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i want to start a kiruv organization for 2 types of people: 1 for people who are in college. 2: for people who are teens like ncsy since ctlawyer said its not for not frum people that much anymore. anyone know how i can go about this???
What do you want to be ‘Mekarev’ them to?
Try contacting Rabbi Daniel Mechanic or Rabbi Ben Zion Klatzko. They may be able to give you some ideas.
Even if iacisrmma has the e-mail info you want, that may not be something that is allowed to be posted in this forum. Why don’t you google them and find out what organizations they are part of and how they can be contacted through those organizations. It is highly likely that something like the organizations you want to start already exist and you would just need to bring them to your campus.
You need to get Fundraisers first, There are costs involved with Kiruv that need to be covered
Also you need to prepare yourself for alot of rejection and failure. Just because you are enthusiatic doesnt mean other people are so enthusiastic.
Also you would need to deal with questions you might be uncomfortable answering. People with Jewish fathers will want to participate. People will ask you questions regarding women and religion (And dont want to hear the answer that “women have different roles”)
Sparkly-Good luck. You really do have high idealistic aspirations, which is very admirable. But do you really think that once you are married with kids (full time “job”), and a researcher pharmacist working on the cure for cancer (full time job) that you will have more free time than you have now to work on this organization? Granted that you will be older and more experienced and better equipped for it if you wait, but single-hood has its advantages in terms of your time is not as divided in so many ways. Running a kiruv organization is probably a full time job, too, no?
You can start small now, person by person, since you are in close contact with non-frum Jews, you have lots of kiruv opportunities.
and you can also use this time to grow and develop, learn as much as possible, so that you will have more to give when you are able to start your own organization.
“You can start small now, person by person, since you are in close contact with non-frum Jews, you have lots of kiruv opportunities.”
That sounds like great advice
Sprakly, maybe start a club in your college, or something like that?
I don’t think it’s good advice at all.
Who will be “m’karev” whom?
I am in agreement with DY
Unless you know what you are doing (and I mean you KNOW, not that you think you know) This is not an area you really want to get into, There is alot of risk in many areas
DaasYochid,
Is that not an issue in every kiruv situation?
I don’t think it’s good advice at all.
Who will be “m’karev” whom?
The idea is for Sparkly to be mekarev others. Yes there is a danger of being influenced by those you want to influence, or by leaving a more sheltered environment (see comments on NCSY above), but in this case, Sparkly is already in such an environment in a non-Jewish college, and having a kiruv goal in mind might ensure a proper perspective in her relationships with her non-frum Jewish classmates. Often when given a kiruv challenge, the mekarev grows too because he/she is forced to think about things that might otherwise be taken for granted.
You don’t know who’s a karov and who’s a rechok. A Jew is already perfect since he’s a chelek elokah mima’al. The Alter Rebbe says that many Jews throughout history who were emphatically not observant to any serious degree, and simply didn’t do much about their Judaism in their day to day lives still gave up their lives rather than undergo forced conversion. This is an expression of the soul’s refusal to be separate from G-d above its own existence.
My point is that any effort to encourage Jews to do mitzvos is praiseworthy, and you don’t need to be financed heavily to be friendly to Jewish girls who aren’t frum and to encourage them to partake in shabbos, candle lighting, tznius, etc.
you’re all right, and all of the above points should be taken into account. Kiruv can be good for the person doing it or it can be detrimental. Anyone who works in Kiruv has to continually do a cheshbon hanefesh to see if it is causing him to go down in any way. If he sees
that it is, he must find a way to counteract that or get out of kiruv (depending how badly it is affecting him and if he has a way to avoid it).
When I was in seminary, I attended a program on doing Kiruv. I remember that one of the speakers stressed the fact that you must make sure that you set aside time for your own spiritual growth.
If you do go into kiruv, Sparkly, I think you HAVE to make sure that you have a Rav/Rebbetzin/mentor whom you are in constant touch with for both aitzas and halacha sheilahs.
I do think that doing kiruv could potentially be very good for you, but you must have some guidance while doing it.
Hatzlacha!
The key is the guidance, which it does not seem that she has.
I will stand by my assertion that based on what we see on the CR, it is not a good idea for her to be doing kiruv except perhaps in a structured program guided by mature, experienced, responsible people.
Ive seen kiruv organizations in work and in situations that were not like the idealic situation its portrayed to be.
Are you really going to tell someone who comes to you with their pregnent non-jewish girlfriend to break up with her
Are you really going to tell someone whose father is jewish, that they are not jewish (And cause a big scene at an event, Ive seen this happen)
And there are worse situations where parents support the children and have certain expectations and those expectations might be against the torah (Like a Siblings wedding to a non-jew on Shabbos (Ive seen that one and the person becoming more religious is not in a position to take a certain stand))
I agree with DY. Sparkly does not seem to have the guidance of experienced kiruv professionals and mentors. These individuals are easily and readily accessible. Organizations like NCSY, AISH, NJOP, and, as seems most relevant to her, JLIC, are easy to find. Their local and regional directors are easy to talk to and a wealth of information and guidance. Moreover, these organizations already have resources, and structures, and capacity for growth that are beyond the means of most individuals. AISH has a global network of professionals, lay leaders and funders. NCSY and JLIC are funded by the OU, and have access to their immense resources, guides, and poskim. Why reinvent the wheel and waste community dollars trying to start something new to accomplish the same thing?
Sparkly, if you are interested in doing, not just aspiring, find the websites and emails for local representatives and directors of these orgs and make a call.
