After four years of careful planning, collaboration, and community input, that vision is now a reality. The Crown Heights Mesivta Vocational Track provides students with hands-on exposure to practical trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and low-voltage electrical work. By expanding the definition of success beyond traditional academics alone, the program enhances the Mesivta experience and allows students with diverse strengths and learning styles to thrive.

At its core, this program is about dignity and direction. Students gain a sense of purpose by learning tangible skills that align with their interests and abilities. The vocational track helps participants develop self-worth, accountability, and pride in their accomplishments, while reinforcing the idea that growth in gashmius can go hand in hand with growth in ruchnius. The result is a stronger, more inclusive educational model that meets students where they are and supports where they are going.

The success of the program has been made possible by a generous anonymous funder who awarded JCCGCI a two-year, $225,000 grant to pilot and administer this community-wide initiative across three Mesivta high schools in Crown Heights. This investment reflects a deep belief in the potential of our youth and the importance of early, thoughtful intervention. A key component of this grant is the requirement to secure matching funds, which will allow the program not only to continue, but to expand and reach even more students in the years ahead.

This long-awaited Vocational Track offers structured training in carpentry and hopes to soon add plumbing, low-voltage electrical work, and other practical skills. But more importantly, it offers something even greater:

Dignity. Purpose. Hope.

• One student shared that even on days when he felt he hadn’t succeeded academically, coming to the workshop made him feel accomplished and valued.

• Another began helping classmates who were struggling, his confidence soaring.

• Teachers report improved attendance, stronger focus, and real growth across the board.

These are not statistics.

These are neshamos whose trajectories are changing.

Today, the program serves approximately 100 boys from Mesivta Oholei Torah and Mesivta Chovevei Torah — and they are asking for more. They want additional sessions. They want more trades. They want to grow. We are working to expand, because the demand — and the impact — is undeniable.

JCCGCI extends heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated educators and communal leaders whose partnership and leadership have been instrumental in bringing this program to life. We are deeply thankful to United Lubavitcher Yeshivos, under the leadership of Program Director Rabbi Moshe Zalman Vorovitch, Executive Director; Mesivta Oholei Torah, led by Rabbi Moshe Silman, Menahel; Mesivta Chovevei Torah, guided by Rabbi Menachem Minsky, Menahel; and Mesivta Darchai Menachem, led by Rabbi Mendy Vail, Executive Director. We are also sincerely grateful to our instructors, Yisroel Bernstein and Levi Weinbaum, whose hands-on guidance played a vital role in the success of this initiative. Their commitment to their students and to the broader Crown Heights community continues to shape lives in lasting ways.

The Crown Heights Mesivta Vocational Track is part of JCCGCI’s broader commitment to workforce development and youth empowerment in the neighborhood. Alongside programs such as the Crown Heights Career Assessment Program, Crown Heights Career Hub, Parnassah Employment Services, Workforce Development initiatives, and youth enrichment programs, this vocational track represents a holistic approach to supporting young people academically, emotionally, and practically.