Rabbi Z. Wallerstein * had a high school shabbaton in his house and he was surprised to see that his mother-in-law didn't seem to be enjoying it. She said to him – Why are you nice to them even though they're not doing what they're supposed to? I went through the Holocaust. I was 7 years old when I was sent from Poland to Siberia, put in an orphanage, a little Jewish chassidishe girl among goyim, let out only to attend my young father's funeral, he died of typhus, my grandfather died, my whole family died, I only had my little brother. I had such a rough life and nobody let me feel sorry for myself. Why are you letting these girls feel sorry for themselves? Why don't you tell them to lift their heads and live life! Stop letting them feel sorry for themselves!
R' Wallerstein was taken aback, though what she said was along his lines of thinking because, as he said, he does not reward bad behavior.
She said I understand they are going through hard times but you are killing them. By letting them feel sorry for themselves you're not letting them step up and live life.
R' Wallerstein said it's a new generation …
She said, you rabbonim, you teachers, you in chinuch, created this generation.
* R' Wallerstein has been in chinuch for 30 years. Most recently his specialty is in-reach with his extremely popular class for girls/women Wed. night and a chabura for boys Tues. night. He started a high school for girls who are not fitting in anywhere else.
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Each generation has to do what works for that generation. I raised children without an internet. I cannot pretend that the same situation exists for my grandchildren. It is a different world. Jobs were more available in my day than they are now and there was not an economic crisis then.
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