So this Rosh Yeshiva gave me a call just as I was about to run out to Chanukah party - and I had my hat and jacket on (symbolic!
)... Obviously, I put the party plans on hold for right then, locked the door and spoke with him for a half hour. I outlined all the things we offer, and how klal yisrael is in desperate need of something like this, told him about the 11-14 year old kids who are addicted today and don't even know it's not allowed. I warned that if Klal yisrael doesn't wake up, we'd be raising a whole generation of addicts. I told him that it's hard doing it all alone and that I needed a whole team to help with web-development, publishing, advertising, PR, hotlines, and with answering everyone. I asked if he could provide us with a letter of support, and he asked me how he'd get it to me. I told him that a hand-written letter could be scanned and sent to me by e-mail. He asked me for my e-mail address and he also told me that he'd ask the people in the office to show him the website... I also told him that in order to get a whole team to work with me, I needed some serious funding and asked if he possibly had connections with some "nedivei am" who would understand the importance of fighting this battle. I explained how every mechanech and mashgiach today needs to be equipped with the tools to know how to deal with this
machla...
All in all, he seemed very impressed and he fully agreed to the pressing need for our work to grow. (He himself told me that I need a "team" to work with me, even before I explained HIM how right he is about that). I explained him the steps of the handbook, and how they work in progressive order for all levels. I explained the nature of the addiction. I even got into the 12-Steps, which he thought were influenced by Christianity, but by the time we finished the conversation he was convinced that they were a vital tool in combating this disease (I explained him Rabbi Twerski's view on this, as mentioned at the recent Agudah convention, and how all the steps can be found in Chazal, etc..)
It was a great talk, and he sounds like someone who is "emor me'at va'asei harbe". Although he didn't promise anything concrete, I have a feeling he will be a strong force backing our work.
A very special thank you to Kedusha, for arranging this phone call! If anyone else on this forum has connections with Roshei yeshivos, famous Magidei Shiurim, Askanim, Gedolim, etc... and can speak to them and/or get us a "phone appointment" with them, we would be happy to talk to them and explain what we do and how important it is to Klal Yisrael today. You could have a zechus in hundreds of people's teshuvah - if through that talk that YOU arrange, we are somehow able to grow - and more and more people find out that there's hope and help on the little Teivah called GYE, floating along in a Mabul of Taivah.
VLR