Students Grow Outside Their Comfort Zone

JETS Yeshiva is of the firm belief that growth happens outside one’s comfort zone, so part of their mission is to push the limits of what their students think is possible for themselves. This year, their team of shluchim designed a brilliant mivtza in honor of the 70th anniversary of Yud Shevat.

For close to a month, students were challenged to grow beyond what they thought was possible by:
Preparing a one-minute presentation on a Chassidic concept for JETS Talks, taking on a hachlata, in consultation with one of the shluchim, Learning Basi L’Gani and passing a test, attending a Tanya class every day, and writing to the Rebbe.

JETS Talks
JETS Talks, modeled after TED Talks, gave the students a forum to present engaging, thought-provoking ideas to their fellow students. Each student had to research and prepare a presentation, and some teachers became involved as well. The topics included The Importance of Schedules, Why You Need to Be Happy, Hashgacha Pratis, Hope—Don’t Lose It, Personal Motivation, and Ayeka. The activity prompted the boys to go beyond their comfort zones, practice public speaking, and inspire others.

Trip of a Lifetime
JETS is pleased to report that over 90% of their boys met the requirements to pass this challenge. As a reward, they were taken on a fabulous trip to Silicon Valley, where they visited the Google headquarters and received a VIP tour of the Facebook campus. In San Francisco, they visited the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz (and put tefillin on a Jew on the ferry!), the Painted Ladies (a row of colorful Victorian houses), and Lombard Street. On the way back to Los Angeles, they headed to Pismo Beach, where they went ATVing and had a grand finale barbecue.

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork!
Of course, the true reward for this campaign was the growth that the boys experienced. They went beyond their own expectations, thanks to the excitement and motivation of the JETS shluchim: Shimon Chanin, Eli Shemtov, Dovber Friedman, Meir Katz, Yosef Moritz, and Avrumi Lapidus. They would also like to thank Joshua Weitz, Rabbi Moshe Langer, the shliach to San Francisco, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the shliach to Washington D.C, who opened the right doors, and of course, the generous donors who made this mivtza and trip possible. It was a truly unforgettable experience.