BUILDING FUTURES: A VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INITIATIVE FOR CROWN HEIGHTS YOUTH
I am pleased to share an exciting and long-awaited development for the Crown Heights community.
On May 26, 2021, a virtual “listening tour” brought together a wide range of professionals, organizations, and institutions dedicated to supporting at-risk youth in our neighborhood. A strong consensus emerged from that discussion: introducing a Vocational Track within the Mesivta high schools of Crown Heights is an essential step toward risk prevention and long-term success for our students.
This part-time Vocational Track will provide students with structured opportunities to develop practical skills in carpentry, plumbing, low voltage electrical work, basic computer literacy, and more. The benefits of such a program are clear:
- Diversified Education: Enhances the Yeshiva experience by offering meaningful alternatives to students who may not thrive solely through traditional academics.
- Sense of Purpose: Engages students in trades that match their interests and abilities, helping them gain confidence, self-worth, and direction.
In short, this initiative provides the Mesivta students of Crown Heights with a meaningful path toward productive careers—while keeping them engaged in a Torah environment and strengthening both their ruchnius and gashmius.
After four years of dedicated planning and collaboration, I am thrilled to announce that a generous funder (who requires anonymity) has awarded the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) a two-year grant totaling $225,000 to pilot and administer this community-wide Vocational Track program—serving three Mesivta high schools in Crown Heights.
A key condition of this grant is the requirement to secure matching funds. These funds are crucial- not only to launch the program successfully but also to expand it, enabling more students to benefit from vocational training in additional trades.
Given the profound impact this initiative will have on our talmidim, I respectfully ask you to consider encouraging your friends and colleagues to join you in contributing toward fulfilling this matching funds requirement.
Your support will help ensure that more students remain in Yeshiva, find purpose in their studies, and succeed in life—both spiritually and materially.
For further insight into the importance of this program, I invite you to speak directly with the leadership of the participating Mesivtas:
➢ Rabbi Yossi Langsam, Executive Director, United Lubavitcher Yeshivos – (347) 996-1090
➢ Rabbi Moshe Silman, Menahel, Mesivta Oholei Torah – (718) 534-8299 Ext. 1
➢ Rabbi Menachem Minsky, Menahel, Mesivta Chovevei Torah – (347) 386-3402
➢ Rabbi Mendy Vail, Executive Director, Mesivta Darchai Menachem – (347) 420-2301
Thank you for your time, your heart, and your dedication to the success of our youth.
With warm regards,
Rabbi Moshe Wiener
Executive Director, JCCGCI
P.S. To provide tax-deductible matching fund support for this vital program, please visit:
Https://www.jccgci.org/support-the-crown-heights-vocational-training-program/
PPS. As you might know, JCCGCI is already providing substantial services to the Crown Heights community, including but not limited to our:
- Crown Heights Career Assessment Program
- Crown Heights Career Hub
- Parnassah Employment Services Program
- Workforce Development Program
- Beth Rivkah Teen Club After-School Program
- United Lubavitcher Yeshiva (Crown Street) After-School Program
- “Pioneers” Drama Camp at Beth Rivkah
- “Machane Heights” Biking Camp at United Lubavitcher Yeshiva (Crown Street)
For more information about all of these programs, see: https://www.jccgci.org/programs
ABOUT JCCGCI
Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) is a community-based organization with a citywide scope, providing a wide-spectrum of senior citizen, career, educational, crime-reduction, mental health, community revitalization and related services benefiting all segments of the population. JCCGCI is also a technical assistance provider, offering capacity building services to nonprofits in all five boroughs through its NonProfit HelpDesk division (www.nphd.org). With 40 program sites throughout New York City staffed by almost 400 social service professionals, JCCGCI assists an average of upwards of 2,500 needy individuals and families each day.
JCCGCI’s Holocaust Survivor Support Services is one of the largest in the world, providing critical assistance to over 4,000 Holocaust Survivors annually. Services include Homecare, Transportation, Case Management, Friendly Visiting, Medicaid Appeals, Socialization, and Home Delivered Meals.
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