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Tikva. In 1936, the Binas welcomed their first son, Ya%u2019akov.In 1937, despite Rabbi Bina%u2019s renowned Torah scholarship, Kfar HaRoeh selected Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli, a graduate of Rav Kook%u2019s Merkaz HaRav yeshiva, as the town%u2019s official rabbi. Undeterred, Rabbi Bina maintained a close relationship with Rabbi Yisraeli and remained an integral part of the Kfar HaRoeh community.The winter of 1939 saw the establishment of the first Bnei Akiva yeshiva high school in Kfar HaRoeh, filling a void for Religious Zionist teenagers seeking an educational framework aligned with their worldview. Despite the outbreak of World War II and subsequent fundraising challenges, the school persevered. Initially hired as a substitute teacher, Rabbi Bina soon became a permanent fixture. Founded by Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neriah under the auspices of Bnei Akiva, the institution offered a curriculum that balanced Torah study with agricultural training. Even as he embraced his role as an educator, Rabbi Bina continued his work as a farmer. His students from this era, including Rabbi Ya%u2019akov Ariel, the former Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan, recall their astonishment at seeing their teacher transition seamlessly from farmer%u2019s attire to rabbinic garb.A legendary anecdote captures the essence of Rabbi Bina%u2019s dual roles: Parents visiting the yeshiva for a meeting with their son%u2019s teacher encountered a farmer who directed them to the school. Minutes later, they were surprised to find the same man, now dressed in rabbinic attire, conducting their meeting. This story became emblematic of Yeshivat Kfar HaRoeh%u2019s unique character as a pre-state institution.A prisoner of the NazisWith the outbreak of World War II, many Jews from Mandatory Palestine, including Rabbi Bina and several other Kfar HaRoeh residents, enlisted in the Jewish Brigade of the British Army. Assigned to the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, a unit responsible for digging trenches, Rabbi Bina left his wife and son to serve in Egypt and Greece as part of the Allied effort against the Nazi invasion. In April 1941, on the beaches of Kalamata, Greece, Rabbi Bina was among 10,000 British soldiers captured by Nazi forces and taken as prisoners of war.Transferred to Germany, these POWs worked as forced laborers. Their status as prisoners of war afforded them slightly better treatment than most Jews under Nazi rule, including occasional Red Cross visits. During his captivity, Rabbi Bina forged a connection with a fellow prisoner who had outside contacts. In exchange for cigarettes and chocolates, this individual procured a Talmud tractate %u2013 Masechet Yevamot %u2013 which Rabbi Bina studied throughout his imprisonment.Facing moments of uncertainty about his survival, Rabbi Bina penned an ethical will to his family:%u201cIf I am cut down before reaching thirty, killed in captivity, I don%u2019t even know if you will know where I am buried... If you survive and return to our land, which I am sure you will merit, please do not forget me. Publish the Torah insights I wrote, and tell all of the Jewish people that our struggle for Eretz Yisrael was not in vain.%u201dAfter four years of captivity, Rabbi Bina was liberated by American forces and brought to Newcastle, England. From there, he returned to Israel, reuniting with his wife and son after their long separation. He resumed his dual roles of farming and teaching at Yeshivat Kfar Haroeh until 1952, when a new chapter of his life began in Jerusalem.Religious schools in the Jewish stateFollowing Israel%u2019s independence, the prestate educational system was integrated into a national framework. Rabbi Dr. Zerach Warhaftig of the Mizrachi party played a crucial role in this process. He approached Rav Neriah in Kfar HaRoeh, proposing the establishment of a branch of his high school in Jerusalem. Rabbi Aryeh Bina was chosen to lead this new venture, which he named %u201cNetiv Meir%u201d in honor of Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan.The school%u2019s initial location in Abu Tor exposed it to constant threats from Jordanian snipers in then-occupied East Jerusalem. During the school%u2019s inauguration, Jordanian forces opened fire on the assembled crowd, forcing them to take cover. Drawing on his military experience, Rabbi Bina personally stood guard at night to ensure his students%u2019 safety.In addition to his role as head of the new yeshiva, Rabbi Bina utilized his earlier experience as a construction worker in Tel Aviv to assist with the physical development of the new building. The yeshiva%u2019s curriculum was innovative for Jerusalem, combining intensive morning Torah study with afternoon secular studies for matriculation exams (bagruyot). This model represented a significant departure from the Old Yishuv%u2019s staunch opposition to modern religious education. Ironically, it was Rabbi Bina, with his background in the Lithuanian yeshiva world rather than Bnei Akiva, who established the first Bnei Akiva high school in Jerusalem. His response to potential critics was simply, %u201cWhen doing the right thing, I am not worried about what others will say.%u201dAfter several years, the school relocated to its current home in Bayit veGan, where it continues to play a formative role in Israel%u2019s religious community. The roster of Netiv Meir graduates reads like a who%u2019s who of Religious Zionist leadership, including luminaries such as Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rabbi Moshe Lichtenstein, Rabbi Chaim Sabato, Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, and Rabbi Dov Zinger.Yeshivot HesderBuilding on his success with Bnei Akiva high schools, Rabbi Bina went on to make a profound impact through the creation of multiple Yeshivot Hesder, institutions that combine Torah study with IDF service. The pioneering Yeshivat Kerem B%u2019Yavneh, established by Mizrachi in the 1950s, set the stage, and Rabbi Bina became a catalyst for the expansion of this innovative model.Rabbi Bina reading the %u201cMegillat HaYesod%u201d at Yeshivat Hakotel. (PHOTO: YESHIVAT HAKOTEL)52 |