Dozens of Rabbanim from all across Europe participated in a two-day Young Rabbis’ Forum conference in Krakow. It was organized by the RCE and funded by the Chulia organization under the auspices of the Matanel Foundation.

This was the fifth annual conference. Each year it is held in a different European country, and it is geared for rabbis serving in Europe who wish to enrich their knowledge and to gain expertise in a broad range of topics, for the benefit of the communities they serve. This year Harav Eliezer Gur Aryeh, Chief Rabbi of Krakow, hosted the event, funded by the RCE together with the Matanel Foundation’s Chulia Organization.

Harav Aryeh Goldberg, deputy director of the RCE, and Harav Eliezer Gur Aryeh, delivered opening remarks and brachos to the dozens of Rabbanim attending the conference, which began on Monday, June 27, 2016.

Harav Naftali Roth, who has worked in the field of chinuch for many years and is the director of The Centre for Chassidic Education, was the first professional to address the conference. He spoke on “The Key to Success in Chinuch,” a topic he explored at length, offering many tips based on his extensive experience. Following his talk the Rabbanim all wanted to hear more and approached him with questions regarding specific situations they needed to deal with. Later, they reported how impressed they were with his vitally fundamental approach and how much they had gained from his tips and recommendations, all of which reflected his years of experience.

A community rabbi, particularly in chutz la’Aretz, often finds that he needs to explain our minhagim or to convince people of the importance of certain activities. Dr. Yossi Bar, director of the Division for Advancement in Education at Haifa University, and lecturer on rhetoric and public speaking, addressed the Rabbanim, explaining the new rhetoric and how to successfully persuade others and build convincing arguments. He also demonstrated how to speak briefly and concisely. At the beginning of his talk, he requested that his listeners judge whether he was following the advice he himself was giving in his talk. When he finished, everyone agreed that he had passed the test quite successfully!

One of the issues about which the RCE receives countless inquiries from Rabbanim all over Europe is the inspection of Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos. Harav Zev Kaplan, who specializes in checking STa”M and is certified by Mishmeres STa”M, spoke about practical halachic aspects of this important topic. Once again, when he finished his scheduled speech the discussion continued for quite some time.

The second day of the conference began with another presentation by Dr. Yossi Bar, who spoke about persuasion techniques in small groups and how to deliver a riveting shiur. This time as well, Dr, Bar’s presentation was a perfect example of what he was teaching.

“What are our children trying to tell us parents that we do not understand?” With these words Rav Naftali Roth began his talk on Day 2, and this opened a lively discussion. He described several different circumstances, some of which are familiar to every family, and then he proceeded to analyze each. The Rabbanim’s surprise was evident when they realized what lies behind children’s behavior and how to respond appropriately.

In response to the request of the Rabbanim, on two different occasions Harav Zev Kaplan offered practical training in mezuzah inspection, using hundreds of mezuzos.

At the end of the conference, representatives of all the Rabbanim in attendance expressed their sincere appreciation to the RCE for arranging an event from which they had gained so much and that would greatly benefit their communities. They thanked Harav Menachem Margolin, director of the RCE, and especially deputy director Harav Aryeh Goldberg for all his hard work, assisted by Harav Abba Turetzky and Harav Yossi Beinhaker, to make this conference a great success.