24 Jan AN (UPDATED) OPEN LETTER REGARDING YESHIVA WEEK(S)

This week marks the
much-anticipated and
highly celebrated time
on the Jewish calendar.
Yeshiva Week has
become such a fixture
and institution that it
now has a Wikipedia
entry defining it as “the informal term for a

vacation period occurring annually in mid-
to late January, in which many Jewish day

schools and yeshivas afford time off to their
students. It is primarily a North American
phenomenon.”
In truth a more apt name would be “No
Yeshiva Week,” as schools and yeshivas
close while many students and their families
go on pilgrimage to Florida, Mexico, the
Caribbean and other exotic locations, while
others enjoy a staycation. What began as
Yeshiva Week has morphed into Yeshiva
Weeks, with different states and institutions
no longer coordinating the time off and
intentionally staggering it to avoid overlap,
a fascinating phenomenon in its own right.
Our community is a primary destination
that feels the impact of Yeshiva Week. Local
cynics describe preparing for it as one might
for a hurricane. We load up on supplies
early, hunker down, assume it will be
difficult to be out and about, and wait for the

storm to pass before emerging.
But the truth is, there are many beautiful
aspects to welcoming so many fellow Jews
to our South Florida community. For me, I
look forward to meeting and greeting guests,
love seeing familiar faces and old friends,
colleagues, and acquaintances, and
genuinely enjoy learning about new people
and the places they are visiting from.
Nevertheless, for some visitors and local
residents, Yeshiva Week can be challenging
and frustrating when waiting on lines,
looking for parking, or struggling to get a
table. In general, whether we see the beauty
and blessing, or instead focus on the
frustration and aggravation, is really all up
to us.
Dovid HaMelech teaches us (Tehillim
֭ מִ ֽי־הָאִיׁש הֶחָפֵ֣ ֑ ץ חַיִּים :life to secret the) 13:34
is who man the is Who, א ֹהֵ֥ ֥ ב יָ֝ מִ֗ ים לִרְ אֹות טֹֽוב׃
eager for life, who desires years of good
fortune? The simple interpretation of the
passuk and its advice has the question mark
after the words “Liros Tov.” Who is the
person who wants to live a long life, loving
days and seeing good? And then Dovid
gives the answer: A good long life is
achieved when one guards his tongue from
speaking evil…”
Rav Nissan Alpert, however, encourages us

to punctuate and interpret differently. Place
the question mark after the words he’chafetz
chaim, who wants a long and good life? The
answer is ohev yamim liros tov, one who
loves to fill days with seeing good.
The quality of our lives is determined by
the attitude that we bring. Liros tov, look for
the good, see the positive. There is a
phenomenon that psychologists call the
“Missing Tile Syndrome.” When a person is
in a beautifully tiled room, his eye is not
drawn to the ornate tiles or to the detailed
labor. Rather, if there is one tile missing in
the whole room, the natural tendency is to be
drawn to and focused on that tile. We tend
to fixate on what is missing, on what is
lacking or deficient, instead of emphasizing
the beauty, the abundance, or the plenty.
Our Jewish world too often has a culture of
criticism. We suffer from the Missing Tile
Syndrome, drawn to what we think is wrong
or missing, instead of focusing on the
abundance of blessing. Yeshiva Week(s)
presents a fantastic opportunity to be liros
tov, to bring parts of the Jewish world
together, to form relationships and enjoy
each other’s company while on vacation.
We can focus on the blessings, the
opportunities and the good, or we can be
fixated with hyper criticism on what is
frustrating or wrong.
There is always more we can do to
make each other’s lives even more
pleasant. Here are some suggestions:
To our Yeshiva Week visitors:
We hope you have a safe and smooth
trip down here and enjoy your time in
our community. We are very excited to
welcome you and to benefit from the
influx of your energy, enthusiasm and
participation. We are grateful you have
chosen to visit our community and to
support our local establishments and
attractions. If we can be helpful in any
way during your visit or can offer any
hospitality, please don’t hesitate to reach
out.
If you don’t mind, here are a few
reminders that may be helpful during
your visit:
• Unlike the Beis HaMikdash, our
restaurants don’t expand based on the
pilgrimage of Jews. Our proprietors
and their staffs are doing the best they
can. Please be patient, understanding
and courteous, and please be generous
with your tips, since the waiters are
doing the best they can during an
overwhelming time.
• While you feel that they may do
things differently or even better “back
home,” and you may have the best
intentions in sharing feedback in real
time or later online, please be patient
and supportive of our local proprietors,
especially while they are trying to
manage an overwhelming mob of

patrons. Please don’t feel obligated to
share your feedback and suggestions
online or offline, particularly if you
aren’t here full time, as it can
negatively impact our friends’
livelihoods.
• Please note and be sensitive to the fact
that while you enjoy our many kosher
dining options and kosher
supermarkets, it is the local residents
who support them all year long and
enable them to be available to you
when you visit.
• Please observe all parking rules and
regulations and don’t double park.
The white lines are not suggestions;
your car should be between them.
• Our shul has many minyanim each
morning and each evening. Please
attend one of the listed minyanim and
don’t assume a new minyan should be
formed based on the time you arrive.
• In South Florida, life moves at a little
slower and more relaxed pace. If the
light turns green and the person in
front of you doesn’t step on the gas
within a millisecond, be patient, take a
deep breath, take in the palm trees,
and enjoy being on vacation.
• If you encounter a line, see it as an
opportunity to spend time with others
in your group or to read, learn, or
listen to a shiur. Talk to the person in
front of you or behind you; they are as
eager as you to get to the front.
• When shopping at the local
establishments, please only enter the
check-out line when you have
completed your shopping. Leaving
your cart in line while you run back
and forth to fill it and using it as a
place holder is discourteous and is not
our definition of online shopping
• If you enjoy the minyanim, shiurim,
learning opportunities, programs,
mikvahs, eruv, or kashrus available in
our community, please feel free to
express your gratitude by making a
contribution of any amount to our
Tomchei Shabbos or Chesed Fund
that can use help and support.
Over the course of your stay, please come
say hello and introduce yourself. If you are
considering moving here, please let us know
if there is any way we can help or any
questions we can answer. We would love to
get to know you.
Sincerely, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg