It was an incredible evening of learning in Flatbush. This wasn’t your typical night seder. There was a special exuberance and pervasive ruach in the Beis Medrash. After extensive preparation with his tutor, one young man, a graduate of Edward Murrow Public High School, read an entire line of Chumash. It isn’t easy learning new letters, phonics and vowelization. I wish you could have seen the pride and joy on this young man’s face as he mentally and viscerally connected to the Torah in a personal way.

More than 60% of Brooklyn Jews are unaffiliated. This is a frightening statistic – right in our neighborhood. What is being done to save these local Jews from total assimilation and spiritual annihilation? 

This past year numerous Jewish young men and women, who were raised in Flatbush or the neighboring communities, changed their lives and drew closer to Hashem at BJX.

Several young men even went through the painful and courageous act of having a Bris Milah. Most of us never had to make a decision that put us at odds with our families and friends or had to go under the knife for a Mitzvah. We didn’t have to face opposition and antagonism to perform a Mitzvah. The Mesiras Nefesh of the people who have attended BJX is exhilarating and amazing.  

The Zohar HaKadosh says that the first word ever recited by Hashem to Klal Yisroel en masse, “Anochi”, is an acronym for Ana Nafshi Kasivas Yahavis, which may be translated to mean, “I wrote down My Soul and gave it to you.” What an astounding statement. Hashem placed His Soul into the Torah! When we learn Torah, we’re connecting to His Soul. I have to hold back tears when I witness our students – precious neshamos – raised in secular homes, finally having the opportunity to fuse their souls with Hashem’s soul through learning Torah for the first time.   

People ask what is the secret of BJX? How does BJX make such miracles in our community possible, time after time? It is exceedingly emotional to think about the joy that Hashem receives by having yet another child of His, a child who could have been Chas V’Shalom lost forever, come back to their holy roots.  

We will never forget when our Rebbi, Moreinu Harav Pam, Zt”l, went on his deathbed to a Shuvu parlor meeting. He was transported on a stretcher, in an ambulance to beg and plead with fellow Jews to save the Neshamos of unaffiliated Yidden in Eretz Yisroel. His clarion call was, “How can we say no? How can we stand idly by the Neshamos of our brethren?”

The BJX classes are full with Jews, none of whom were raised frum. Each one could have easily assimilated; their Neshamos lost forever. Do you fathom how many people Klal Yisroel could have lost? Can you fathom how many Jewish children have been brought into the world due to BJX? 

There is only one community organization that is on the frontlines, working day and night to save Neshamos from spiritual extinction. BJX (Brooklyn Jewish Xperience) is that organization. 

BJX has also changed countless lives from the frum community, ensuring that people who are raised frum, stay frum. Our inreach programs have returned Yiddishkeit to those that gave it up and have deepened the typical Yid’s appreciation and love for Torah and Mitzvos. Countless young men who gave up Yiddishkeit were given a second chance at BJX and reclaimed a love for Yiddishkeit.