Reply To: Rav Wolbe

A Cheder Menahel in Yerushalayim who would turn to Rabbi Wolbe with many of his

dilemmas, asked the following (at least 20 years ago).

“A philanthropist from America wants to donate a computer room to the school so

that the children should be fluent in basic computer skills, should we or shouldn’t

we accept the offer?”

Rabbi Wolbe didn’t like the idea on the basis that children have to learn how to

develop socially and the main place to learn this is in school. They learn how

and when to say things and when not to say at all. They learn that certain social

actions create direct repercussions. They learn who to connect to and who to avoid.

They learn about thousands of accepted and unaccepted behaviors.

“As soon as we get these children into computers, they don’t need to have anything

to do with others; they stay in their own cubicle, socially, and developmentally,”

said Rabbi Wolbe. This computer room, Rabbi Wolbe said, could bring about severe

results.