Magen Abraham Public School Program
Approximately 2 years ago Rabbi Avi Salem saw a trend that was disturbing. Boys and girls from our community for whatever reason were ending up in Public school in growing numbers. Many of these youth would more time than not find themselves in the wrong crowd's resulting in a limited connection to the Jewish life our community always took for granted. So Rabbi Avi Salem decided to do something about it. He partnered up with Rabbi Duvi Bensoussan and Rabbi Silberman to form a connection with these boys and draw them back in to our communities circle.
The strategy was to have the boys come to a shiur Torah once a week and shower them with LOVE. The draw was that we would offer them a free dinner at a local restaurant. The program ballooned from 6 boys to 60 boys who come on a weekly basis plus we just started a girls program with a handful of girls that attend public school . For most if not all this is the only connection to torah they have which resulted in many of them asking for a pair of tzitzit , learning how to read hebrew as well as placement in our communities yeshivot for a couple of the boys . Until now we were able to fund raise for the program internally. However the demand has become great and we don't want to turn 1 precious neshama away due to a lack of funds. Please help us continue drawing our dear neshamot back in where they belong.
Funds will go to hiring rabbis to sit with boys and take the once a week class to 2 or 3 times a week which boys are requesting.
We are looking for monthly donors to help us out so we can budget our program responsibly.
You can contact us at MagenAbraham@Mabshul.com for more information. We will be glad to answer any questions you many have.
Below are some pictures of the program, along with a letter from one of the parents.
Hashem should bless you for opening your hearts to our brother and sisters who are not fortunate enough to get a yeshiva education!
Letter From a Parent
Below is a letter written to us by a parent of one of these boys. All names have been removed for privacy.
Dear Rabbi, and to all those involved in KESHER / TAB,
My name is , and my 16 year old son ______ has been going to TAB, now his second year.
Circumstances were such that at the time the kids were growing up we lived in Marlboro, NJ. Having my kids attend Yeshivah was not important to me, nor to my ex-wife. Hebrew school was sufficient. But when I got divorced about 9 years ago, I moved back to Brooklyn, and reconnected with my roots. I grew up in the SY community, went to Magen David, and I have a huge family of ______ and ______ cousins. Everyone embraced us with open arms, and I went to Shul with my dad, brought my sons with us on weekends, became Kosher again, observed the Shabbat, took some classes, and my values changed back to those I was brought up with. I realized the mistakes I had made, and seek to reverse them as best as I can.
But I had and still have, the uphill battle of teaching my children the values of Jewish life as we know it. I took custody of_______ over 2 years ago, and sent him to a Hebrew day school for 8th grade. I encouraged him to learn the prayers, and spoke to the Rabbi about assisting him. But ______ just didn't want to do it. We tried to get him to catch up in Hebrew so he can go to a Yeshivah hi school, but he was unwilling to learn. When he passed the test to get into the specialty high school Brooklyn Tech, rated about 40 in the country, I had to say yes. But I told him we would attend a Torah class every week.
The very first night we went to Ave O shul (where we pray) we met Avi, and he told us about TAB. It sounded too good to be true. But the next night _______ and his cousin ___________ went, and he was okay with it. As time went by, _______ continued to go, but his cousin dropped out. I thought __________ was going to try and quit as well, but he didn't. He didn't want to admit it, but he enjoys it. Sometimes on Shabbat I'll make a comment about the Parasha, and he'll chime in with something really enlightening that he heard at TAB!
I feel so appreciative to the Rabbis, and to everyone involved in creating and maintaining TAB, and teaching _________about Torah, Misvot, and the Jewish way. You are keeping Judaism alive with ________ and the other boys, and you're making it grow! I can't tell you all the 'ripples' you're creating in his life and mine, but these will have a lasting effect Gd willing, and will be blessings for generations to come.
Every week you teach my son Torah, then provide dinner, and sometimes even drive him home! You teach him morals, Jewish values, and emunah. I expected to be asked for a donation at the end of last year, but you asked for nothing. Nada. This is really unbelievable. Last year I was in financial straits, and it would have been very difficult to contribute. But thank Hashem, these past few months have been good, so I am taking the opportunity now to make a donation. It's just such a Mitzvah that you're doing for all the boys so I want to help when I could.
Abraham was telling me they are starting a 'prayer class' to teach the boys how to pray. _______ knows a little bit, but anytime I try to teach him, he shuts down. But apparently, not with you guys! I don't know how you do it, but thank you sincerely! I think that is one of the most important things for my sons, and for all of the boys. Learn to pray. Be comfortable in Shul.
In that area, I would like to help out if I can. I don't know if there is any Tefilah recorded that the boys can learn from, but recording is my profession. So in the area of recording and editing the prayers, and then distributing them as MP3s, I can really help out. So please keep this in mind, and let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Thanks again for all the wonderful work you're doing with my son and all the boys! You're keeping the flame burning, and may Hashem bless you for it!
All the best, (Shabbat Shalom)
