Featuring: Amudim (National), Tekumah/Regesh (Lakewood), BJX (Brooklyn) & Yedidim (Israel)

Understanding the importance of working in tandem towards a common goal, 20 organizations that provide services to at risk teens have joined together for a massive one day charity event, to be held on Tuesday, April 12^th, with a goal of raising $2 million dollars to benefit at risk teens.  All funds will be quadrupled in the fundraiser, to be held on the Charidy platform, with all donations to be returned if the specified target amount is not met.

The need for so many different agencies has never been greater, explained Rabbi Moshe Fingerer of BJX.

“Each and every case is different, requiring a multitude of services along the way,” said Rabbi Fingerer. “Sadly, because this plague has affected virtually every major Jewish community, we need to have organizations in place all over the world in order to help those who require assistance.”

It is clear that prevention would be the best solution for problems of this nature, and both new and existing programs have stepped up their efforts to ensure that children don’t fall prey to enticements that can have devastating consequences.

Crisis intervention is the first line of defense for those who find themselves in any kind of trouble, be it abuse, addiction or legal issues and have nowhere to turn.  Pinpointing the issues that need to be addressed, identifying the best possible solutions and putting a plan into action are the first steps on the road to a healthier existence.

Among the agencies that fill this important need is the Manhattan based Amudim Community Resources which offers services through a network of case managers as well as connecting individuals with other agencies that can be of assistance to them.  Over 1,800 clients have come to Amudim since its inception in late 2014 and the agency has hosted two conferences on sexual abuse and has offered training sessions about addiction and abuse within the Orthodox Jewish community to various branches of law enforcement and government agencies.  Amudim is currently handling over 300 abuse cases.

“Baruch Hashem the tide is turning and we are noticing that the community is starting to become more accepting of issues of addiction and sexual abuse,” said Rabbi Zvi Gluck, founder and director of Amudim.  “We are proud to be a part of this new trend.  We are light years ahead of where we were five years ago, but light years behind where we need to be five years from now.”

Tekumah and Regesh were created to educate, work with and prevent youth at risk, specifically in the Lakewood community, and are guided by Harav Yehuda Jacobs shlita, mashgiach of Bais Medrash Govoha.  Tekuma targets a large spectrum of Jewish young adults, often helping those who fall by the wayside and would never contemplate going for help, with their trained and experience staff members reaching out and initiating interactions with some of the most inaccessible of our youth.  The Regesh Network provides a free and confidential crisis hotline for boys, girls and parents in need of support and has fielded more than 3,000 phone calls in the last eight months. While many of the calls deal with abuse, others concern fundamental questions about Yiddishkeit or children who are faced with a family crisis.

“We take each and every call seriously and treat all callers with dignity and respect,” explained Noach Haller.  “Each call that comes in becomes the catalyst to getting the help that they are seeking.

Center Girls – Merkaz Rochel is a division of Tekuma that provides recreational activities for struggling girls in Lakewood.  Founded by Devorah Malamud, it is a destination for fun, friends, social activities and dinner, giving girls a sense of belonging and providing them much needed and non-judgmental support.  Various activities throughout the year including inspirational talks, trips, barbeques, swimming, Shabbos meals, a Tisha B’Av program and creative yom tov programming keeps girls focused and interested in coming back for more.

By running successful programs to connect Jewish adults and infuse them with a love of Judaism, BJX provides secular Jews with the necessary tools to incorporate Judaism into their lives, while also offering preventive educational programming and positive role models to Orthodox youth and adults.  Their successful summer vocational program has helped rehabilitate many students, enabling them to be accepted into more mainstream yeshivos.

“Although BJX is obviously known for its tremendous efforts in Jewish outreach to the unaffiliated, BJX is especially proud of its efforts to be mekarev numerous adults from Chassidic and Yeshivish homes that strayed. Our helpline has been a lifeline for community members and our new preventive programs for mainstream Yeshiva children hopes to solve the at-risk crisis before it begins,” explained Rabbi Moshe Fingerer of BJX.

For more than 20 years, Yedidim has been helping troubled youth and immigrant children in Israel, giving them the opportunity to maximize their potential and to make the most of their G-d given talents.  With a program that combines one on one mentoring, group work, custom made personal advancement programs and community service, the children and young adults who come to Yedidim are transformed from vulnerable youth to confident young adults whose lives have a sense of purpose and meaning.  Yedidim serves 3,500 children, teens and young adults in 120 communities each year throughout Israel.

Other organizations that are taking part in the Charidy campaign are The Chananya Backer Memorial Institute, Aliya, Girls Loft by Aliya Girls, Our Place Boys, Our Place Girls, Torah Youth Center, The Center, Aish Tamid, Aliya Youth Space, Project Extreme, Miryam’s House, Gav’s Boys, Retorno, The Living Room, Saving Lives Coalition, SAFE Foundation, Matara, Ohr Yitzchok, Yeshivas Lev Shlomo, BJX and Bais Menachem Youth Development Program.

To learn more about the Pomegranate Giving Day for Youth or to consider participating, please contact Rabbi Aryeh Young at 516-512-4494 or at [email protected].

To visit Pomegranate or place an online order, visit ThePomPeople.com.