Sparkly, as I wrote on another thread which you resurrected earlier, Being an advisor for NCSY or starting a kiruv org is a great aspiration. But, and I say this with over a decade of volunteering with AISH and five years working in a senior position at NCSY, ITS NOT ABOUT YOU. Its about the individuals, be they OTD, or simply grown up frum but not motivated, or teens who are completely ignorant about Judaism but are interested in learning more. Its about either providing an avenue for motivated young Jews to become frum through learning, experience,and a welcoming frum environment, or its about reaching many young Jews with little background and providing them with the tools to make Jewish choices in their lives even if they don’t become frum.
It seems from your posts that you are also on a derech that you may not have found the end point to. That’s good! keep striving to find the best point FOR YOU on it. Rav Noach Weinberg, Zt’l who founded both Aish and Ohr Somayach once told me to convey that once a person learns something, they have an obligation to share it, to be a learner and a teacher at the same time. That may involve taking on more outward reflections of observance, or it may be an internal change that gives you more of a sense of completeness as a Jew. I wish you hatzlacha with that.
DY & Yichusdik, you both have very good points.
I do think, Sparkly, that at this stage in life you should be working on yourself first, and then you will be more qualified to do kiruv. I definitely think that you should go to E”Y for the year.
OK, so where is the CR standing on this one, troll or not troll? I’m trying to be relatively discrete here, but I think it’s crossed many of our minds by now.
Sparkly, as I’ve said before. Be proactive. asking for advice in the CR is useful to a point. You don’t have to deliberate it, or remain puzzled. You have to pick up a phone. Ask for the regional or city director. ask if you can talk with them or the appropriate staff member about being an advisor. Go and meet with them. Find out what is involved, and what they are looking for. Then you will know.
Being involved in kiruv and in Jewish life in general involves action. Go. Do. get answers.
NC, my gut says yes, and not working alone.
In that case, you really do need to go to EY in order to stabilize your growth.
Sparkly, It’s great that you want to grow, but I am more than a little concerned about this sudden and complete turnaround. To go from wanting a guy who is working to saying “chas v’shalom that my husband should work” seems rather a big change to make such a short time.
Did something happen over the last day or two to cause this change?
edited
Sparkly, I don’t know you but from what you’ve written here and in other threads it seems you have some things to figure out, some confidence to build, and some growing to do do. I wish you well in all of these. I advise you to DO, not just to think about doing. As it is, if you are shy, or not sure of your future, I think its best to hold off on the advising and the creating a kiruv environment around you until you have had more interaction with kiruv professionals in the real world. Only my opinion and I wish you the best.
which kiruv Org. do you think is the most popular & has the most students? from lev’ l’achim to shuvu to Oorah etc…
different ones are for different kinds of people on different levels of where they are currently holding before starting to return to frumkeit as much as they may also be serving in different countries
From what I understand, NCSY works with about 20,000 teens per year throughout North America… I think you’ll be hard pressed to find another kiruv organization with that type of reach.
My sense is that a lot of folks who get involved in kiruv may not be the most prepared. It takes a certain amount of wisdom, grit, life experience, and an IMMENSE amount of learning. You need to be under the guidance of expert rabbonim and poskim who know how to deal with the grey areas of life.
Sparkly: “lilmod ulelamaid – im trying to grow and so i NEED to convince my future husband who has a college degree to go to kollel that way we can raise a kollel family together.”
Sparkly, that’s beautiful, I just think that “chas v’shalom that my husband should work” sounds a bit extreme for you. I also think that you should go back and reread Meno’s post that he posted a link to. And I stand by my advice that you should go to Eretz Yisroel to learn for a bit, establish a hashkafic path for yourself, and most importantly find people who can give you guidance and be role models for you.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be for a full year, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be in Eretz Yisrael (although I don’t know if there are any options elsewhere), but I really think you need some guidance!
Does this guy have a Rav? If so, is his Rav someone you can speak to?
Putting personal situations aside, I have a general question about kiruv. Kiruv mostly has been left to the organizations and professionals, many of which have been mentioned on this thread. But there also is a push for the average frum Jew to get involved, even without being a kiruv professional- the “Just one Jew” philosophy, where he can be a positive model of a frum Jew to his non-frum neighbors, co-workers, classmates, etc. from what many have said here, they would not agree with this, since the person doesn’t have the right training and support system in place. I’m not sure- can’t we all be ambassadors for Torah, and try to bring Torah into others lives..at least as a starting point so that they get interested enough to attend a more official outreach program?
I think even the frum person would gain this way, if he does think of himself as a 24/7 ambassador of Torah- will be more likely to grow in Yiddishkeit him/herself.
Prostilizing in the workplace in many places is against most companies policies, you really have to be careful where you tread. And many things that you might consider a Kiddish Hashem , others wont think so and might even get a negative view of Yiddishkeit
A lady I know who is baalas teshuva told me that before she became Frum, when she saw Frum people around (I guess her neighbors, etc.), she always wanted them to invite her family for Shabbos. When she saw them building their Sukkahs, she always wished they would invite her to come eat in the Sukkah. Often, we are too afraid of reaching out to not-Frum people because we are afraid of how it will be perceived, and meanwhile they are waiting for us to reach out to them.
Obviously, one must use one’s seichel and sensitivity in how they go about this. You have to be normal. But a Shabbos invitation extended sincerely is always in place.
I once met a boy who was learning in Aish HaTorah who told me that he was upset by the fact that before he became Frum, when he passed Frum people on the street, they would say Good Shabbos to other Frum people but not to him (which led him to believe that Frum people hate not-Frum people). I pointed out to him that they probably didn’t realize he was Jewish since he wasn’t wearing a Yarmulka. He said that he was wearing a Magen David necklace, so they should have realized he was Jewish.
I didn’t point out (although I probably should have) that Frum people may not notice a Magen David necklace since it’s not what they are used to looking for!
In any case, the moral of the story is that when you see someone walking down the street, if you have reason to believe they are Jewish, say Good Shabbos to them – they are waiting for it!
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