The most effective method of passing on Jewish values to the next generation is with Jewish education. Since 2017, the Queens-based nonprofit Chazaq has touched the lives of thousands of public school students and guided over 1,800 to transfer from public schools to yeshivos that fit their individual needs.
“Chazaq is known primarily for its lectures, which inspire men and women throughout the calendar year; but the main mission of Chazaq is our afterschool programs for Jewish public school students,” said Chazaq Director Rabbi Ilan Meirov. “We have expanded beyond New York with programs in Florida, California, Arizona, and Canada.”
Transferring a student from public school to yeshivah is a process that can begin with a phone call to the parents and the prospective Jewish school. Ahead of the change in schools, students are expected to have some knowledge of Hebrew, davening, and Jewish customs. A taste of a yeshivah education can be sampled at Chazaq’s Shaping Lives Sunday School, an hour-and-a-half morning program that includes davening, Hebrew and parshah lessons, discussions of holidays, and a slice of pizza.
“Shaping Lives is run across 19 locations, including virtual school on Zoom,” said Danny Gadayev, the program director. “We teach kids to read Hebrew with the parshah, a project relating to the parshah, holidays, and life interactions, such as the mitzvah of kibud av va’eim. The projects keep kids entertained and busy; they are hands-on. It instills the information taught.”
I recently visited the Shaping Lives class serving the Five Towns and nearby communities, hosted by the Sephardic Congregation of Hewlett. Located inside a former mansion-turned-shul, it has the intimate feel of home with the formality of a classroom.
“It involves four partners. The child wants it, and the parents participate in special events such as painting and challah baking, alongside their children, where we develop a relationship with them,” Gadayev said.
The third component is the staff, mostly high school students attending yeshivos who feel a sense of giving back when they teach young children. The program offers them pay and work experience. From my observations, children who may not have the patience to sit through a class are calm and attentive in the presence of these instructors. Their demeanor and approach are professional, and one can sense that they will succeed as educators, if this is the career path that they’ve chosen. “Sometimes they’re unable to teach because things come up. When they leave the program, they want to return to it and teach again,” Gadayev said.
The fourth element of Shaping Lives are the communities that host these classes, such as Ohr Natan in Rego Park, The Sephardic Center in Surfside, Florida, and three locations on Long Island: Great Neck, Hewlett, and Roslyn. “Our newest location in Brooklyn is in Manhattan Beach,” Gadayev added. He noted that Chazaq also has programs in Arizona and California, where it is also active in educating public school students and facilitating their transfer to yeshivos.
After enrolling in Shaping Lives, the next step is a call from Rabbi Ephraim Rubinov’s staff, who direct Chazaq’s PSTY (Public School to Yeshiva division), which assists parents in finding the appropriate yeshivos for their children.
“In the past year, Chazaq had over 1,300 students attending our Sunday classes and the weekday Jwave teens division, with 248 transferring to yeshivos,” Rabbi Meirov said. “As bad as anti-Semitism is today, so is the rate of assimilation, where many feel embarrassed to be Jewish. We teach our youth to feel proud to be part of our people.”
He noted that Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita, of the Eidah HaChareidis of Jerusalem, described Chazaq’s work of placement of children in yeshivos and the cause of Jewish education as the “most important tz’dakah of our generation.”
The student body at the Hewlett Sunday School is diverse, with Ashkenazim and Sefardim, Russian speakers, and American families. Their personal observance also varies, and one may ask how is it possible that there are boys with kippahs in public elementary schools?
Rabbi Rubinov said that sometimes the yeshivah closest to home may not have the services that the child needs, but a public school never turns away a child.
“We find the appropriate yeshivah for the children. It does not happen overnight. It’s a lot of work. Parents agree to send their child, and the child is convinced to attend this school. Once we get to the yeshivah interview, we ask if it is the right setting.”
Rabbi Rubinov said that although Chazaq does not offer financial assistance to families making the transfer, it connects them to organizations that do. “Chazaq offers a variety of yeshivah options, walking parents through the entire process. We advocate for the parents and children.”
Another unique Chazaq program is the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Club. “There is a lack of programming in assisting preteens, that middle age in a child. We’re trying to develop it as much as we can,” Rubinov said. Learning the parshah is important, but to ensure continued observance after the bar mitzvah, “It’s about developing a relationship with Judaism.”
Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, CEO and cofounder of Chazaq, said that with the support of the public, its many programs can reach more people and provide meaningful experiences for students making the transition from public to Jewish school.
Women have their division at Chazaq, where they learn laws relating to their lives and lectures on strengthening the marital bond. The J-Wave teens division offers daily afterschool learning and events to keep this age group off the streets with memorable lessons. Aside from this, throughout the year, there are street fairs and concerts organized by Chazaq for the public. All of them share the goal of ensuring a strong future for the Jewish people.
At a desk behind Rabbi Michoel Mansour, who heads the Chazaq Kollel, brothers Robbie and Natan Aboff were busy preparing for the February 11-12 Charidy fundraiser, finalizing lists of dedicated supporters eager to match donations by the general public. Robbie, the Director of Operations for Chazaq, shared a map of the organization’s reach across this country, Canada, and Israel. So far, 351 teams have signed up to raise money for Chazaq from across 29 communities. “The impact of Chazaq is global, with many locations,” he said.
The Chazaq office on Jewel Avenue truly feels like an operations center, where the staff make calls that connect people to Jewish education, changing their lives and shaping their future. The Charidy drive offers an opportunity for anyone to partner with Chazaq to build a stronger future.
Please visit Givechazaq.com for more information about Chazaq’s urgent campaign coming up on February 11 and 12.
