Dovid Staples is an alumnus of the Rabbinical College of Australia & New Zealand, 5771 (2011). He is currently studying for Semicha (Rabbinical ordination) at Chovevei Torah, in Brooklyn, NY. In this letter, Dovid shares with us his current experiences, and the indelible impression that Yeshivah Gedolah has had on him.
Hello Rabbi! I must say it was really nice to receive a message from you. Sorry for not writing back until now. I have been meaning to, but I didn’t get around to it until now.
Boruch Hashem the learning is great, and I certainly have Yeshivah Gedolah to thank for that! Ah, how I miss it. You surely know that us former Bochurim get together and reminisce about the good ol' Yeshivah Gedolah days and how other yeshivahs just aren't the same. They aren't! Where's the enthusiasm, the noise, the awesome Shluchim, the great Hanholo, the occasional Mivtzah, the Friday night meals, the Melava Malkahs, the Fabrengens, the communal satisfaction, and the joy of learning that one naturally breathes in the Melbourne air? Aye, if there's one thing I still carry with me from Yeshivah Gedolah, it is, "keep on truckin’; don't drop till you stop," courtesy of Yakov Backman.
Perhaps I am beginning to rant, but I don't think I ever properly expressed my appreciation for everything that the Shluchim and Hanholo of Yeshivah Gedolah did for me. In fact, I didn't fully appreciate it until after I found myself outside of Yeshivah Gedolah’s environs, and I realized how much I progressed there. I could hardly open a Gemoro when I first arrived, and I certainly could not decipher even one paragraph of a Ma’amar. By the time I returned home, I started giving evening Shiurim on the Gemoro that I learned in Yeshivah Gedolah, accompanied of course with some of Rabbi Cohen’s signature intonations. I also wound up being a little ahead of my current Semicha program, thanks to Shliach Moshe Wolvovsky who took the time to learn the fundamentals with me every day. I also find myself learning Ma’amar after Ma’amar in the mornings. Being able to do all of this really makes me glad, and my success accurately reflects what I tell everyone; that going to Yeshivah Gedolah was the best decision I ever made in my life. Believe me when I say that I use every opportunity to boast about Yeshivah Gedolah! (And I sure miss the absolutely superior food, which is much better than what I have had at all my other Yeshivahs. Would you believe it? I have not had lamb chops even once since I left Melbourne.)
I am doing well in all other respects as well, thank G-d. I recently took up a job at HASC, which provides educational and clinical services for children with special needs. G-d willing, I am starting to work with a special-needs boy this week. I also took up a position as a fundraiser for a special-education program in Crown Heights. It's nice to be able to make a positive influence.
Send my best to all the other members of the Hanholo, and to all the Bochurim. I wish you a super successful year!
All the best,
Dovid Staples
