
authorities, including some of Lithuania's foremost Torah scholars."
<br><br>
Also note the final paragraph given below and who Rav Reuvein Grozovsky
credits with saving the Slabodka Yeshiva. See the link above for the
entire chapter. <br><br>
The lack of proper schooling for Jewish youngsters was a matter of great
concern to the Occupation authorities. The traditional <i>cheder
</i>provided schooling only at the elementary level; there was no
organized educational system for high school and beyond. To address that
need, Dr. Rosenak was asked to recommend an experienced educator who
combined Jewish and secular scholarship, to establish and direct a school
in Lithuania's capital city of Kovno. <br><br>
Dr. Rosenak could not think of anyone better qualified for such an
assignment than his brother-in-law, the Rav [Rabbi Joseph Tzvi
Carlebach]. The educational experience of his years in Jerusalem and at
the Margareten Lyceum in Berlin, had the Rav's status as a first rate
educator firmly established. With doctorates in mathematics and
philosophy included in his resume, he received the call. Reporting to the
High Command -North East, he was promoted to captain with the title of
advisor on educational matters, and invested with full authority to
proceed with the schooling plan. Following extensive consultations with
the local rabbinical authorities, including some of Lithuania's foremost
Torah scholars, the Rav laid the foundations for a gymnasium-type school,
based upon the principles of <i>Torah im Derech Eretz, </i>combining
Torah lessons with secular subjects. Since the German authorities limited
the number of weekly hours of instruction for religious subjects, the Rav
introduced Hebrew as a foreign language, thus doubling the hours
available for <i>limuday kodesh, </i>including Talmud for the boys and
<i>Tenach </i>(Bible and Prophets) for the girls. The Rav was able to
persuade a number of highly qualified teachers from Germany to join him,
in his pioneering effort on behalf of the <i>chinuch-deprived </i>Jewish
youth in the occupied territories. Notable among them was Dr. Leo
Deutschlaender, whose name became famous, some years later, for his
enormous contribution to the Beth Jacob school system. <br><br>
Known locally as the Carlebach Gymnasium, the school began with fewer
than a hundred students, as many parents were reluctant to entrust their
children to the new educators who wore German army uniforms. The more
religious-leaning among them were afraid that the new school might
secularize their children, while the more secular minded were afraid of
religious indoctrination. The Rav went from house to house to introduce
himself and his program, winning over the parents of potential
candidates. The enthusiastic reaction of the initial student body further
dispelled any doubts about the quality of the education and the spirit in
which it was guided. Ultimately, the whole-hearted endorsement of the
community leadership, both religious and communal, soon made enrollment
in the gymnasium a sought-after prize. <br><br>
</font>This additional aspect oŁ the Rav's blessed activities during
World<br>
War I remained unreported for decades, until a number of years after<br>
World War II. At that time, the <i>gaon and tzaddik, </i>Rabbi Eliezer Y.
Finkel,<br>
dean of the world famous Yeshivat Mil' of Jerusalem, came to New<br>
York to raise funds for the rebuilding of his Torah institution. He
visited<br>
the gaon, Rabbi Reuvein Grozovsky, a former talmid of Slobodka<br>
Yeshivah and eminent Lithuanian Torah leader, who had already<br>
established himself as one of the outstanding Torah personalities in<br>
the U.S. Among Rabbi Finkel's entourage was the Rav's younger son.<br>
Upon being introduced, Rabbi Grozovsky became very excited. Turning<br>
to Rabbi Finkel he exclaimed, "I can bear witness that if not
for<br>
the intervention of this young man's father, the gaon Rav Joseph
Tzvi<br>
Carlebach, may <i>HASHEM </i>avenge his blood, Slobodka Yeshiva
would<br>
have ceased to exist. And not only Slobodka, but all the great
T()rah<br>
institutions in Lithuania, were saved through his intervention, and
his<br>
strenuous efforts to provide for their sustenance."<br><br>
<br><br>
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