The Jewish Innovation

Currently, boys in many Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Yeshivas are graduating without a command of the English language, let alone a high school diploma or the skills necessary to obtain a GED. Yaffed was created to address the lack of general education in these communities. But in order for our work to be effective, we need community members themselves to rally for their sons’ future. To that end, Yaffed is working on an ad campaign to inspire parents to speak up and demand a better future for their children. After the success of our Prospect Expressway billboard in 2012, and our most recent billboard in Williamsburg, we now intend to put up additional billboards and other ads promoting the Jewish value of general education in other Hasidic neighborhoods, including Boro Park, Crown Heights, and Monsey. With your help, we will be able to put up our next billboard in Boro Park in early March.

The Impact

Education is a Jewish value. Throughout history, even the most learned and Torah observant Jews, ranging from the Tanoim and Amoroim to the founders of the Hasidic movement, were known to have been highly educated for their times. Additionally, Jews have historically valued self sufficiency, and in today’s economy it is very difficult for an individual to be financially secure and self sufficient without a proper education. In fact, right here in New York many Hasidic Jews are incapable of speaking the English language fluently, and many are forced to rely on government assistance due to an inability to command a decent income with their meager education. Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn, Monsey, and Kiryas Joel rely more heavily on government assistance than any community in New York State. By promoting a value for education and by improving the current system of education, we hope to remedy the extreme levels of poverty within the community and we also hope to foster a generation of educated individuals.

What Will You Do with the Money?